S T A T U T O R Y I N S T R U M E N T S 2021 No. 538  MARRIAGE, ENGLAND AND WALES  The Marriage (Keeping of Records in Churches and Chapels)  Regulations 2021  The Registrar General makes these Regulations with the approval of the Secretary of State in  exercise of the powers conferred by section 74(1)(c)(v), (1A)(a) and (3) of the Marriage Act  1949( a ).  1. —(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Marriage (Keeping of Records in Churches and  Chapels) Regulations 2021.  (4) In these Regulations, “chapel” does not include a chapel to which Part 5 of the Marriage Act  1949 (marriages in naval, military and air force chapels) applies( b ).  (3) These Regulations extend to England and Wales.  (2) These Regulations come into force on 4th May 2021.  Citation, commencement, extent and interpretation  Made  -  -  -  -  29th April 2021  Coming into force -  -  4th May 2021  Duty of parochial church councils to provide registers of marriage services  2. —(1) The parochial church council of a parish must provide books for the purpose of making  records under regulation 3 to each church and chapel of the Church of England( c ) in that parish in  which banns of matrimony may be published.  (2) Books provided under paragraph (1) are to be known as “registers of marriage services”.  (3) A register of marriage services provided under paragraph (1) must meet the requirements of  paragraphs (4) and (5).  (4) The register must be made of durable material.  (5) For the purposes of enabling a record to be made in the register under regulation 3 in respect  of a marriage, the register must be printed in such a way that it—  ( a ) 1949 c. 76 (12 & 13 Geo 6). Section 74 was amended by Schedule 2 to the Registration Service Act 1953 (c. 37) and by  paragraph 5(1)(d) of Schedule 2 to the Transfer of Functions (Registration) Order 2008 (S.I. 2008/678) and subsequently  renumbered as section 74(1) by article 12 of the Registration of Marriages etc. (Electronic Communications and Electronic  Storage) Order 2009 (S.I. 2009/2821). Section 74(1) was amended by paragraph 19 of Schedule 15 to the Immigration Act  2016 (c. 19) and paragraph 43 of Schedule 1 to the Registration of Marriages Regulations 2021 (S.I. 2021/411), which also  inserted subsection (1A).  ( b ) See section 68(2) of the Marriage Act 1949. The certification function of the Admiralty under that section was transferred to  the Secretary of State by the Defence (Transfer of Functions) Act 1964 (c. 15).  ( c )  Section 78(2) of the Marriage Act 1949 provides for references to the Church of England to be construed as including  references to the Church in Wales. 