Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he has made an assessment of the financial impact of the policy not to legislate for the legal recognition of humanist marriages until after the Law Commission review, for couples that want a humanist marriage, who must also have a civil ceremony for their marriage to be legally recognised.

The Government consulted in 2014 on marriages by non-religious belief organisations. Its summary assessment of costs and benefits was published in the response, which can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/marriages-by-non-religious-belief-organisations(opens in a new tab). The Law Commission will also be looking into the impact of the current law on costs incurred by humanist couples. The Government will reconsider this issue on the basis of the Law Commission's recommendations. This report is expected in July 2022.