Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will assess the merits of requiring Imams carrying out the Islamic marriage ceremony to ensure that a civil ceremony has already taken place.

The Government acknowledges concerns raised about marriage ceremonies that do not give rise to legal rights, and is committed to careful consideration of the issue. That is one of the reasons why the Prime Minister, in her previous role as Home Secretary, launched the independent Sharia review in May last year. These concerns are central to the review, and the Government is considering the issue in light of the report by Dame Louise Casey on opportunity and integration, published in December.