Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she is taking to encourage mosques to register with the General Registry Office to perform civil marriages and partnerships.

A small working group of internal and external stakeholders was established by the Ministry of Justice in 2012 to consider the reasons why so few mosques are registered for the purpose of conducting marriages, and explore what more might be done by Government and others to raise awareness of registration and its benefits. The group is also exploring how community-led approaches could raise awareness of ‘marriages which are not recognised by the state and the potential legal consequences.

The General Register Office is content to work with interested parties to see what might be done in the area of communications and guidance within the existing legal framework . The group is also raising awareness of religious marriages not recognised by the state and the potential legal consequences.