Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will commission research on the potential impact of (a) first and (b) second cousin marriage on local communities.

We are aware that all aspects of weddings law, including first cousin marriage, are important. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is the Department responsible for community cohesion, including policy on faith, belief, and diasporic communities, and regularly undertakes work to understand and support local communities.

At the Ministry of Justice, we are taking the time to properly consider weddings law, before publicly setting out our position.