Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to covid-19 regulations providing for 15 people to gather only for legally recognised marriages, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending that legal recognition on (a) an interim and (b) a permanent basis to humanist weddings.

In respect of legal recognition of humanist weddings, the Government announced in June 2019 that the Law Commission will conduct a fundamental review of the law on how and where people can legally marry in England and Wales. As part of that review, the Government invited the Law Commission to make recommendations about how marriage by humanist and other non-religious belief organisations could be incorporated into a revised or new scheme for all marriages that is simple, fair and consistent. The Government will decide on provision on the basis of the Law Commission's recommendations.

The Law Commission has now published a consultation paper as part of its review and will welcome responses from all.