Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, following the recent decision by the government of the Cayman Islands to recognise LGBT relationships in law, what steps they are taking to ensure that LGBT citizens of Anguilla, the British Virgin Islands, Turks and Caicos, Monserrat, and Northern Ireland have the right to enter into a same sex marriage.

After the Cayman Islands court judgement (which has been appealed by the Cayman Island Government) ten Overseas Territories have legal recognition and protection for same sex relationships. The British Overseas Territories are separate, largely self-governing jurisdictions with their own democratically elected representatives. Our relationship with the Overseas Territories is based on partnership and therefore as policy on marriage law is an area of devolved responsibility it should be for the territories to decide and legislate on. As has been demonstrated by recent LGBT cases, the Territories' justice mechanisms and processes should be allowed the space to address these matters. We are working to encourage those Territories that have not put in place arrangements to recognise and protect same sex relationships, to do so, and continue to engage with all the Overseas Territories to ensure that their legislation is compliant with their international human rights obligations. We continue to raise LGBT rights and broader human rights obligations consistently with the leaders of Overseas Territories - both bilaterally, and at the Overseas Territories Joint Ministerial Councils. This is also a matter that is raised by Governors' Offices.

As marriage is devolved in Northern Ireland, any question of reform to law or policy is rightly one for a devolved Executive and Assembly in Northern Ireland to carefully consider and debate. The Government would hope and encourage a restored Executive to progress legislation on this issue.