Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether clergy are no longer permitted to register marriages conducted in their churches; if so, why not; and what consultations they undertook with the Church of England prior to the introduction of the electronic register for marriages.

As a result of changes implemented under The Civil Partnerships, Marriages and Deaths (Registration etc.) Act 2019 all marriages in England and Wales are registered in an electronic register by a registrar for the district in which the marriage took place rather than in hard copy registers.

The Church of England were fully involved in the development of this policy, including direct engagement with Home Office Ministers. The Church of England has been supportive of the move to an electronic system of registration, including the move to include Mothers on Marriage Certificates as part of this.