Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will make it her policy to lay a Legislative Reform Order to permit outdoor religious weddings.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Law Commission’s 2022 report on weddings raises a number of issues around weddings law, including giving greater choice in how and where individuals can get married.
Given marriage will always be one of our most important institutions, it is right that we take the time to carefully consider this report. An update on our position on weddings reform will come soon.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
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.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
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.
Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether she has made an assessment of the impact of The Marriages and Civil Partnerships (Approved Premises) (Amendment) Regulations 2022 on faith groups.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Marriages and Civil Partnerships (Approved Premises) (Amendment) Regulations 2022, introduced by the previous Government, made permanent the temporary provisions allowing civil marriage and civil partnership ceremonies to take place outdoors in the grounds of approved premises in England and Wales. These changes did not extend to permitting outdoor religious marriages in the grounds of places of worship, for those religious groups who are currently unable to conduct legal weddings outdoors. The previous Government ran a consultation which considered a range of views and potential impacts.
The Law Commission’s 2022 report on weddings law highlighted a number of issues within the current legal framework, including inconsistencies affecting faith groups. Given the points raised by the Law Commission, it is right that we take the time to consider these issues. We will set out our position on weddings reform in the coming months.
Asked by: Lord Campbell-Savours (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether records relating to marriage in England and Wales are to be made available for immediate access to the public.
Answered by Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede
Polygamous marriages cannot legally be entered into in England and Wales law. We do not hold data on the number of polygamous marriages in England and Wales.
The Immigration Act 2014 extended the marriage notice period from 14 days to 28 days to help prevent sham marriages. The Government has no plans to review this.
The 28-day notice period remains in place not only for administrative reasons but also to support safeguards against sham marriages. While the Law Commission’s 2022 report on weddings law made 57 recommendations for the reform of weddings law, it did not propose changes to the current 28-day duration of the notice period for weddings. As a responsible Government, we need time to consider the Law Commission’s report, and we will set out our position in the coming months.
The Registrar General has a duty to provide an index of all marriages registered in England and Wales, which is available to the public to search and obtain a certified copy of an entry.
Asked by: Lord Campbell-Savours (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government to what extent considerations other than administrative requirements have been taken into account in the retention of the 28-day notice period for weddings.
Answered by Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede
Polygamous marriages cannot legally be entered into in England and Wales law. We do not hold data on the number of polygamous marriages in England and Wales.
The Immigration Act 2014 extended the marriage notice period from 14 days to 28 days to help prevent sham marriages. The Government has no plans to review this.
The 28-day notice period remains in place not only for administrative reasons but also to support safeguards against sham marriages. While the Law Commission’s 2022 report on weddings law made 57 recommendations for the reform of weddings law, it did not propose changes to the current 28-day duration of the notice period for weddings. As a responsible Government, we need time to consider the Law Commission’s report, and we will set out our position in the coming months.
The Registrar General has a duty to provide an index of all marriages registered in England and Wales, which is available to the public to search and obtain a certified copy of an entry.
Asked by: Lord Campbell-Savours (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to implement the Law Commission's recommendations in their report Celebrating Marriage: A New Weddings Law, published on 18 July 2022.
Answered by Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede
Polygamous marriages cannot legally be entered into in England and Wales law. We do not hold data on the number of polygamous marriages in England and Wales.
The Immigration Act 2014 extended the marriage notice period from 14 days to 28 days to help prevent sham marriages. The Government has no plans to review this.
The 28-day notice period remains in place not only for administrative reasons but also to support safeguards against sham marriages. While the Law Commission’s 2022 report on weddings law made 57 recommendations for the reform of weddings law, it did not propose changes to the current 28-day duration of the notice period for weddings. As a responsible Government, we need time to consider the Law Commission’s report, and we will set out our position in the coming months.
The Registrar General has a duty to provide an index of all marriages registered in England and Wales, which is available to the public to search and obtain a certified copy of an entry.
Asked by: Lord Campbell-Savours (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will review the decision made in 2014 to increase from 14 to 28 days the notice period for weddings.
Answered by Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede
Polygamous marriages cannot legally be entered into in England and Wales law. We do not hold data on the number of polygamous marriages in England and Wales.
The Immigration Act 2014 extended the marriage notice period from 14 days to 28 days to help prevent sham marriages. The Government has no plans to review this.
The 28-day notice period remains in place not only for administrative reasons but also to support safeguards against sham marriages. While the Law Commission’s 2022 report on weddings law made 57 recommendations for the reform of weddings law, it did not propose changes to the current 28-day duration of the notice period for weddings. As a responsible Government, we need time to consider the Law Commission’s report, and we will set out our position in the coming months.
The Registrar General has a duty to provide an index of all marriages registered in England and Wales, which is available to the public to search and obtain a certified copy of an entry.
Asked by: Lord Campbell-Savours (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is the incidence of polygamy in the United Kingdom.
Answered by Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede
Polygamous marriages cannot legally be entered into in England and Wales law. We do not hold data on the number of polygamous marriages in England and Wales.
The Immigration Act 2014 extended the marriage notice period from 14 days to 28 days to help prevent sham marriages. The Government has no plans to review this.
The 28-day notice period remains in place not only for administrative reasons but also to support safeguards against sham marriages. While the Law Commission’s 2022 report on weddings law made 57 recommendations for the reform of weddings law, it did not propose changes to the current 28-day duration of the notice period for weddings. As a responsible Government, we need time to consider the Law Commission’s report, and we will set out our position in the coming months.
The Registrar General has a duty to provide an index of all marriages registered in England and Wales, which is available to the public to search and obtain a certified copy of an entry.
Asked by: Baroness Smith of Llanfaes (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede on 24 April (HL6663), what religious and non-religious groups they are aware of that wish to conduct legally recognised marriages in England and Wales and are unable to do so.
Answered by Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede
I refer the Noble Lady to the answer I gave on 24 April to question HL6663. The Law Commission concluded in its 2022 report on weddings law that there are a number of inconsistencies and complexities within the current legal framework for weddings. Examples given by the Law Commission include the fact that Jewish and Quaker weddings may take place in any location, whereas weddings conducted by other religious groups (save the Church of England), including Muslims, Hindus and Catholics, must take place in a registered building.
The Law Commission therefore recommended a scheme that could place all weddings on a level playing field.
Given the points raised by the Law Commission, it is right that we take the time to consider the issues. We will set out our position on weddings reform in the coming months.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether she plans to lay the legislative reform order consulted on by the previous government on allowing faith groups to hold outdoor religious weddings.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Law Commission’s 2022 report on weddings raises a number of issues around weddings law, including giving greater choice in how and where individuals can get married.
Given marriage will always be one of our most important institutions, it is right that we take the time to carefully consider this report before we set out our position on weddings reform in the coming months.