Asked by: Alex Cunningham (Labour - Stockton North)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he has made an assessment of the financial impact of the policy not to legislate for the legal recognition of humanist marriages until after the Law Commission review, for couples that want a humanist marriage, who must also have a civil ceremony for their marriage to be legally recognised.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
The Government consulted in 2014 on marriages by non-religious belief organisations. Its summary assessment of costs and benefits was published in the response, which can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/marriages-by-non-religious-belief-organisations(opens in a new tab). The Law Commission will also be looking into the impact of the current law on costs incurred by humanist couples. The Government will reconsider this issue on the basis of the Law Commission's recommendations. This report is expected in July 2022.
Asked by: Alex Cunningham (Labour - Stockton North)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Government's 20 December 2021 announcement of proposals to use interim reform to legislate for outdoor civil and religious marriages, for what reason the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice stated that legislating for humanist marriages would pre-empt the Law Commission’s review of marriage law, Official Report, 27 January 2022, col 439 WH.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
By looking at the law comprehensively, the Law Commission will be able to ensure that, insofar as possible, groups and couples are all subject to the same rules and the same level of regulation. The Law Commission recommendations are expected to eliminate the current situation where a couple with one set of beliefs is legally permitted to marry in one type of location (for example, in a private garden), but a couple with another set of beliefs is not. That reform is not possible by only authorising humanist weddings.
The Government will carefully consider the Law Commission’s recommendations when the final report is published, and it is right for us to wait for the outcome of the Law Commission’s report due in July.
Asked by: Baroness Bakewell (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to grant full legal status to humanist marriages.
Answered by Lord Wolfson of Tredegar
The Government will consider the case for comprehensive and enduring reform once the Law Commission has completed its review of marriage law. The Law Commission will present options for reforms to modernise marriage law. Options are expected to include offering couples greater flexibility to form their own ceremonies, allowing the ceremony to take place in a much broader range of locations and to provide a framework that could allow non-religious belief organisations (such as Humanists) and/or independent celebrants to conduct legally binding weddings. The report is expected in July 2022.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the equity of the administrative costs for humanist marriages; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
The Government consulted in 2014 on marriages by non-religious belief organisations. Its summary assessment of costs and benefits was published in the response, which can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/marriages-by-non-religious-belief-organisations. The Law Commission will also be looking into the impact of the current law on costs incurred by humanist couples. The Government will reconsider this issue on the basis of the Law Commission's recommendations. This report is expected in July 2022.
Asked by: Kirsten Oswald (Scottish National Party - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the judgment in Blackburn (t/a Cornish Moorland Honey) v Revenue and Customs Commissioners [2013] UKFTT 525, what recent assessment he has made of the potential effect of the proposed reforms to sections 3 and 6 of the Human Rights Act on the protection offered to persons with a religious conviction against the use of electronic communication.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
In December, the Deputy Prime Minister announced that the Government is consulting on proposals to overhaul and replace the Human Rights Act (HRA) with a Bill of Rights. The consultation process is ongoing and we are carefully considering the impact of proposed policies on the legislative framework and legal systems of each devolved nation within the UK. Engagement with stakeholders, including in the devolved administrations, is underway and roundtable events with religious, humanist and secularist groups are planned. In line with our manifesto commitment, we want to ensure there is a proper balance between the rights of individuals, our national security and effective government.
Asked by: Kirsten Oswald (Scottish National Party - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the judgment in Hand v George [2017] EWHC 533, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of his proposed reforms to sections 3 and 6 of the Human Rights Act 1998 on the entitlement of adoptive children to equal inheritance rights in wills made before 1976.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
In December, the Deputy Prime Minister announced that the Government is consulting on proposals to overhaul and replace the Human Rights Act (HRA) with a Bill of Rights. The consultation process is ongoing and we are carefully considering the impact of proposed policies on the legislative framework and legal systems of each devolved nation within the UK. Engagement with stakeholders, including in the devolved administrations, is underway and roundtable events with religious, humanist and secularist groups are planned. In line with our manifesto commitment, we want to ensure there is a proper balance between the rights of individuals, our national security and effective government.
Asked by: Kirsten Oswald (Scottish National Party - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the judgments in A (Surrogacy: s.54 Criteria) [2020] EWHC 1426 and X (Parental Order: Death of Intended Parent Prior to Birth) [2020] EWFC 39, what recent assessment he has made of the impact of his proposed reforms to sections 3 and 6 of the Human Rights Act on existing human rights protections.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
In December, the Deputy Prime Minister announced that the Government is consulting on proposals to overhaul and replace the Human Rights Act (HRA) with a Bill of Rights. The consultation process is ongoing and we are carefully considering the impact of proposed policies on the legislative framework and legal systems of each devolved nation within the UK. Engagement with stakeholders, including in the devolved administrations, is underway and roundtable events with religious, humanist and secularist groups are planned. In line with our manifesto commitment, we want to ensure there is a proper balance between the rights of individuals, our national security and effective government.
Asked by: Kirsten Oswald (Scottish National Party - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent discussions he has had with the devolved Administrations on the potential impact of his proposed reforms to sections 3 and 6 of the Human Rights Act 1998 on the legal recognition of humanist marriages in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
In December, the Deputy Prime Minister announced that the Government is consulting on proposals to overhaul and replace the Human Rights Act (HRA) with a Bill of Rights. The consultation process is ongoing and we are carefully considering the impact of proposed policies on the legislative framework and legal systems of each devolved nation within the UK. Engagement with stakeholders, including in the devolved administrations, is underway and roundtable events with religious, humanist and secularist groups are planned. In line with our manifesto commitment, we want to ensure there is a proper balance between the rights of individuals, our national security and effective government.
Asked by: Kirsten Oswald (Scottish National Party - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment he had made of the potential impact of his proposed reforms to sections 3 and 6 of the Human Rights Act 1998 on the legal recognition of humanist marriages in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
In December, the Deputy Prime Minister announced that the Government is consulting on proposals to overhaul and replace the Human Rights Act (HRA) with a Bill of Rights. The consultation process is ongoing and we are carefully considering the impact of proposed policies on the legislative framework and legal systems of each devolved nation within the UK. Engagement with stakeholders, including in the devolved administrations, is underway and roundtable events with religious, humanist and secularist groups are planned. In line with our manifesto commitment, we want to ensure there is a proper balance between the rights of individuals, our national security and effective government.
Asked by: Kirsten Oswald (Scottish National Party - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment he has made of the potential effect of his planned reforms to sections 3 and 6 of the Human Rights Act 1998 on delivering equality under the law to humanists, atheists, and other non-religious people.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
In December, the Deputy Prime Minister announced that the Government is consulting on proposals to overhaul and replace the Human Rights Act (HRA) with a Bill of Rights. The consultation process is ongoing and we are carefully considering the impact of proposed policies on the legislative framework and legal systems of each devolved nation within the UK. Engagement with stakeholders, including in the devolved administrations, is underway and roundtable events with religious, humanist and secularist groups are planned. In line with our manifesto commitment, we want to ensure there is a proper balance between the rights of individuals, our national security and effective government.