Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will introduce regulations to provide for a photographic image of the registered disabled person to be placed on the authorised displayed front of a disability parking blue badge.

Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

The legislation governing the Blue Badge scheme requires that the side of the badge bearing the photograph should not be on display. Many disabled people have concerns about personal security and would not like to have such information on view. There are no plans to change this requirement.

Blue Badges have key information which enables on-street enforcement officers to check the details of the badge and the badge holder, and to view a photograph at the roadside on a smartphone or similar device.

The Department for Transport keeps the Blue Badge scheme under review, carrying out research and working closely with local authorities aiming to improve the consistency of local enforcement to tackle fraud and misuse of the Blue Badge scheme by acting swiftly and sharing best practice.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many people have been prosecuted for the illegal use of disability parking blue badges in the past two years.

Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

The Department for Transport does not hold data about the number of prosecutions for illegal badges.

The Department for Transport sets the legislation that governs the scheme and provides guidance for local authorities who are solely responsible for administrating the scheme.

Current legislation provides local authorities with the means to tackle abuse of the Blue Badge scheme locally, such as the power to retain and cancel badges found to be misused.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what is the total number of recorded cases of the illegal use of disability parking blue badges.

Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

The Department for Transport does not hold data about the number of prosecutions for illegal badges.

The Department for Transport sets the legislation that governs the scheme and provides guidance for local authorities who are solely responsible for administrating the scheme.

Current legislation provides local authorities with the means to tackle abuse of the Blue Badge scheme locally, such as the power to retain and cancel badges found to be misused.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they collect evidence or carry out research into the illegal use, production, sale or theft of disability parking blue badges.

Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

The legislation governing the Blue Badge scheme requires that the side of the badge bearing the photograph should not be on display. Many disabled people have concerns about personal security and would not like to have such information on view. There are no plans to change this requirement.

Blue Badges have key information which enables on-street enforcement officers to check the details of the badge and the badge holder, and to view a photograph at the roadside on a smartphone or similar device.

The Department for Transport keeps the Blue Badge scheme under review, carrying out research and working closely with local authorities aiming to improve the consistency of local enforcement to tackle fraud and misuse of the Blue Badge scheme by acting swiftly and sharing best practice.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many people who have been deported from the United Kingdom after (1) asylum application refusal, or (2) completion of a prison sentence, have returned to the UK (a) as illegal entrants in breach of their deportation arrangements, and (b) following completion of a sentence overseas, in the past five years.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

The requested data could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.

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 - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

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.

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 - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

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.

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 - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

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.

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 - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

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.

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 - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

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.

Small Modular Reactors APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: MP  Clive Betts MP  Mark Jenkinson MP  Charlotte Nichols MP  Viscount Trenchard  Lord Campbell-Savours