Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Prime Minister, what recent discussions she has had with the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party on (a) the advancement of equal marriage rights for same-sex couples living in Northern Ireland and (b) the recognition in Northern Ireland of the relationship status of same-sex couples married elsewhere in the UK.

My position on this issue is clear and well known. I voted in support of equal marriage in England and Wales and hope this can be extended to Northern Ireland in the future. However, the fundamental position remains that equal marriage is an entirely devolved issue in Northern Ireland and one that should be resolved by a restored Assembly.