Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question
To ask the hon. Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, what guidance the Church of England provides to clergy on the expression of gender-critical views.
Answered by Marsha De Cordova
The Church of England does not provide specific standalone guidance to clergy on the expression of gender-critical views.
On complex issues the House of Bishops may from time to time publish guidance and advice for clergy, designed to inform local response. Two main publications that include detailed theological discussion relating to gender and sexuality are ‘Some Issues in Human Sexuality’ (2003), and ‘Issues in Human Sexuality’ (1991).
More recent statements and pastoral guidance have updated the above, in particular:
• 2005 House of Bishops statement on civil partnerships for same-sex couples,
• 2014 pastoral guidance from the House of Bishops on civil same-sex marriage,
• 2019 House of Bishops statement on civil marriage for all persons,
• 2020 Living in Love and Faith book.
These are all available to view or order on the Church of England website
Following a vote of the General Synod in 2017 to welcome and affirm transgender people, the House of Bishops provided guidance in 2018 called ‘Pastoral Guidance for use in conjunction with the Affirmation of Baptismal Faith in the context of gender transition.’
Within Church of England schools, clergy and teachers are advised to align with the “Pastoral Principles”: www.churchofengland.org/about/general-synod/structure/house-bishops/pastoral-principles
Guidance is also available in ‘Flourishing for All: Anti-bullying Guidance for Church of England Schools’ (updated April 2025): www.churchofengland.org/about/education-and-schools/education-publications/anti-bullying-guidance-church-england-schools
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential impacts of the declining marriage rate and birth rate in the United Kingdom.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.
A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 11th June is attached.
Dear Lord Jackson,
As Acting National Statistician, I am responding to your Parliamentary Questions asking what steps are being taken to expedite the timely publication of marriage and divorce statistics by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) (HL8355), and what assessment has been made of the potential impacts of the declining marriage rate and birth rate in the United Kingdom (HL8356).
The latest published statistics on marriages[1] and divorces[2] in England and Wales are for 2022. Divorces and Dissolutions in England and Wales, 2023[3] will be published on 2 July 2025. Marriages in England and Wales, 2023[4] is provisionally scheduled for publication in November 2025, alongside Civil partnerships in England and Wales, 2023[5].
The Marriages, Civil Partnerships, Marriages and Deaths (Registration Etc.) Act 2019 (which came into force on 4 May 2021) has resulted in a new electronic registration system replacing the paper marriage register. This has improved the timeliness of the submission of religious marriage entries to the General Register Office (GRO) who in turn supply these to the ONS. Following this change to the way marriages are recorded, the ONS have been working to improve the timeliness of publication of marriage statistics and to consolidate the release of marriage and civil partnership statistics to improve accessibility for users and to bring the reference periods in line.
Marriage, civil partnership and divorce statistics incorporate rates as part of the publication; these rates use population estimates by marital status[6] as denominators so these estimates need to be available prior to calculation. The ONS aims to balance the need for timely legal partnership statistics with the timing of publication, and revisions to, population estimates by marital status in order to provide the most accurate rates possible. Estimates for 2023 and 2024 are provisionally scheduled to be published in November 2025.
The ONS does not assess the potential impacts of the declining marriage rate and birth rate in the United Kingdom.
However, in our National Population Projections[7] we analyse past trends in fertility rates to produce a projection of future fertility for the UK. These projections are widely used to support policy making. The numbers of people in each life stage are important when considering dependency ratios, which inform government financial planning. A common measure is the old-age-dependency ratio (OADR), which is the number of people of pensionable age for every 1,000 people of working age. It is projected that OADR for the UK will increase from 278 in mid-2022 to 289 in mid-2032, reaching 302 by mid-2047.
The ONS has published a UK population projection explorer tool[8] which allows users to vary the assumptions for future fertility, net migration and life expectancy to see the impact on the size and age structure of the UK population over the next 50 years.
The ONS publishes marriage and divorce statistics for England and Wales only. National Records for Scotland (NRS)[9] and Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA[10]) are responsible for the publication of marriage and divorce statistics for Scotland and Northern Ireland respectively.
Yours sincerely,
Emma Rourke
[1] Marriages in England and Wales - Office for National Statistics
[2] Divorces in England and Wales - Office for National Statistics
[3] Divorces and Dissolutions in England and Wales: 2023 - Office for National Statistics
[4] Marriages in England and Wales: 2023 - Office for National Statistics
[5] Civil partnerships in England and Wales: 2023 - Office for National Statistics
[7] National population projections - Office for National Statistics
[8] UK population projection explorer - Office for National Statistics
[9] National Records of Scotland (NRS)
[10] Home | Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to expedite the timely publication of marriage and divorce statistics by the Office for National Statistics.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.
A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 11th June is attached.
Dear Lord Jackson,
As Acting National Statistician, I am responding to your Parliamentary Questions asking what steps are being taken to expedite the timely publication of marriage and divorce statistics by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) (HL8355), and what assessment has been made of the potential impacts of the declining marriage rate and birth rate in the United Kingdom (HL8356).
The latest published statistics on marriages[1] and divorces[2] in England and Wales are for 2022. Divorces and Dissolutions in England and Wales, 2023[3] will be published on 2 July 2025. Marriages in England and Wales, 2023[4] is provisionally scheduled for publication in November 2025, alongside Civil partnerships in England and Wales, 2023[5].
The Marriages, Civil Partnerships, Marriages and Deaths (Registration Etc.) Act 2019 (which came into force on 4 May 2021) has resulted in a new electronic registration system replacing the paper marriage register. This has improved the timeliness of the submission of religious marriage entries to the General Register Office (GRO) who in turn supply these to the ONS. Following this change to the way marriages are recorded, the ONS have been working to improve the timeliness of publication of marriage statistics and to consolidate the release of marriage and civil partnership statistics to improve accessibility for users and to bring the reference periods in line.
Marriage, civil partnership and divorce statistics incorporate rates as part of the publication; these rates use population estimates by marital status[6] as denominators so these estimates need to be available prior to calculation. The ONS aims to balance the need for timely legal partnership statistics with the timing of publication, and revisions to, population estimates by marital status in order to provide the most accurate rates possible. Estimates for 2023 and 2024 are provisionally scheduled to be published in November 2025.
The ONS does not assess the potential impacts of the declining marriage rate and birth rate in the United Kingdom.
However, in our National Population Projections[7] we analyse past trends in fertility rates to produce a projection of future fertility for the UK. These projections are widely used to support policy making. The numbers of people in each life stage are important when considering dependency ratios, which inform government financial planning. A common measure is the old-age-dependency ratio (OADR), which is the number of people of pensionable age for every 1,000 people of working age. It is projected that OADR for the UK will increase from 278 in mid-2022 to 289 in mid-2032, reaching 302 by mid-2047.
The ONS has published a UK population projection explorer tool[8] which allows users to vary the assumptions for future fertility, net migration and life expectancy to see the impact on the size and age structure of the UK population over the next 50 years.
The ONS publishes marriage and divorce statistics for England and Wales only. National Records for Scotland (NRS)[9] and Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA[10]) are responsible for the publication of marriage and divorce statistics for Scotland and Northern Ireland respectively.
Yours sincerely,
Emma Rourke
[1] Marriages in England and Wales - Office for National Statistics
[2] Divorces in England and Wales - Office for National Statistics
[3] Divorces and Dissolutions in England and Wales: 2023 - Office for National Statistics
[4] Marriages in England and Wales: 2023 - Office for National Statistics
[5] Civil partnerships in England and Wales: 2023 - Office for National Statistics
[7] National population projections - Office for National Statistics
[8] UK population projection explorer - Office for National Statistics
[9] National Records of Scotland (NRS)
[10] Home | Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency
Asked by: Lord Campbell-Savours (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what evidence they have on the incidence of sham marriages in the United Kingdom.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government takes abuse of the spouse and partner immigration routes very seriously and is clear that family migration must be based on a genuine and subsisting marriage or relationship. The marriage referral and investigation scheme (the Scheme), introduced across the UK under the Immigration Act 2014, requires that all proposed marriages and civil partnerships where one or both parties could gain an immigration advantage from it are referred to the Home Office.
Under the Scheme, where we have reasonable grounds to suspect a sham relationship, the marriage notice period will be extended to allow for further investigation, and for enforcement or casework action to be taken where appropriate.
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: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what recent assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of enabling opposite-sex couples to convert a civil partnership to marriage.
Answered by Nia Griffith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Wales Office)
In 2019, when civil partnerships were made available for opposite-sex couples in England and Wales, the Government ran a public consultation on the future of conversion rights between marriage and civil partnerships for both opposite and same-sex couples in England and Wales.
This Government is considering all options, and we will update the House in due course.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether she plans to bring forward legislative proposals to allow opposite sex civil partners to convert their partnerships into a marriage without requiring a dissolution order.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
In 2019, when civil partnerships were made available for opposite-sex couples in England and Wales, the Government ran a public consultation on the future of conversion rights between marriage and civil partnerships for both opposite and same-sex couples in England and Wales: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/civil-partnerships-next-steps-and-consultation-on-conversion#:~:text=We%20are%20seeking%20views%20on,be%20brought%20to%20an%20end
This Government is considering all options, and we will update the House in due course.
Asked by: Lord Cameron of Lochiel (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to make an order under section 104 of the Scotland Act 1998 to enable pre-existing marriages to become civil partnerships.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The UK Government is currently engaging with the Scottish Government and considering their proposal. We will keep Parliament informed of any developments.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will take steps to collect data on the number of applications to stay in the UK that are made on the basis of a sham (a) marriage and (b) civil partnership.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government takes abuse of the spouse and partner immigration routes very seriously. Family migration must be based on a genuine and subsisting marriage or relationship. The Home Office focuses its efforts on disrupting facilitators as well as prosecuting individuals involved in sham marriages and civil partnerships.
The Home Office will also investigate if, at any point, there are reasonable suspicions of a sham relationship, for example following applications for permission to enter or stay, or where there is supporting intelligence or evidence gathered during operations.
The Home Office continues to enhance its reporting capabilities of recorded sham marriage data and is recording the number of sham marriage and civil partnership applications that it detects. However, it is not possible to state how many applications to stay are made on the basis of a sham marriage or civil partnership.
Asked by: Shivani Raja (Conservative - Leicester East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that those who exploit immigration marriage fraud to gain entry to the UK are (a) identified and (b) removed from the country.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government takes abuse of the spouse and partner immigration routes very seriously and is clear that family migration must be based on a genuine and subsisting marriage or relationship.
The marriage referral and investigation scheme, introduced across the UK under the Immigration Act 2014, requires that all proposed marriages and civil partnerships where one or both parties could gain an immigration advantage from it are referred to the Home Office. Under this scheme, where we have reasonable grounds to suspect a sham relationship, the marriage notice period will be extended to allow for further investigation, and for enforcement or casework action to be taken where appropriate.
The Home Office focuses its efforts on disrupting facilitators as well as prosecuting individuals involved in sham marriages and civil partnerships and will consider refusal or cancellation of permission to stay, or removal, following any determination that a relationship is a sham.
Part 9 of the Immigration Rules provides specific grounds for the refusal or cancellation of permission to enter or stay on the basis of any involvement in a sham marriage or sham civil partnership, providing a more robust and consistent framework against which immigration applications are assessed, and reflecting the seriousness of this type of abuse.
Where appropriate and proportionate, enforcement and removal action will be taken. The removal pathways following a sham marriage determination include administrative removal under Section 10 (of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999) and deportation on public policy or conducive grounds.