To match an exact phrase, use quotation marks around the search term. eg. "Parliamentary Estate". Use "OR" or "AND" as link words to form more complex queries.


View sample alert

Keep yourself up-to-date with the latest developments by exploring our subscription options to receive notifications direct to your inbox

Written Question
Married People: Tax Allowances
Friday 20th May 2022

Asked by: Jonathan Lord (Conservative - Woking)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent estimate he has made of the number of married couples eligible to receive the Marriage Allowance.

Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport

The information requested is not readily available to HMRC and could only be obtained at a disproportionate cost.

HMRC estimated around 4.2 million non-taxpayer/basic-rate taxpayer married couples, and civil partnerships, are eligible to receive the Marriage Allowance.


Written Question
Marriage: Humanism
Wednesday 30th March 2022

Asked by: Lord Desai (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the possibility of extending legal recognition to humanist marriages in premises approved for civil marriages and civil partnerships in advance of the outcome of the Law Commission review of marriage law; and, if any such assessment concluded that such an extension was not possible, why not.

Answered by Lord Wolfson of Tredegar

In 2014, the Government published a consultation paper and response assessing the potential merits of provision for non-religious belief marriages. This concluded that the matter was complex, and that by allowing Humanists to solemnise marriages in unrestricted locations, the Government would create a provision for Humanists that would not be available to all groups.

To ensure we are considering the implications of changing the law on marriage for all groups, we invited the Law Commission to undertake a review which is currently underway and is expected to report in July of this year. By looking at the law comprehensively, the Law Commission will seek to put forward proposals that would ensure that, insofar as possible, groups and couples are all subject to the same rules and the same level of regulation. That reform is not possible by only authorising Humanist weddings, even on a temporary basis pending the Law Commission report.

The Government will carefully consider the Law Commission’s recommendations when the final report is published in July, and it is right for us to wait for the outcome of the report before amending marriage law any further.


Written Question
British Overseas Territories: LGBT People
Friday 14th January 2022

Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when she last made an assessment of (a) the legal rights and status of LGBT+ people in the UK Overseas Territories and (b) any potential differences from UK domestic law and commitments under the European Convention on Human Rights.

Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The inhabited Overseas Territories are separate, largely self-governing jurisdictions with their own democratically-elected representatives. Our relationship with the Territories is based on partnership and we are working together to put in place arrangements to protect the legal status and rights of LGBT+ people. Nine of the Overseas Territories have legal recognition and protection for LGBT+ people, six have also introduced legislation to introduce civil partnerships or legalise same-sex marriage.

We continue to assess and engage with all the Overseas Territories to ensure that their legislation is compliant with their international obligations.


Written Question
Marriage Certificates: ICT
Friday 22nd October 2021

Asked by: Richard Fuller (Conservative - North East Bedfordshire)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the implementation of the issuing of electronic marriage certificates under the Civil Partnerships, Marriages and Deaths (Registration etc.) Act 2019.

Answered by Kevin Foster

While the implementation of the Act provides for marriages to be registered in a central electronic register, marriage certificates continue to be issued in paper format only.

These new provisions have successfully enabled the modernisation of marriage registration in England and Wales, which includes the recording of the details of both parents in the entry, rather than just the father.


Written Question
Marriage Certificates: Fraud
Friday 22nd October 2021

Asked by: Richard Fuller (Conservative - North East Bedfordshire)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department took to reduce the likelihood of fraud in marriage registration changes prior to the implementation of the Civil Partnerships, Marriages and Deaths (Registration etc.) Act 2019; and what steps her Department (a) has taken and (b) is taking to monitor that issue since the implementation of that Act.

Answered by Kevin Foster

Provisions within the Act ensure there are controls in place by the registrar to check the authenticity of a marriage schedule or marriage document before a marriage is registered.

If unusual activity is identified the registration service and the General Register Office will investigate.


Written Question
Marriage
Friday 10th September 2021

Asked by: Angela Eagle (Labour - Wallasey)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will publish a list of all (a) substantial and (b) minor reforms his Department has made to marriage law since the Marriage (Same-Sex Couples) Act 2013.

Answered by Alex Chalk - Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice

The Ministry of Justice is responsible for marriage law in England and Wales. Marriage law in Scotland and Northern Ireland is a devolved matter.

The Government has received a number of representations about making separate provision for humanist marriage in England and Wales. As we have made clear, a Law Commission report due later this year is expected to present options for wholesale reform to the law governing marriage ceremonies, which the Government will consider carefully. Options being explored by the Law Commission 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 Government will decide on provision for non-religious belief marriage on the basis of the Law Commission's recommendations.

Since 2013, the main reform related to marriage has been the recent amendment to the Marriages and Civil Partnerships (Approved Premises) Regulations 2005. This follows a commitment made in 2019 to accelerate plans to allow civil weddings and civil partnerships to be held outside through secondary legislation. The change took effect on 1 July and will gives more options to couples and the sector in terms of how civil weddings and civil partnerships are celebrated by allowing all aspects of the ceremony to take place outdoors, within the boundary of the land of which the built premises form part. The proposed location for the outdoor proceedings must be assessed to be seemly and dignified.

This change will provide greater flexibility especially during the pandemic when there are important public health considerations to take into account. This is not radical reform and ultimately it does not change the current law’s focus on premises.

These are time-limited amendments to the regulations which came into force on 1 July 2021 and will expire at the end of 5th April 2022. A consultation will be undertaken in the Autumn of 2021 to consider the practical impacts of this policy in detail and to enable a later amending Statutory Instrument which is not time limited. A full equality impact assessment will be undertaken on completion of the consultation and will be published in due course.

Amending the 2005 Regulations will benefit many thousands of couples who seek a civil marriage or civil partnership formation on approved premises. The power to make provision in regulations for approved premises is set out in statute and extends only to civil marriage and civil partnership formation.


Written Question
Marriage: Humanism
Friday 10th September 2021

Asked by: Angela Eagle (Labour - Wallasey)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what (a) assessments of the potential merits his Department has made and (b) steps his Department has taken to legally recognise humanist marriages since the Marriage (Same-Sex Couples) Act 2013; and if he will present that information in the form of a timeline.

Answered by Alex Chalk - Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice

The Ministry of Justice is responsible for marriage law in England and Wales. Marriage law in Scotland and Northern Ireland is a devolved matter.

The Government has received a number of representations about making separate provision for humanist marriage in England and Wales. As we have made clear, a Law Commission report due later this year is expected to present options for wholesale reform to the law governing marriage ceremonies, which the Government will consider carefully. Options being explored by the Law Commission 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 Government will decide on provision for non-religious belief marriage on the basis of the Law Commission's recommendations.

Since 2013, the main reform related to marriage has been the recent amendment to the Marriages and Civil Partnerships (Approved Premises) Regulations 2005. This follows a commitment made in 2019 to accelerate plans to allow civil weddings and civil partnerships to be held outside through secondary legislation. The change took effect on 1 July and will gives more options to couples and the sector in terms of how civil weddings and civil partnerships are celebrated by allowing all aspects of the ceremony to take place outdoors, within the boundary of the land of which the built premises form part. The proposed location for the outdoor proceedings must be assessed to be seemly and dignified.

This change will provide greater flexibility especially during the pandemic when there are important public health considerations to take into account. This is not radical reform and ultimately it does not change the current law’s focus on premises.

These are time-limited amendments to the regulations which came into force on 1 July 2021 and will expire at the end of 5th April 2022. A consultation will be undertaken in the Autumn of 2021 to consider the practical impacts of this policy in detail and to enable a later amending Statutory Instrument which is not time limited. A full equality impact assessment will be undertaken on completion of the consultation and will be published in due course.

Amending the 2005 Regulations will benefit many thousands of couples who seek a civil marriage or civil partnership formation on approved premises. The power to make provision in regulations for approved premises is set out in statute and extends only to civil marriage and civil partnership formation.


Written Question
Marriage: Churches
Thursday 29th July 2021

Asked by: Baroness Rawlings (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether clergy are no longer permitted to register marriages conducted in their churches; if so, why not; and what consultations they undertook with the Church of England prior to the introduction of the electronic register for marriages.

Answered by Lord Greenhalgh

As a result of changes implemented under The Civil Partnerships, Marriages and Deaths (Registration etc.) Act 2019 all marriages in England and Wales are registered in an electronic register by a registrar for the district in which the marriage took place rather than in hard copy registers.

The Church of England were fully involved in the development of this policy, including direct engagement with Home Office Ministers. The Church of England has been supportive of the move to an electronic system of registration, including the move to include Mothers on Marriage Certificates as part of this.


Written Question
Marriage: Humanism
Thursday 15th July 2021

Asked by: Baroness Featherstone (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask Her Majesty's Government why they have undertaken interim civil marriage reform to legislate for outdoor weddings but have not done the same for humanist marriages.

Answered by Lord Wolfson of Tredegar

The Marriage (Same Sex) Couples Act 2013 enables same-sex couples to have a civil marriage and also allows religious organisations to opt in to marry same-sex couples, should they wish to do so. Separately, Government consulted in 2014 on marriages by non-religious belief organisations. A 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 Government in 2019 committed to accelerate plans to allow civil weddings and civil partnerships to be held outside and said it would look to implement these changes through secondary legislation, subject to any necessary consultation. On 1 July, time limited amending regulations came into force to allow couples who can already legally marry to have their civil wedding ceremony in the linked outdoor areas of Approved Premises. The Government will undertake a public consultation on these measures and intends to produce an Impact Assessment. A further instrument will be laid in Spring 2022.

A Law Commission project on marriage and civil partnership is due to report later this year and is expected to present recommendations for wholesale reform to the law governing marriage ceremonies, which the Government will consider carefully. Options being explored by the Law Commission as part of their review include offering couples greater flexibility over the form of their ceremony, 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 independent celebrants, to conduct legally binding weddings. The Government will decide on provision for non-religious belief marriage in light of the Law Commission's recommendations.


Written Question
Marriage: Humanism
Thursday 15th July 2021

Asked by: Baroness Featherstone (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of legally recognising humanist marriages on choice for same-sex couples wanting to get married.

Answered by Lord Wolfson of Tredegar

The Marriage (Same Sex) Couples Act 2013 enables same-sex couples to have a civil marriage and also allows religious organisations to opt in to marry same-sex couples, should they wish to do so. Separately, Government consulted in 2014 on marriages by non-religious belief organisations. A 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 Government in 2019 committed to accelerate plans to allow civil weddings and civil partnerships to be held outside and said it would look to implement these changes through secondary legislation, subject to any necessary consultation. On 1 July, time limited amending regulations came into force to allow couples who can already legally marry to have their civil wedding ceremony in the linked outdoor areas of Approved Premises. The Government will undertake a public consultation on these measures and intends to produce an Impact Assessment. A further instrument will be laid in Spring 2022.

A Law Commission project on marriage and civil partnership is due to report later this year and is expected to present recommendations for wholesale reform to the law governing marriage ceremonies, which the Government will consider carefully. Options being explored by the Law Commission as part of their review include offering couples greater flexibility over the form of their ceremony, 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 independent celebrants, to conduct legally binding weddings. The Government will decide on provision for non-religious belief marriage in light of the Law Commission's recommendations.