Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether weddings with one hundred or more guests are likely to be allowed before the end of the year as covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
The Government has been working closely with stakeholders in the wedding industry, the Places of Worship Taskforce, and the National Panel for Registration to enable small marriages and civil partnerships to begin safely from 4 July 2020. Guidance can be found at the link below, which remains under review and may be updated in line with the changing situation:
Large gatherings, for example of one hundred or more people, present greater risks of transmission.The Government continues to work with relevant stakeholders to consider how to enable receptions and larger marriage and civil partnership ceremonies to take place safely.
Asked by: Jane Stevenson (Conservative - Wolverhampton North East)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when he plans to update guidance on marriages and civil partnerships to allow wedding receptions to be held after ceremonies during the covid-19 outbreak; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Paul Scully
We recognise the importance of weddings to people, both to couples wishing to get married and their friends and families, and the wider industry which enables weddings to take place.
My Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister has announced that wedding ceremonies of up to 30 people can resume from 4 July. The Government is continuing to engage with representatives from the industry to explore how wedding celebrations, including receptions, may be resumed in a Covid-secure way, once it is safe to do so.
Asked by: Stephen Hammond (Conservative - Wimbledon)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans he has to publish guidance on (a) indoor and (b) outdoor wedding receptions from August 2020.
Answered by Luke Hall - Minister of State (Education)
Any receptions that typically follow or accompany marriages or civil partnerships are strongly advised not to take place at this time.
We recently published guidance preparing for small marriage ceremonies and civil partnership formations to take place from 4 July, which can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-for-small-marriages-and-civil-partnerships/covid-19-guidance-for-small-marriages-and-civil-partnerships.
The Government is working with the wedding and civil partnership celebration industry on how receptions that typically follow or accompany marriages and civil partnerships could take place safely in the future.
Asked by: John Spellar (Labour - Warley)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when he plans to allow weddings and civil partnership ceremonies to recommence.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
The Government understands the huge significance of weddings. We recognise that because weddings have not been able to take place in recent months this has caused difficulty and distress for many people. As set out in the Government’s COVID-19 recovery strategy, published in May, the Government has been examining how to enable people to gather in slightly larger groups better to facilitate small weddings. We have worked closely with faith leaders and local government on how best to achieve this. The Prime Minister announced on 23 June that wedding and civil partnership ceremonies will be able to take place in England from 4 July. People should avoid having a large ceremony, and should invite no more than thirty family and friends. Venues should ensure they are COVID-19 secure.
Asked by: Colum Eastwood (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Foyle)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent discussions he has had with Northern Ireland’s First and Deputy First Minister on plans to legislate for same-sex religious marriage.
Answered by Robin Walker
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has not had any recent discussions with the First and deputy First Minister specifically on plans to legislate for same-sex religious marriage.
The Northern Ireland Executive is aware of the duty that the Government is under in section 8 of the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation etc.) Act 2019, which led to the making of The Marriage (Same-sex Couples) and Civil Partnership (Opposite-sex Couples) (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2019. These Regulations came into force on 13 January and legalised same-sex civil marriage and opposite-sex civil partnerships in Northern Ireland.
We have been clear that there were two remaining areas we are committed to delivering on - same-sex religious marriage and conversion entitlements - following publicly consulting on these two issues earlier this year. We will continue to work closely with the Northern Ireland Civil Service, following confirmation from the Minister for Finance, Conor Murphy MLA, that the working relationship with his officials should continue. We intend to make regulations on same-sex religious marriage as soon as possible before the end of 2020 to provide similar rights and protections to the law in other parts of the UK.
Asked by: Stephen Farry (Alliance - North Down)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what plans he has to bring forward regulations under the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation etc) Act 2019 to enable (a) religious marriage for same-sex couples and (b) conversion of Northern Ireland civil partnerships to marriages.
Answered by Robin Walker
On 13 January 2020, the Marriage (Same-sex Couples) and Civil Partnership (Opposite-sex Couples) (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2019 came into force in Northern Ireland, extending eligibility to same-sex couples to form civil marriages and allowing opposite-sex couples to enter into a civil partnership.
We are committed to delivering on two remaining areas - same-sex religious marriage and conversion entitlements. A consultation on these two issues closed on 23 February 2020, and we are considering all of the submissions received before bringing forward the necessary legislation as soon as possible before the end of 2020.
Asked by: Tim Loughton (Conservative - East Worthing and Shoreham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance the Government has issued to registrars on the consistency of charges for performing civil partnership proceedings; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Kevin Foster
The fee for a statutory civil partnership formation is set in line with the fee for a statutory marriage ceremony, and is prescribed in the Registration of Births, Deaths, Marriages and Civil Partnerships (Fees) Regulations 2016.
Local authorities are required to offer a statutory civil partnership, where this fee will apply.
Local authorities may otherwise charge an additional fee for the civil partnership registrar’s attendance on approved premises. Guidance issued to local authorities sets out this additional fee should cover the cost of providing the service.
Asked by: Darren Henry (Conservative - Broxtowe)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether legislative proposals are required to amend the law to enable weddings, including death-bed weddings, to take place during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Alex Chalk - Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice
We understand the frustration couples planning a wedding must be feeling, and as with all coronavirus restrictions we will look to ease them as soon as it is safe to do so.
Statute law provides that marriages must be solemnized, and civil partnerships formed, in certain types of location and in the presence of certain people, including witnesses. We continue to explore what potential changes to the requirements for marriage and civil partnership might assist couples – where restrictions remain in place or where infection control means that the requirements cannot be met – without undermining the safeguards in the system.
Asked by: Darren Henry (Conservative - Broxtowe)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans the Government has to allow witnesses to marriages and civil partnerships to attend remotely as the covid-19 lockdown is eased.
Answered by Alex Chalk - Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice
We understand the frustration couples planning a wedding must be feeling, and as with all coronavirus restrictions we will look to ease them as soon as it is safe to do so.
Statute law provides that marriages must be solemnized, and civil partnerships formed, in certain types of location and in the presence of certain people, including witnesses. We continue to explore what potential changes to the requirements for marriage and civil partnership might assist couples – where restrictions remain in place or where infection control means that the requirements cannot be met – without undermining the safeguards in the system.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, on what date (a) weddings and (b) civil partnerships with (i) a small number of guests and (ii) social distancing measures can resume.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
A Plan To Rebuild, the Government's COVID-19 Recovery Strategy, is published on gov.uk and includes details on plans for weddings.