Question follow-through · 21875

Marriage: Relatives

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to WPQ 16079 answered on 14 July 2026 about 'Marriage, Relatives,' if he will publish the evidence that the number of first cousins choosing to marry in England is declining.

answeredMinistry of Justice

About this written question

A written question asks a government minister for information in writing. Parliament publishes the question and any answer.

Answering body
Ministry of Justice
Tabled
28 Aug 2026
Target answer date
2 Sept 2026
Answer
8 Sept 2026 · 11 calendar days after tabling

Elapsed calendar days describe the record timeline, not whether Parliament considers an answer on time.

More questions by this MP on Justice and policing

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Recorded timeline

  1. 28 Aug 2026

    Question tabled

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to WPQ 16079 answered on 14 July 2026 about 'Marriage, Relatives,' if he will publish the evidence that the number of first cousins choosing to marry in England is declining.

  2. 2 Sept 2026

    Target answer date

    Date supplied by the official written-questions record.

  3. 8 Sept 2026

    Answer published

    The Government does not collect data on the prevalence of first cousin marriage. The evidence referenced in WPQ 16079 relates to longitudinal research from the Born in Bradford programme which shows that rates of consanguineous relationships have fallen s...

Open official record

Official data retrieved 28 Sept 2026.

Later records

Possible follow-up questions

Strong links require the same MP, department and exact heading. Other same-department questions are shown as unreviewed candidates, not as confirmed follow-ups. No debate link is asserted unless a stable source relationship exists.

Strong linkSame MP, department and exact heading

Marriage: Relatives

2 Sept 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will assess the potential merits of making changes to the [i] Marriage Act 1949 and the [ii] Sexual Offences Act 2023 in view of placing restrictions on first cousin marriages.

Strong linkSame MP, department and exact heading

Marriage: Relatives

2 Sept 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to WPQ 16079 answered on 14 July 2026 about Marriage Relatives, if he will hold discussions with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on levels of congenital birth defects to children whose