Written question asked by Philip Davies (Conservative) on Friday, 28 June 2019, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 2 July 2019. It was answered by Kevin Foster (Conservative) on Thursday, 4 July 2019 on behalf of the Cabinet Office.

Hereditary Peers: Succession

Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make it his policy to end male primogeniture for hereditary titles.

Answer: The Government takes the issue of gender inequalities very seriously and recognises the intentions of those bringing forward proposals to reform male primogeniture for hereditary titles. Careful consideration is needed of the issues that reform in this area would raise including the legitimate expectation of males next in line to inherit a title, and the effects of reform on land and property rights. Various approaches have been proposed in both Houses to address this issue though there has not been a consensus on the way forward. The Government’s position remains that reform in this area is not a priority for this Parliamentary session but the Government continues to listen to the concerns of interested parties to understand the consequences of changes to hereditary titles.

Secondary information