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Written question asked by Cameron Thomas (Independent (affiliation)) on Tuesday, 1 September 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 3 September 2026. It was answered by Jake Richards (Labour) on Tuesday, 8 September 2026 on behalf of the Ministry of Justice.

Marriage: Reform

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of allowing celebrant-led weddings to be legally recognised on the economy.

Answer

On 16 July, the Government published the consultation ‘Tying the Knot: Reforming weddings law in England and Wales’, alongside an impact assessment which considers the potential economic impacts of the proposed reforms, including allowing independent officiants to conduct legally binding weddings.

The impact assessment does not provide a separate estimate of the economic impact of this measure alone. However, it estimates that the wider reforms could lead to a 3% increase in the overall number of weddings and sets out the associated costs and benefits. The link to the assessment can be found here: Tying the Knot: Reforming weddings law in England and Wales - GOV.UK.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
26451
Session
2026-27
Transferred
Yes
Subjects
Marriage Reform
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk