I share your concerns about the current marriage laws and agree that meaningful change needs to take place. You may be interested to know that when the Government held a consultation on this in 2014, most respondents were in favour of changing the law to allow legally valid non-religious belief ceremonies in unrestricted locations.
I know that the Government wants to reform marriage ceremonies to ensure a simple, fair and consistent legal framework, so that people can have a wedding meaningful to them. With this in mind, the Government announced in June 2019 that the Law Commission would conduct a fundamental review on how and where people can legally marry in England and Wales. As part of the project, the Law Commission considered how a scheme could include weddings conducted by humanist and other non-religious belief organisations and where weddings should be able to take place.
This consultation closed in January 2021 and I understand responses are now being analysed. These responses will inform development of the Law Commission's final policy, to be published in a report with recommendations for Government, expected in July 2022. I am encouraged that the Government remains committed to considering the case for more comprehensive and enduring reform to marriage law once the Law Commission has completed its fundamental review of the law in this area.
Legislating now to allow humanist marriages would pre-empt the Law Commission’s report, which is expected to provide a framework that could allow for humanist weddings. Although I appreciate the frustration that many have felt while waiting for the publication of the Law Commission’s report, it is right that this process is done properly through a wholesale reform of marriage law, which can provide for humanist marriage while preventing disparity from being created with other groups.
As a minister, I am unable to attend Westminster Hall debates but I followed the debate closely and welcomed the minister’s commitment to reforming marriage ceremonies.