Marriage: Relatives
The question
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.
Answered by Ministry of Justice
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 substantially over time.
As a matter of course, officials at the Ministry of Justice and the Department for Health and Social Care work collaboratively on the topic of cousin marriage, including on the risk of congenital birth defects posed to children of closely related parents.
We recognise the serious concerns that have been raised on this issue. As any responsible Government would do, we will be considering all options on how to tackle first cousin marriage.
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