§ *SIR F. S. POWELL (Wigan)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department—(1) whether he is prepared to insert any provisions in the Established Church (Wales) Bill relating to the celebration of marriages in the Church in Wales and registers recording such marriages; and (2) whether he proposes to insert any provisions relating to registers of baptisms and burials, and other books and documents containing entries wholly or partly relating to the affairs of the Church or to ecclesiastical charities mentioned in the 17th Section of the Local Government Act, 1894?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. H. H. ASQUITH, Fife, E.)In the case of Ireland the question of the celebration of marriages was dealt with by a measure passed subsequently to the Irish Church Act, namely, the Matrimonial Causes and Marriage Law (Ireland) Amendment Act of 1870. I will consider whether it is possible and expedient to make any provision for the matter in the Established Church (Wales) Bill. As regards the second part of the hon. Baronet's question, I may point out that Clause 27, paragraph 5, of the Bill contains an express saving for the books and documents referred to in Section 17 of the Local Government Act, 1894.