§ 73. Major HILLSasked the Home Secretary whether, in view of the evils which the League of Nations' Committee indicate as arising from a low age of marriage, he will introduce legislation to raise the legal age of marriage?
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSIn the Report on the Traffic in Women and Children, it is suggested that in some countries the low age of marriage may-lead to abuses in connection with this traffic, but there are no grounds for thinking that such abuses occur in this country —where the investigators found no evidence of traffic on an organised scale.
Viscountess ASTORIs it not an anomaly that we should have the age of consent 16 in this country and the age of marriage 12, and if I can bring some evidence of people who are interested in this before the right hon. Gentleman, will he favourably consider it?
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSI almost brought in a Bill last year to deal with this subject, but I found that it was terribly difficult. I shall be quite willing to consider any representations made in reference to it by my Noble Friend.
Viscountess ASTORThank you very much. May I point out that this is really an old Roman Catholic law, the age of marriage being 12, and not really a Protestant law?