HC Deb 19 February 1992 vol 204 cc206-7W
Mr. Shersby

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he has any plans to introduce legislation to require those responsible for conducting marriage ceremonies to require documentary evidence of the age, identity and marital status of those who are marrying; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Dorrell

The Government, in their White Paper "Registration: proposals for change"—Cm. 939—said that it will legislate to give to registrars and to the clergy of the Church of England and the Church in Wales powers to call for documentary evidence of the age, identity and marital status of those who are marrying. The legislation will be introduced as soon as parliamentary time allows.

Mr. Shersby

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what restrictions exist on a registrar of civil marriages in England and Wales informing the appropriate authorities that an individual seeking to marry has overstayed his or her permitted visit to the United Kingdom.

Mr. Dorrell

Superintendent registrars are statutory officers exercising functions under the Marriage and Registration Acts under the direction of the Registrar General. They are not agents of the immigration service and the fact that an individual has overstayed his or her permitted visit to the United Kingdom does not constitute a lawful impediment to that person marrying in this country. However, if a superintendent registrar has good reason to suspect that the proposed marriage of a person from abroad has been arranged for the sole purpose of evading statutory immigration controls he or she is instructed to report the facts to the Registrar General. If the Registrar General is satisfied that the marriage is purely one of convenience, then the facts will be passed on to the Home Office.