Lord Lester of Herne Hill – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Lester of Herne Hill on 2015-12-07.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the reply by Lord Faulks on 18 November (HL Deb, col 132), whether they have commended the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 to the Northern Ireland Executive; and if not, what are the reasons behind the decision not to do so.

Baroness Williams of Trafford

The UK Government has demonstrated its commitment tomarriagefor same sex couples by introducing it for England and Wales, and haswelcomedits introduction in other jurisdictions.

The UK Government recognises and respects the devolution settlement in Northern Ireland. The constitutional arrangements in place mean that any decision to extend marriage to same-sex couples in Northern Ireland is a matter for the Northern Ireland Assembly.