Ban First Cousin Marriage, MP to Tell Parliament

Conservative MP Richard Holden walks along Downing Street in London in an undated file photo. James Manning/PA

An MP will this week attempt to push through a bill to ban first-cousin marriage, which is currently legal in the UK.

Conservative former minister Richard Holden said that marriages between cousins—a cultural norm in much of South Asia and the Middle East—are linked to a high rate of birth defects and can also “reinforce negative structures and control women.”

The MP for Basildon and Billericay will seek to introduce the Marriage (Prohibited Degrees of Relationship) Bill to the House of Commons on Tuesday for further consideration.

Existing legislation states that incestuous marriages, including those to a sibling, parent, or child, are unlawful, but not those between cousins.

Justice minister Alex Davies-Jones, in response to a written parliamentary question about placing restrictions on first-cousin marriages, said the government will take time to “properly consider our marriage law” before stating its public position.

Banned Elsewhere

Holden said during a parliamentary debate last month: “Members may be surprised to hear that marriage between first cousins remains legal in the UK, despite the genetic issues and concerns about women’s rights. Norway banned the practice recently, Sweden is considering doing the same, and various states in America have banned it as well.”

He said cousin marriages can be “cultural rather than religious” in “some of the communities where it is more prevalent,” adding, “Marriage and relationships should be about individual choice in modern Britain, it shouldn’t be about anything else.”

Holden said the issue has been under discussion in other countries and suggested it is a “sensible time” for the UK government to look at the issue, adding that first-cousin marriage raises “serious concerns both in the UK and globally.”

Double Rate of Birth Defects

He added: “Studies show that it is associated with approximately double the rate of birth defects compared to the general population and can reinforce negative structures and control women.

“Building on my previous work to ban hymenoplasty and so-called virginity testing in the last Parliament, I will urge the government to reconsider the legality of first-cousin marriage in the UK.

“Many nations and states have taken action on this issue in recent years and it is time for us to do the same.”

Davies-Jones said in a written response: “Placing restrictions on first-cousin marriage would require changes to the Marriage Act 1949 and potentially the Sexual Offences Act 2003.

“We are aware that all aspects of weddings, including first-cousin marriage, are important issues. We will take the time as a new government to properly consider our marriage law, including the Law Commission’s 2022 wedding report, before publicly setting out our position.”

‘Cultural Norm’

Marriage between cousins is a cultural norm in parts of South Asia, the Middle East and north Africa. Experts recommend cousins who marry should undergo counselling to make them aware of the risks, and should consider genetic screening when expecting a baby.

As well as the obvious personal difficulties for the individual and the family, the cost to the NHS of caring for those born with genetic abnormalities can be very high.

In August, a treatment using the Crispr gene editing tool has become the first of its kind to be approved for NHS use, to treat patients with a rare, inherited blood disorder mostly found in those born of inter-cousin marriages, mainly of Pakistani, Indian, and Bangladeshi ethnic origin.

Cost of Treatment and Care

The treatment for the condition, known as transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia, has a list price of over £1.6 million, although the NHS has negotiated a confidential deal with the manufacturer meaning the actual cost will be lower.

A study carried out by academics in Pakistan found that 96 percent of the marriages resulting in children with all forms of beta thalassemia were between cousins, with 72 percent being first-cousin relationships.

In children of unrelated couples, the risk of congenital and genetic including recessive problems is usually estimated at about 2–3 percent.

First cousins have a higher risk of recessive problems in children than unrelated couples because they share 12.5 percent of their genetic material and may have inherited the same genetic mutation from a common ancestor. Risk to their children is usually estimated at about double the risk of congenital and genetic problems in children of unrelated couples, at around 4–6 percent.

Holden will seek to introduce his private members’ bill to the Commons on Tuesday using the 10-minute rule process. If successful, Holden will secure a date for its second reading, which requires a parliamentary debate and vote.

Private members’ bills generally face an uphill battle to become law owing to the limited amount of parliamentary time available for them, although a bill stands more chance of progressing if it has government support. They can also be a way for individual MPs to raise awareness of an issue before the government introduces its own similar legislation at a later date.