I would like to request under the Freedom of Information Act data I believe to be held by your authority concerning marriages.

1. In particular, I would like to request information on what documentation prospective couples have to present to prove they are not related.

2. I would like to know the number of marriages which were blocked or prevented from proceeding because of a lack of this proof.

3. In addition, I would like to know the number of marriages in your area for the past five years. Can you break down this figure to show marriages between First Cousins?
a) Could this figure be broken down to include the ethnicity of both parties and their gender.

4. Also, I would like to know any policy or guidance you may have concerning the marriage of first or second cousins.

Registration officers and anyone who acts on their behalf in carrying out statutory registration duties are outside the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. Superintendent registrars and registrars are not a public authority as defined in the Act and, therefore, are not subject to its provisions. Data held by them is thus not subject to disclosure under the FOI Act, although we try to answer and be transparent wherever we are able to.

Couples are asked at their legal Notice of marriage appointment whether they are related by blood, marriage or adoption. There is no requirement to show proof that they are not related. Anyone making a false declaration at a notice appointment about this or any other part of the questioning may be liable to prosecution for perjury.

During the last 5 years we have done 2,120 marriages, however, we do not keep a record of numbers of marriages blocked due to this, or hold the other data asked for. First cousin / second cousin marriage is legal in England and Wales.