Written evidence from Mr and Mrs Hill [HAB0296]

As Christians and a married couple of some 29 years, we feel very strongly that

putting cohabitation on a par with the commitment in marriage as proposed

is by implication to lessen the importance of the institute of marriage.

You request evidence for the consultation by Sunday 4th July and we would ask you

to consider the following:-

When couples marry there are vows of lifelong commitment to each other. Hence

the law makes provision for the death of the remains spouse.  Why should such

rights apply to those who cohabit, who have made no such commitment?

There is evidence that the stability of marriage makes for greater stability for

children than a relationship of couples who cohabit.  This is in part because

parental separation is far higher for cohabitation than for marriage and, while

more than half of children of parents who cohabit experience the trauma of their

parents’ separation, we understand,by the age of five, this only applies to15% of children of married parents Why then should the Government undermine marriage by offering equivalent

benefits to those who choose not to be committed in marriage.  Surely the

Government, as mooted, if not included In earlier manifestos, should be following

up with action to promote marriage and the evident greater stability it brings.

One further point: it has been shown that marriage not cohabiting brings

greater benefits for both physical and mental health: married women are less

likely to smoke or use drugs and married men have better heart health and cancer

survival rates.

In conclusion we would quote from David Cameron: Mending our broken society

(Speech by him 22nd Jan. 2010) “But I absolutely feel at my very core

that recognising that relationships matter,that commitment matters and, yes, that

marriage matters is something we should not say quietly but something we should

say loudly and proudly. And to those who say that somehow supporting marriage is

wrong let me take them on directly, let me fight back against this sense that we

shouldn’t speak up for marriage.”

After this he went on to argue for recognising marriage in the tax system

and included this paragraph:

“And this week evidence was produced to show that when it comes to how many

couples are still together when your child reaches their fifteenth birthday ninety

seven per cent of them are married couples. Now when you have evidence

like that you can either just push it to one side and carry on as you are or you can

say this is a good institution and one that we should support.”

July 2021