A Conservative former minister has called for first-cousin marriage to be banned in the UK. Introducing the proposals in Parliament, Richard Holden said the children of first cousins were at greater risk of birth defects and the practice should be prohibited to protect public health.

Conservative former minister Richard Holden will seek to progress the issue in the House of Commons on Tuesday.

An MP has spoken against calls to ban first-cousin marriage in the UK, and suggested “advanced genetic test screening” is made available to prospective couples.

An MP has spoken against calls to ban first-cousin marriage in the UK, and suggested “advanced genetic test screening” is made available to prospective couples.

First cousins wanting to marry should be given “advanced genetic test screening” instead of the practice being banned, an MP has suggested...

An MP has spoken against calls to ban first-cousin marriage in the UK.Independent Iqbal Mohamed suggested “advanced genetic test screening” is made available to prospective couples.He added that rather than “stigmatising” cousin marriages,

Marriages between first cousins could be banned in the UK under a new proposal to parliament. Conservative Richard Holden warned first cousin marriages "reinforce negative structures and control women" and have been linked to a higher rate of birth defects as he introduced the private member’s bill.

There are few activities modern-day politicians relish more than imposing bans on the rest of us, and this week it’s first-cousin marriage on the chopping block. Former Tory chairman Richard Holden – a man so principled he staged a chicken run just before the July election – has tabled a proposal to outlaw these unions on the grounds they increase

An MP has spoken against calls to ban first-cousin marriage in the UK, and suggested “advanced genetic test screening” is made available to prospective couples. Iq

Iqbal Mohamed with an inset of Tory MP Richard Holden Sky loses exclusive rights to hit TV shows in wake of Harry Potter row Historic London landmarks photos show how capital has changed from 1930s to now Spain flip-flops on Golden Visa ban as applications continue to flood in On the hunt for healthy meals for weight loss?

While the UK looks set to outlaw marriage to cousins due to the potential implications on birth defects, several states in the US still permit family members to say I do