The new National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage take effect from 1 April 2024.
The new hourly rates are:
21 and over: £11.44
18 to 20: £8.60
Under 18: £6.40
Apprentice: £6.40.
More information is here.
New Provisions for Remote Parish Meetings
Guidelines permitting Parochial Church Councils to transact business remotely or by a mixture of in-person and remote means in addition to the established practice of in-person meetings are available here.
Fire Safety Responsibilities in Schools and Places of Worship
The Building Safety Act 2022 has been updated and has important changes to the duties and responsibilities of a designated ‘Responsible Person’ that will affect schools and places of worship. Please see the article on our Lee Bolton Monier-Williams LLP website.
Parochial Fees Table 2024
The Parochial Fees Table, effective from 1st January 2024, is available for downloading here.
Minimum age for marriages now 18
From Monday 27th February 2023 the minimum age for marriage in England and Wales is 18 (formerly 16). This is when the substantive provisions of the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Minimum Age) Act 2022 are commenced.
This applies to all marriages (and civil partnerships) and includes those where a legal preliminary was obtained prior to the commencement of the legislation.
The Act does not affect the recognition of any marriages which have already taken place between minors prior to the passing of the legislation.
Faculty Jurisdiction Rules – July 2022
The Faculty Jurisdiction Amendment Rules 2022, that came into effect in July 2022, require churches to have due regard to the Church Building Council’s advice on Net Zero Carbon, for those proposals where it applies. The latest Church Building Council’s advice may be found here.
From 4th May – New procedures for the Registration of Marriages
On 4th May, the long-trailed changes to the way Marriages are registered come into force. A copy of the 10th Edition of the Clergy Newsletter which outlines these changes is available here:
Marriage Registration changes and new Church Representation Rules
Marriage Registration changes and new Church Representation Rules
The Civil Partnerships, Marriages and Deaths (Registration etc) Act 2019 came into force earlier this year. It has three main provisions: first, the extension of civil partnerships to couples not of the same sex; second, to allow for the mother’s name to be entered on marriage certificates and registers; and third, to provide for electronic registration of all marriages in England and Wales.
Information is available here: Marriage Registration changes and new Church Representation Rules
Marriage registration – new procedures
You may already be aware from the media or via social media over the weekend of 10/11 August 2019 that the way in which marriages are registered is set to change following the passing into law of the Civil Partnerships, Marriages and Deaths (Registration etc) Act 2019 which, as well as providing for opposite-sex couples to be able to enter into civil partnerships, will allow for mother’s names to be included in Marriage Registers as well as/in place of father’s names. It also makes provision for significant changes in the way that marriages are registered. Full details from the link below
Marriage Registration – Note for Diocesan Registry Website – August 2019
Brexit, Banns & EEA/Swiss Nationals
Sham marriage scheme to continue – see Marriage