A British Indian and Muslim Member of Parliament has voiced his worries about a new measure that was introduced in the House of Commons that aims to outlaw first cousin weddings due to the increased risk of birth problems in the offspring. On Tuesday (10), backbench Tory MP Richard Holden introduced his plans for the Marriage (Prohibited Degrees of Relationship) Bill via the 10-Minute Rule procedure, which led to the bill's first reading in Parliament.Iqbal Mohamed, who was elected as a first-time Independent MP in the July general election from the northern England constituency of Dewsbury and Batley, spoke out against the motion to caution that the matter should be treated as a public health awareness one and not by imposing a ban.

“An estimated 35 per cent to 50 per cent of all sub-Saharan African populations either prefer or accept cousin marriage, and it is extremely common in the Middle East and South Asia," stated Mohamed, whose roots lie in Gujarat."The reason the practice is so common is that ordinary people see family intermarriage as something that is very positive overall; as something that helps to build family bonds and puts families on a more secure financial foothold,” Mohamed said.

“However, as is well documented, it is not without health risks for the children of those relationships, some of whom will be born out of wedlock."