Marriage is the lifelong union of one man and one woman and it should be promoted as a societal good, a Conservative MP has said.

Nick Fletcher made the comment in Commons questions to the Church Commissioners, which consider the Church of England's work.

Addressing fellow Tory MP Andrew Selous, who speaks on behalf of the established church in the House of Commons, Mr Fletcher said:

"Marriage is a sacred bond between man and woman. Does he agree with me that we should promote marriage at every opportunity and bring back tax allowances to suit?”

Selous replied: “[He] is absolutely right to look at all the measures that can support marriage given that the UK has 23% lone parent households compared with 13% in the Netherlands.

“He is also correct that there is a lower burden of family taxation in France, Germany and the USA", the MP added, signalling disparity in the way income tax is applied to families.

“There will be a range of measures to support marriage in the Archbishop’s proposals next month, which I hope (Mr Fletcher) will support when they’re published.”

DUP MP Jim Shannon (Strangford) welcomed Mr Selous’s answer, adding: “I’m one that believes very much in the sanctity of marriage and the importance of marriage.

“I’ve been married 35 years to a long-suffering wife, Sandra. My mum and dad were married for 60 years...we believe in marriage and the importance of it, as others do in this chamber".

Analysis shows that the UK is out-of-step with other Western nations in terms of the tax burden it places on families as a proportion of income.

Ross Hendry, CEO of CARE, has said:

“Our country is in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis. Across the UK, bills are rising. Many families are facing the heart-breaking dilemma of choosing between eating or heating. We must consider a range of legislative options to give UK citizens, and particularly the most vulnerable families, real help in the years ahead.

“The UK tax system fails to treat families fairly. The amount of tax that a family pays in the UK bears little relationship to how well off that household is. It is deeply concerning that families in poverty are paying income tax. It is shocking that families in the bottom half of income distribution pay tax at the higher rate.

“This unfairness in the tax system must be addressed. We call on Ministers to take account of this, and work towards a fairer system. We recognise that the culture change called for will be a big undertaking but as a society, we should always strive for what is fair and compassionate, even if it’s difficult to achieve."