SHIPLEY MP Philip Davies has accused Government ministers of failing to clamp down on first cousin marriage for fear they may offend communities.

“Instead of worrying about being politically correct, officials should be concerned about the genetic effect consanguineous marriage has on children born to relations and its cost to the NHS,” Shipley MP Philip Davies said.

Mr Davies reiterated his call for Government to make inter-family marriage illegal, after the Department of Health admitted it is doing nothing to stop the practice and had no estimate of how much these genetic problems cost the NHS.

He said: “People seem more worried about offending communities than the serious health problems inter-relation marriage causes. It is time to outlaw this practice.”

Health Minister Dr Dan Poulter said a decision needed to be made locally on whether any action was needed.

Mr Davies said real action was needed not a “poster campaign”.

The Born in Bradford study started in 2007 and tracks the lives of 13,500 babies and their families. It found the number of babies born with birth defects in Bradford is nearly double the national average, which Mr Davies said was largely because of marriages between first cousins in the Pakistani community.

A spokesman for the Born in Bradford study said: "Being married to a cousin doubles the risk of a child being born with a congenital anomaly."

Geneticist and lead author Dr Eamonn Sheridan, from the University of Leeds who worked on the study explained how that the numbers involved were nevertheless relatively small.

“It is important to note that the vast majority of babies born to couples who are blood relatives are absolutely fine, and whilst consanguineous marriage increases the risk of birth defect from three per cent to six per cent, the absolute risk is still small,” he said.

Born in Bradford (BiB) project, a unique long term study which is following the health of babies who were born in the city at the Bradford Royal Infirmary between 2007 and 2011. The research team found that the overall rate of birth defects in the BiB babies was approximately three per cent - nearly double the national rate.

The BiB cohort includes a total of 43 different ethnicities, the largest ethnic groups were Pakistani (45 per cent) and White British (just under 40 per cent).

In the Pakistani subgroup, 77 per cent of babies born with birth defects were to parents who were in consanguineous marriages.

In the White British subgroup 19 per cent of babies with an anomaly were born to mothers over the age of 34.

Professor Neil Small, co-author of the study from the University of Bradford, said: “The research is of particular importance to Bradford, because of the characteristics of its population.

"Half the babies born in the city’s one maternity hospital have a parent whose family origins are in Pakistan.

“In Bradford, it is not our intention to counsel couples about who they choose to marry.

"But we do want to ensure that couples are aware of any risks so that they can make informed choices when planning their families,” Professor Small said.

A spokesman for public health for Bradford Council said: "Giving birth to babies with birth defects can affect any family, what ever their economic or ethnic background. Being an older mother or being married to your cousin increases the risk of these genetic anomalies.

"However, cousin marriage only accounts for a third of all birth defects and most babies born within cousin marriage are healthy.

"Sensitive advice about genetic risks are provided by specialist genetic services to help people at higher risk make decisions for themselves and their families in the future."