'Marriage is a great institution', says David Cameron

Marriage is a "great institution" and helps to build a good society, David Cameron has said.

The prime minister said he was delivering on a promise made in his manifesto when he decided to introduce tax breaks for married couples worth up to £200 a year.

The tax break would apply if couples are both basic rate tax payers and would also include 15,000 couples in civil partnerships, from April 2015.

Mr Cameron said "other countries recognise marriage properly in the tax system and that's what we're doing too."