Notwithstanding section 15 of the 1949 Act a common licence may be granted to a person for the solemnization of a marriage in any church or chapel in which that person may be married under section 2 of this Act, and section 16(1)(b) of the 1949 Act shall, where a common licence may be granted by virtue of this section, have effect as if it required one of the persons to be married to swear that one or both of those persons has a qualifying connection with a parish within the meaning of section 2(3) of this Act and to state the nature of that connection and section 2(8) of this Act shall apply as if the reference therein to the minister of the parish were a reference to the authority having power to grant the licence.

Where an application has been made for the grant of a common licence under subsection (1), section 2(12) shall have effect as if the reference to the date on which the notice required under section 8 of the 1949 Act is delivered were a reference to the date of the application for the grant of the common licence.