Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill

I am not sure whether I am supposed to be comforted by that observation, but it is on the record....

I think that we should turn the House’s attention to amendments 41 to 44 before we become more si...

My right hon. Friend mentions Baroness Stowell, who said in another place that

“marriage do...

My view of marriage is clearly that fidelity can be extremely important. This is something on whi...

Order. The Minister has strayed again into the second group. I think that she has in this regard ...

They are very good officials normally.

I note the sedentary observation from the hon. Member for Rhondda (Chris Bryant). The Minister sh...

I am pleased to welcome the Bill back to the House, and not only because the Chamber is the only ...

The right hon. Lady talks about the time the other place gave to scrutinising the Bill, which I r...

I strongly disagree with the hon. Gentleman. The Lords have debated the Bill extensively and have...

On the question of celebration, can we spare a thought for those persons, including supporters of...

And carnations.

Yes, and carnations. At the end of the day, this is a celebratory occasion and debate.

My hon. Friend is exactly right. While we have been debating the Bill, we have been not only lobb...

As someone who celebrates his 40th wedding anniversary next month and has had many ups and downs,...

My hon. Friend is exactly right, although I would never accuse him, whom I know so well, of growi...

Would my right hon. Friend add to that list the repeal of section 28? Despite all the concerns, i...

Order. It is perhaps understandable, but the remarks on both sides are in danger of causing this ...

Indeed, Mr Speaker.

Does my right hon. Friend agree that by accepting this group of Lords amendments, we will be comp...

In the spirit of your ruling, Mr Speaker, let me say that the reason the points made by my hon. F...

My right hon. Friend is generous in giving way again. As we have humanist naming ceremonies —she ...

That is right. People should be able to have that choice. This is about what are the most importa...

I totally concur with the points my right hon. Friend is making about humanist marriage, and I am...

My hon. Friend is right. We debated humanism when the Bill was in this place and in Committee, an...

Could the right hon. Lady assist me by explaining the difference, if there is one, between marria...

Weddings are fabulous celebrations, and I really love going to them, but I do not love going to m...

rose—

Order. I think that the hon. Member for Gainsborough (Sir Edward Leigh) has been celebrating his ...

Talking of celebrations, Mr Speaker, I want to celebrate the fact that Labour’s shadow equality t...

I thank my hon. Friend for that. My hon. Friend the Member for Stretford and Urmston (Kate Green)...

Would the right hon. Lady be surprised to hear that neither the House of Commons Library nor the ...

The hon. Gentleman makes an important point. We also tried to find out through the House of Commo...

I thank the right hon. Lady for giving way and for her comments earlier about humanist weddings, ...

I think the hon. Gentleman would agree that it is right to get an assessment of what the costs sh...

I am grateful to the right hon. Lady, who is being very generous in giving way. Does she agree th...

The hon. Gentleman makes exactly the right point about the principle of equality that we should b...

Will proposed new subsection (6) in amendment 11, which gives the Secretary of State power to mak...

I hope that the Government will be able to make rapid progress and to introduce orders. It is rig...

Does my right hon. Friend agree that the amendments will be welcomed by members of the transgende...

I do. The issue was debated in Committee, but, given the huge effect that the present situation h...

May I ask the right hon. Lady a question that I should have asked her earlier? The “humanist” ame...

I am in favour of a similar, or even more rapid, timetable for the civil partnerships review. In ...

The right hon. Lady has just mentioned discussion and compromise. I am not sure whether we are go...

We took the view that the amendment to the Public Order Act was not necessary, because there was ...

Does the right hon. Lady agree that it is not just attitudes in this House or the other place tha...

The hon. Gentleman is exactly right about that change in attitudes, and we heard it from some Mem...

It is certainly the case that attitudes in this country have changed, but we have still to see mo...

I agree with my hon. Friend. As the House of Lords was discussing these amendments, I was talking...

I wish to speak to amendments 1 and 2. Throughout the passage of the Bill, Ministers have acted i...

Does the hon. Gentleman accept that parliamentary scrutiny not only consists of tabling amendment...

I agree with the hon. Gentleman. I have been involved in the ups and downs of the Bill, and I hav...

rose—

I will give way to the hon. Gentleman, and I pay tribute to his diligence and scrutiny throughout...

The hon. Gentleman has outlined some of the steps forward that the amendments have made in at lea...

I fully recognise that, and I have yet to come to my “but” and the concerns out there, which go b...

Does my hon. Friend agree that the Quakers have played a brilliant role in the passage of this Bi...

I pay tribute to the Quakers and, in particular, to the Winchmore Hill friends meeting house, whe...

Will the hon. Gentleman give way?

If I may, I shall make a little more progress.

I welcome Lords amendment 53, which is the s...

rose—

Order. Several colleagues wish to speak. I am keen to accommodate them all, but the logic is unan...

It is a genuine pleasure to be able to speak on such an historic occasion. The fact that we are d...

My hon. Friend is making a powerful contribution to the debate, as he did in the Bill Committee. ...

Absolutely. That is the point that has come out in all the debates.

We have also seen prote...

The hon. Gentleman says that three in every five people with faith support these changes, but tha...

rose—

Order. I do not think that the point made by the hon. Member for Cardiff South and Penarth (Steph...

Thank you for bringing us back into order, Mr Speaker.

At an earlier stage I suggested that...

This is a monumental day for many people; be they straight, gay, lesbian or bi, they will benefit...

Order. It is always of great interest to the House to hear the contents of the hon. Gentleman’s C...

Thank you very much, Mr Speaker.

Let me turn to Lords amendment 10. It feels that it has be...

I am glad to speak to this important group of amendments to this important Bill, which is a piece...

I am pleased to join in the celebration tonight in so far as I have been able to find one clause ...

Will my hon. Friend give way?

Forgive me but I will not give way because a lot of colleagues wish to speak.

I am pleased ...

Will my hon. Friend give way?

I will not, because I have limited time and a lot of colleagues want to speak.

I hope that ...

rose—

I will give way to my hon. Friend in a minute.

Two weeks ago I held a meeting here. I have ...

Which amendment is this?

This is about freedom of expression, as the hon. Gentleman ought to be aware.

Someone who w...

My point was about freedom of expression, and I am grateful to my hon. Friend. When we debated th...

I thank my hon. Friend for raising that issue. It is interesting that surgeons are not required t...

I apologise for interrupting my hon. Friend’s speech, but it is important that the House is aware...

My hon. Friend the Member for East Worthing and Shoreham (Tim Loughton) tells me that there is no...

rose—

Order. We have 31 minutes remaining. Members can do the arithmetic for themselves.

It is a pleasure to be able to contribute to this debate on Lords amendments, because this is the...

It’s in the Bible.

I am happy for the hon. Gentleman to heckle me. That is not about freedom expression; it is about...

Many of my constituents are sad that I am supporting the Bill, but they also know, after more tha...

My hon. Friend makes another excellent contribution. I am glad that society will be different fro...

rose—

Order. May I appeal to remaining colleagues wishing to speak, of whom there are seven, to factor ...

I will endeavour to be brief, Mr Speaker.

Lords amendment 53, on freedom of expression, is ...

Would my hon. Friend have me prosecuted for it?

My hon. Friend has not listened to a word I have said. I have just said that nobody should be pro...

Order. I was just checking that I had not misheard the right hon. Gentleman. Whatever his temptat...

I am very happy to stick to the first group, Mr Speaker.

I hope that Lords amendments 10, 1...

Many of my constituents contacted me who support humanist weddings but were disturbed when they t...

It is instructive that, despite your valiant efforts, Mr Speaker, this debate has been so discurs...

You’re smiling now. So you can smile.

I can smile, yes.

Even a cursory examination of the amendments made in the other place conf...

First, I pay tribute to my right hon. Friend the Member for Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford ...

Having made such arguments on Report, I would like to record how delighted I am that the amendmen...

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his contribution.

Moving on to pensions and survivor benefit...

First, I pay tribute to both Front-Bench teams—both here and in the other place—for how they have...

I am so pleased that tonight we will pass this Bill, which is clearly good news for the many gay ...