My Lords, I am most obliged to the Minister for his reply—both to the assertions of Mr Booker and to my own amendment. In relation to his reply, of course I accept his assurances. The problem is that throughout my life—it has been quite a long one—I have seen government assurances come and government assurances go. The European Court of Human Rights now it has powers, translated into British law, which are very wide indeed. Some of its decisions in private and other cases have not been very friendly towards the Government and this country, if I might say that. We really do not know what will happen once the Bill is passed.
11.30 pm
I read the remarks of the noble Lord, Lord Pannick, to, I think, the Commons committee. Of course, in talking about miracles, it would have been thought miraculous in 1950 when the European Convention was signed that we would have a Bill before Parliament suggesting that there should be single-sex marriage—but here we are. We are discussing it and I have no doubt that Parliament will pass it. I hope that the safeguards in the Bill will be upheld and not undermined by the European Court. If they are, if I am still here—which is doubtful—I shall come back and remind noble Lords of that. I beg leave to withdraw the amendment.