civil partnership bill's progress in parliament

The Civil Partnership Bill was published in March in its original form in the House of Lords and finished it's committee stage on 25 May 2004. There are Explanatory Notes too. The LAGLA Civil Partnership Working Group has looked at the Bill in detail and generally supports it.

We agree with the Government that issues about inheritance tax, spinster sisters and carers are entirely different issues and should not be used to hijack this Bill. Civil Partnerships are for same-sex couples, whose relationship is qualitatively entirely different from those of sisters and carers, however strong their bond is. Any such amendments would undermine this qualitative difference of a partnership.

The Amendments tabled are online in consecutive order:

• Lords Committee stage: First List, Second List, Third List, Fourth List, Fifth List of Marshalled Amendments
• Lords Report stage (The wrecking amendments carried are amendments Nos. 3, 8, 10, 12, 22, 23, 40, 43, 56, 66, 68, 69 and 70)
• Third Reading
• Commons Committee Stage 19 October 2004, 21 October 2004
• All Amendments passed in the Commons
• Baroness O'Cathain's second shot at a wrecking amendment for the Lords on 17 November 2004

The debate is reported in Hansard:

• First Reading on 30 March 2004
• Second Reading on 22 April 2004
• Lords Grand Committee on 10 May, 12 May, 13 May, 17 May, 25 May 2004
• Lords report stage on 24 June 2004
• Lords third reading 1 July 2004
• Commons first reading on 5 July 2004
• Commons second reading on 12 October 2004
• Commons Standing Committee Membership
• Commons Standing Committee 19 October 2004
• Commons Standing Committee 21 October 2004 (morning)
• Commons Standing Committee 21 October 2004 (afternoon)
• Commons Standing Committee 26 October 2004 (morning)
• Commons Standing Committee 26 October 2004 (afternoon)
• Commons Report State and Third Reading on 9 November 2004
• Lord's Approval of Commons' Amendments on 17 November 2004
• Royal Assent on 18 November 2005

LAGLA got a mention by Baroness Hollis on 25 May and from Angela Eagle MP on 12 October 2004.

The Lords' report stage was finished on 24 June 2004 because the government did not table its own amendments as the character of the bill had been changed. A few Government amendments were passed at Third Reading on 1 July 2004. The Bill was reprinted after the First Reading in the Commons on 5 July 2004 and was passed with a majority of 246 to 49 at Second Reading on 12 October 2004.

For a full history of the bill with links to all amendments tabled use this link.