Part of Civil Partnership Bill [Lords] – in a Public Bill Committee am 2:45 pm ar 21 Hydref 2004.
John Bercow
Ceidwadwyr, Buckingham
2:45,
21 Hydref 2004
I understand that the purport of the amendments tabled by the hon. Member for Rhondda here and elsewhere is to remove the prohibition on a religious ceremony or the use of religious premises. However, on the specific point about religiosity, does the Minister accept that the precise text of Amendment No. 16 does not present a problem in that respect? It is simply an affirmation. It does not even contain a reference to God. I should like to know whether the Minister is suggesting that the words could be potentially acceptable to her, perhaps through amendment No. 25, as a statement in writing, but that they are not acceptable as a spoken form. If so, if the former is acceptable, why is the latter not?
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