No, not necessarily. If someone chose to have a religious service and then go through the registration process, and that registration process did not have any religious input, I do not see why they could not do that. The implication of the hon. Gentleman's amendment is that people would want to have some sort of religious service during the pre-registration procedure, which is the point at which the two people go and register their notice of intent, up to

15 days before the civil partnership takes place. The idea that a couple would want to do that at a time when they were going to the office and notifying people is rather bizarre. I am not sure whether that is the point at which he was concerned that that might happen.

However, the argument is the same whether we are talking about a service that happens before or one that happens afterwards. My view is that people and religions should be free to offer those services and celebrations. The concern of the Government and of the legislation is the legal basis for the registration process. I made the arguments about why that process should be secular, but I think that it is too restrictive to try to extend that restriction to the celebrations that might and, I hope, will happen around that legal process.