Stonewall has this week published a draft parliamentary bill for extending the legal form of marriage to gay people.

The Bill outlines the legislative steps necessary to give effect to a policy now supported by all party leaders.

It contains five key areas of analysis: marriage between persons of the same sex, marriage in religious premises, marriage according to Rites of the Church of England, conversion of existing Civil Partnerships and power to make further provision in connection with Extension of Marriage to Same-Sex Couples.

The draft comes after Lynne Featherstone MP, equalities minister, promised last September that formal consultation on extending the legal form of marriage to gay people would begin in March 2012.

The proposal has subsequently been supported by David Cameron, Nick Clegg and Ed Miliband.
 
"We trust that the government will go ahead with its promised consultation by the end of March," said Ben Summerskill, Stonewall Chief Executive.

"We also trust that the government will publish a White Paper, consulting on the detail of how to implement its proposal, and not a Green Paper which merely consults on the wider principle.

"This simple two-page Bill of five clauses need not occupy a significant amount of parliamentary time. It could easily be included in the Queen's Speech in May."