Simon Kirby, Member of Parliament for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven, has called for greater urgency in allowing same sex couples to convert a civil partnership into a marriage.
Last week the Government announced that, following the passage of the Equal Marriage Act, the first same sex weddings will be able to take place in England and Wales from the 29th March 2014. The legislation also allows for the conversion of civil partnerships into marriages, however a commencement date for such conversions has not yet been set.
The Government has stated that the delay owes to the fact that the necessary legislative and administrative changes to allow civil p0artnership conversions take longer to apply, however there is a commitment to implementation by the end of 2014.
Mr Kirby has written to the Culture Secretary Maria Miller, seeking greater clarity from the Government and calling for urgency on behalf of his constituents.
Mr Kirby said: “During the consultation on the Equal Marriage Bill, the Government acknowledged that there are around 50,000 couples who have entered into Civil Partnerships who would have chosen to get married if it were possible. Many of those couples live in my constituency, and I have received a great deal of correspondence from people who are deeply disappointed that they will have to wait even longer before they can enter into a marriage.
“I have written to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, making her aware of my constituent’s concerns, and seeking greater clarity from her on when the necessary arrangements will be in place. Whilst I fully appreciate the efforts that this Government has gone to in introducing equal marriage, I have called for greater urgency in this matter so that couples in civil partnerships are able to marry as soon as possible. The fact that the March 29 date for the first same sex marriages is earlier than many anticipated is an encouraging sign, and I am confident that the Government are doing what they can to make these changes in a timely manner.”
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