Clause 5 - Subsequent issue of full certificates
Gender Recognition Bill [Lords]
3:15 pm
Dr Evan Harris (Oxford West and Abingdon, Liberal Democrat)
That would at least be something. We are talking about people who are married as of now. It is hard to envisage the same problem arising in future. I would be happy for a concession to be limited to those people. That would not be a legislative difficulty because we could state that the marriage must have taken place before the enactment of the Bill. Indeed, it could be timed to correspond with European judgments and so on.
In respect of the second period of six months for the dissolution or annulment of marriage on other grounds, the default is that people need not be rushed into that, even though they hold an interim certificate. The Government have to show reason—that is, explain what the reasonable safeguard is against—before not allowing that to happen. Those people are not getting a good deal.
There is broad agreement between the hon. Members for Daventry and for Birmingham, Selly Oak and myself: the matter should be pursued. I hope that the Minister will allow us to do that at a later date, although we are running out of stages in which we can attempt that. At the very least, we must ask him to write to us, setting out why the request that we have made should not pertain, and what he thinks the current wording is a reasonable safeguard against. I hope he will do that. A quick letter might be enough to advise us how much comfort we can take when we discuss the matter on Report. That said, I beg to ask leave to withdraw the amendment.
Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.
Clause 5 ordered to stand part of the Bill.