The Government is to introduce a civil partnership registration scheme that will bring gay couples the equivalent rights of heterosexual married couples. The proposed scheme will be consulted on in the summer and if it goes ahead will allow gay couples to benefit from pension, inheritance and property rights as if they were a married couple, under UK law.
It is thought that the proposals leave out heterosexual couples that co-habit. This is because they have the right to marry and benefit from the existing laws in the UK. Gay couples do not yet have this right.
Our opinion is that these changes should be introduced as soon as possible, even if only to take account of a person's basic human right.