Maria Miller rejects claim by Simon Hughes that equal marriage has been ‘fast tracked’
Maria Miller, the Minister for Equalities, has rejected a claim made by the Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats that same-sex marriage is being “fast tracked” through Parliament without the proper consultations.
Mr Hughes said to Mrs Miller: “Neither of us [Conservatives or Liberal Democrats] had it in our manifestos and it wasn’t in the Coalition agreement. There has not been a white paper, there has not been a green paper, there has not been a draft bill and I did not sense that this was something with some sort of deadline that it had to be enacted in double quick time.
“Can you explain to us why this bill [Marriage (Same Sex Couples)] was not envisioned in the Coalition agreement, why it has had a fast tracked treatment when it is probably in the eyes of many the most controversial bill in this Parliament?”
Mrs Miller replied: “One factual error in what you said is that there was a very clear statement by the Conservative Party around looking at same-sex marriage in our Contract for Equalities that was issued at the general election. It was in a very extensive manifesto commitment document around equalities and it highlighted commitment to equality in this area.”
She added: “Any claims that this has been fast-tracked is not accurate. The amount of consultation, the largest consultation that Government has ever seen, really took place over a year. Since the consultation, extensive analysis of that, then discussion around the bill.”
Mrs Miller continued: “Governments find it very difficult to do things fast and this doesn’t seem to me like a rapid process. Certainly, I would underline that I and my officials have, I think had the most extensive discussion that we have ever had over a piece of legislation.”
The House of Commons will debate the bill as part of its third reading on 20 and 21 May.
