Further letter to the Home Secretary and Minister for Women and Equalities

5th April 2012

Rt Hon Theresa May MP
Home Secretary and Minister for Women and Equalities
Home Office
2 Marsham Street
London
SW1P 4DF

Dear Theresa

Thank you very much indeed for your letter dated 28th March 2012.

I welcome your reassurance that government plans to allow gay couples in England and Wales to marry will not have any impact on religious freedom.

I specifically asked if you would be prepared to support changes to discrimination legislation if a legal challenge was mounted against any church which refused to marry a gay couple and I would appreciate a personal commitment to doing this. Clearly, if the government is confident that such a case could not be brought by a gay couple wishing to marry in a church which did not recognise gay marriage, then the need to change the law would not arise and the answer I seek should be easy to give.

A number of people are also gravely concerned that all official forms and documentation would have to be changed in a way which would remove references to “husband” and “wife” and see them replaced with words such as “partner” or “spouse”.

I would be grateful if you could confirm whether or not this is correct.

Yours ever

David T C Davies MP