HC Deb 23 October 2003 vol 411 cc700-1W
Lembit Öpik

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) if he will make it his policy to ensure that Northern Ireland is included from the outset in any forthcoming bill on civil partnership; and if he will make a statement; [129295]

(2)what areas of the proposed civil partnership legislation have been assessed by his officials as requiring distinctive Northern Ireland sections; and if he will make a statement; [129296]

(3)what research (a) he has assessed and (b) will be commissioned on the consequences for same-sex couples who move to Northern Ireland of a civil partnership law only applying in England and Wales; and if he will make a statement; [129297]

(4)what he estimates would be the cost of processing and legislating a civil partnership law separately for Northern Ireland through an Order in Council; and if he will make a statement. [129298]

Mr. Pearson

There has been no decision yet as to whether the civil partnership registration scheme set out in the consultation paper issued by the Department of Trade and Industry should be extended to Northern Ireland. My officials are currently examining those proposals with a view to issuing a consultation paper in the autumn. Beyond that, no decision has yet been taken as to whether a parallel civil partnership registration scheme should be introduced in Northern Ireland. In examining the DTI proposals, my officials are considering the possible impact for Northern Ireland of the introduction of a civil partnership registration scheme across a wide range of areas, including those areas where Northern Ireland law and practice differ from England and Wales. This preliminary consideration also includes an examination of the likely impact on couples who register their partnership under the scheme in England and Wales and who subsequently move to Northern Ireland. There is little information on how many such couples there may be, but work is on-going between officials in Northern Ireland and their counterparts in the Department of Trade and Industry. No calculation of the estimated costs of processing and legislating a civil partnership law separately for Northern Ireland through an Order in Council has been carried out.