Stonewall, the lesbian, gay and bisexual charity, has published a draft parliamentary bill for extending the legal form of marriage to gay people. The Bill outlines the legislative steps necessary to give effect to a policy now supported by the main political party leaders.

According to Stonewall, Lynne Featherstone MP, the equalities minister, promised last September that formal consultation on extending the legal form of marriage to gay people would begin in March 2012. The proposal has been supported by David Cameron, Nick Clegg and Ed Miliband.

‘We trust that the government will go ahead with its promised consultation by the end of March,’ said Ben Summerskill, Stonewall Chief Executive. ‘We also trust that the government will publish a White Paper, consulting on the detail of how to implement its proposal, and not a Green Paper which merely consults on the wider principle. This simple two-page Bill of five clauses need not occupy a significant amount of parliamentary time. It could easily be included in the Queen’s Speech in May.’