Minister faces marriage row

The executive is planning to let Westminster legislate for Scotland

A Liberal Democrat MSP has attacked Justice Minister Cathy Jamieson for insisting that marriage provides the best family environment.

Margaret Smith said she was "absolutely dismayed" at the minister for claiming that marriage was the basis for strong and stable families.

Mother-of-two Ms Smith, who split from her husband in 2000 and announced in May that she had a female partner, launched her attack during a discussion on civil partnerships.

The MSP also attacked Ms Jamieson for insisting that civil partnerships were not a top priority for the executive.

The angry outburst came as the Scottish Parliament's Equal Opportunities Committee discussed a letter and a briefing paper from the minister about proposed Westminster legislation on same sex civil partnerships.

Marriage, although it is important, is not the only one in which children are being brought up in Scotland Margaret Smith MSP

Ms Smith said a definition of the family had been reached during the section 2a debate, which ended with new laws lifting a ban on educating school children about homosexuality.

She said a lot of work had gone into defining the family unit in a way that could be widely accepted across Scotland.

Ms Smith said: "Marriage, although it is important, is not the only one in which children are being brought up in Scotland.

"I think given that we had a form of words that had church and executive backing I was absolutely dismayed to see that somehow in this press statement they were rewriting principles.

"It took a lot of hard work to get to the point where we had an agreement and it was reflective of Scottish society as it is rather than what people may wish it to be or what it was 50 years ago."

In the press briefing, issued on 10 September, Ms Jamieson said the executive wanted to provide children "with the best possible start in life".

The executive has said civil partnerships are not a priority

It said: "Central to that is a belief in strong and stable families. And the pillar around which such families are built is marriage."

Ms Smith said that the briefing repeatedly underlined that civil partnerships were not an executive priority.

She said: "I think we have got to be careful with this mood music and the words that we use.

"I think the executive is doing the right thing and we are going to get something that will enhance people's lives, but we know that this is not just about changing the law but about changing attitudes and culture.

"If we are sending out something saying this isn't important to us, it may be important to a small group of people but not to us, then that was the wrong thing for them to do.

"This was an opportunity missed and they have done this in the wrong way."

Ms Jamieson has said she is standing by her original statement, but said she recognised families come in many forms.

The UK Government opened a consultation in June on a registration scheme for same sex partnerships.

The executive is planning to let Westminster legislate for Scotland on devolved matters around the issue.

Green MSP Patrick Harvie has revealed his own civil partnerships proposals to give all unmarried partners the same rights as married couples.