Civil partnerships

Peter Hitchens argues marriage will lose its respectability

In a HARDtalk debate on 18 December, Jon Sopel leads a discussion about the British government's plans to introduce civil partnerships which will give homosexual partners the same legal rights as married couples.

Under the new scheme, gay and lesbian couples will enjoy rights that are currently unavailable to them.

These include next-of-kin, property and pension rights.

At present, homosexuals cannot visit a seriously ill partner in hospital or register their partner¹s death or sign for a funeral.

Gay couples also have to pay inheritance tax when a partner dies for a property they jointly own - which is not the case for married couples.

HARDtalk interviewed Barbara Roche, a former government minister who was one of the architects of the plans, and Peter Hitchens, a Mail on Sunday columnist, who vehemently opposes the legislation and is one of Tony Blair¹s government¹s most vocal critics.

Mrs Roche said an injustice would finally be put right once the legislation comes into effect.

"Many gay and lesbian couples have lived together for years, shared their lives, shared their homes but at a crucial part of their lives they are penalised because of their sexuality," she said.

She later added: "It¹s not just giving gays the same rights - it¹s going further - giving homosexuals the recognition and respectability they deserve."

Mr Hitchens disagrees, saying marriage will lose its respectability and that the government¹s plans amounted to a concerted campaign to abolish marriage.

"The government will be pressured to extend the civil partnership to heterosexual couples as well. As a result you¹ll have a 'marriage lite' - a semi-married state which is officially recognised, a bit like the French equivalent and people will take it up as an alternative to marriage in a way that bad money drives out good, because it is easier," he said.

"Therefore marriage as the central institution under which people live will be undermined."

Mrs Roche ruled out this knock-on effect described by Mr Hitchens, saying his arguments were nonsensical.

"Heterosexual couples have a choice whether or not they register their partnership through marriage. Gay couples don't have this choice. We are merely giving the same rights to homosexuals."

HARDtalk can be seen on BBC World at 04:30 GMT, 11:30 GMT, 15:30 GMT, 19:30 GMT and 00:30 GMT

It can also be seen on BBC News 24 at 04:30 and 23:30