The Government has announced that it will consider the extension of civil partnerships to opposite sex couples. A Parliamentary Committee that has published a report of the Same Sex Couples Marriage Bill has stated its concern that there will be potential discrimination for cohabiting opposite sex couples, in comparison to civil partnerships. Initial Government concerns were focused arround the costs related to extending the bill to same sex couples, but the report disputes these costs and is asking for clear and accurate details about such.
The Committee to keen to stress that the Government carry out a full review of pension provisions of same sex couples and civil partners to ensure that there is no discrimination arising in the pension scheme provisions.