---

Royal Marriages and Succession to the Crown (Prevention of Discrimination) Bill

I beg to move, That the Bill be now read a Second time. It is first appropriate for the House to offer its thanks to the Queen for her permission to hold this debate. It clearly indicates that, at my request, the Government have been in discussion with Buckingham palace about this matter. Indeed, the Prime Minister has announced that that was the case. I just hope that the discussions concern more than just seeking permission to hold the debate. This is a welcome opportunity to debate what most people, if not every right-thinking person, would consider to be the outrageous discrimination in our constitution against Roman Catholics and the equally unfair treatment of women. I come to this not from a religious perspective but one of recognising that whatever someone's religious views—or their views of the royal family—our constitution should not be based on unjustified discrimination.