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

I am grateful to the hon. Lady for reminding me of that episode. The whole debate on this issue has been characterised by the Government looking for quick headlines. I would far rather they looked to have a proper consultation process, with a view to introducing a Government Bill at some stage in the future. The Opposition broadly support much of the Bill's content; indeed, my hon. and learned Friend the Member for Beaconsfield and his predecessor, my hon. Friend the Member for Arundel and South Downs (Nick Herbert), have both said that the Opposition want to work with the Government on an all-party basis to find a way forward. However, we feel strongly that what is needed is a consensual approach involving all interested organisations and, indeed, countries. The hon. Member for Oxford, West and Abingdon pointed out that 15 Commonwealth countries have the Queen as Head of State, but what he did not tell the House was that 16 overseas territories have the Queen as the Head of State—they are overseas territories of Great Britain and Northern Ireland—as do the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man and the devolved Administrations of the countries of the kingdom, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. As my hon. Friend the Member for Gainsborough (Mr. Leigh) said, it is most likely that all their Prime Ministers and Governments would consent to this, but would it not be grossly discourteous not to consult them properly as part of a much more wide-ranging exercise? On clause 2, we agree that the time has come for Roman Catholic consorts to be able to marry heirs to the throne.