Minister in gay marriage plea

A Government minister has called for gay couples to be allowed to enter into a legal contract similar to marriage.

Speaking on Radio 5 Live's gay programme Out This Week, transport minister John Bowis said: "There are difficulties in quite a lot of areas of social law in that there isn't a legal contact in gay relationship, any more than there is in an unmarried heterosexual relationship. It may be that if one is able to achieve some sort of legal contract that would provide a stability." Asked if that was something he would like to see, he replied: "That is something I'd like to see, yes." Mr Bowis, who is married with three children, has repeatedly condemned prejudice against homosexuality and supports the reduction of the age of homosexual consent to 16.