Adoption victory in Scotland

9.36.46am GMT Fri 8th Dec 2006

The Scottish Parliament yesterday overwhelmingly backed a new law giving same-sex couples the legal right to adopt children. The Adoption and Children (Scotland) Bill is designed to reverse the decline in numbers offering to adopt and drew huge cross-party support. An amendment from SNP member Roseanna Cunningham to exempt same-sex couples was defeated by 98 votes to 11.

Liberal Democrat MSP for Edinburgh West Margaret Smith, a gay parent of five children, said the amendment was "illogical and in the worst interests of children." She pointed out that lesbian and gay people could already adopt as individuals and that the legislation extended this to same-sex couples, meaning if anything happened to one adoptive parent the child's future would remain secure.