Tuesday January 25, 5:07 AM
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Gay Law Row Moves To Westminster

The Government is braced for the "Section 28" debate over gay rights to arrive at Westminster after days of ill-tempered rancour in Scotland.
Labour's Local Government Bill, which would repeal the controversial clause which forbids local councils from promoting homosexuality, moves to the House of Lords for its committee stage.

The Bishop of Liverpool, the Right Reverend James Jones, has backed Cardinal Thomas Winning, leader of Scotland's 750,000 Roman Catholics, in his campaign against repeal of Section 28.

And the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr George Carey, warned that there had to be "adequate safeguards" in schools to protect children.

The proposed repeal has determined opponents in the upper chamber, who have made clear that they are ready for a scrap over the issue.

Tory peer Baroness Young, one of the most vocal opponents of repeals, warned: "I think it is very important to realise that all legislation sends a signal, one way or another.

"And if this (the abolition of section 28) carries in the Local Government Bill before the House of Lords, that will send a signal to schools and to anybody else that it is all right to promote homosexuality.

But Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions minister Beverley Hughes insisted that scrapping section 28 was necessary in order to allow teachers to feel that they could help and advise pupils subjected to bullying because of their sexuality.

"Many teachers in many schools feel it does apply to them. They feel very uncertain as to what they can and cannot do ... Removing section 28 will clarify that position for them," she said.

But there would be new guidelines which would emphasise the importance of family life.