AS many as 5,000 families in York could be affected by legislation passing through Parliament about same-sex partnerships.

This has been rejected by Conservatives because the Civil Partnerships Bill ignores the rights of other same-sex partnerships, such as siblings and carers, who also have an interdependent relationship which deserves to be addressed.

The Civil Partnership Bill has recently been amended in the House of Lords to include siblings and carers. But the Bill, as amended, does not satisfactorily meet their needs.

For example, if two sisters were to register their partnership, they would have to pool all their assets. If, later on, one of them wanted to get married, the only way they would be able to terminate this partnership would be through complicated legal proceedings - whereas all they really need is inheritance tax relief so that one partner does not have to sell their home when the other dies.

In the case of carers, they do not want to be included in this particular Bill for a number of reasons but, crucially, because they would lose welfare benefits if they had to register.

This is another example of Labour-knows-best interference. The Conservatives will be fighting vigorously to remedy the unfair disadvantages for those affected in the next Finance Bill.

Readers might like to ask their MP why Labour has lumped the interests of the gay community and carers together, in yet more red tape?

Clive Booth,

York's Conservative Parliamentary candidate,

Ash Street, York.

Updated: 09:45 Friday, October 15, 2004