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Same-sex adoption block defeated MSPs vote for same-sex adoption
(about 3 hours later)
An attempt to block legislation giving unmarried and same-sex couples the legal right to adopt children has been heavily defeated at Holyrood. Legislation giving unmarried and same-sex partners the legal right to adopt has been approved at Holyrood.
MSPs overwhelmingly rejected an amendment to the new adoption bill by SNP MSP Roseanna Cunningham to prevent gay couples adopting together.MSPs overwhelmingly rejected an amendment to the new adoption bill by SNP MSP Roseanna Cunningham to prevent gay couples adopting together.
It is argued the law will reverse the decline in numbers offering to adopt. The law, which aims to reverse the decline in numbers offering to adopt, was opposed by the Catholic Church.
The Adoption and Children (Scotland) Bill is expected to formally be voted through on Thursday evening. The Adoption and Children (Scotland) Bill was approved by 101 votes to six, with six abstentions.
Defeated Comprehensive overhaul
Under the current law, only married couples or a single person can adopt. Under the previous law, only married couples or a single person could adopt.
Education Minister Hugh Henry said the legislation was a comprehensive overhaul of the existing adoption laws, which are almost 30 years old.
He said circumstances had changed since the current law was introduced in 1978, with more families now affected by drugs and alcohol.
Over the last 20 years the number of adoption applications has gone from about 1,000 a year to 400.
Mr Henry said ministers wanted to see more married people coming forward to adopt children.
It is about increasing the opportunities for children who are no longer able to live with their birth parents to become part of a loving and stable family Elaine MurrayLabour MSP
But he added: "We also recognise that there are others who can be equally loving, equally caring and who are in stable environments who also wish to adopt whether or not they are married and we need to reflect that in our legislation."
Ms Cunningham's amendment was defeated by 98 votes to 11.Ms Cunningham's amendment was defeated by 98 votes to 11.
She claimed the majority of people in Scotland had concerns about allowing same-sex couples to adopt.She claimed the majority of people in Scotland had concerns about allowing same-sex couples to adopt.
It has nothing to do with gay rights. It's about what's in the best interests of the children Roseanna Cunningham MSP The Conservative education spokesman Lord James Douglas-Hamilton welcomed the move to allow same-sex couples to adopt jointly.
Ms Cunningham told MSPs: "It has nothing to do with gay rights. He said: "In my view to have discrimination against a whole group is not in accordance with the spirit of the 21st Century."
"It's about what's in the best interests of the children." 'Challenging homophobia'
Ms Cunningham, the MSP for Perth, broke ranks from her party to table the amendment. Green MSP Patrick Harvie, who is a gay rights campaigner, said: "I am very glad that we can make that recognition on the basis of equality for all of those adoptive parents based on the way we are passing this bill."
She said the evidence suggested that the traditional family unit, with a mother and father, was the best for children. Labour backbencher Elaine Murray said the bill was not about anybody's right to adopt or challenging homophobia.
Lib Dem MSP Margaret Smith, a gay parent of five children, condemned Ms Cunningham's amendment as "illogical and in the worst interests of children". "It is about increasing the opportunities for children who are no longer able to live with their birth parents to become part of a loving and stable family," the Dumfries MSP said.
The Edinburgh West MSP pointed out that gay people could already adopt as individuals and that the legislation extended this to same-sex couples. Adam Ingram, the SNP's deputy spokesman for children, said the bill made sure the interests of the child were paramount.
She added that there was no evidence to suggest that gay people were "anything other than loving parents". He said: "The fact that the bill extends the pool of adopters beyond married couples is to be welcomed, given that nowadays there are many alternative family arrangements which can provide security and stability in the best interests of children."
'Loving parents'
SNP education spokeswoman Fiona Hyslop said her party did not share Ms Cunningham's stance on the issue.
She said: "We've not got people queuing up to adopt, we must encourage more people to do that, but we need to do that in a fair way."
Conservative education spokesman Lord James Douglas-Hamilton also backed joint adoption by same-sex and unmarried couples.
He described the amendment as "far too discriminatory".
Green MSP Patrick Harvie said: "It's not only wrong to prejudge a same-sex couple as inadequate parents, not only because it is an insult to them, it removes the possibility of making the right decision where they are an appropriate and worthy couple to be adoptive parents."
About 400 children a year are adopted but there are thousands currently in the care of local authorities.