Increase in same-sex ceremonies

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The number of same-sex couples tying the knot in civil ceremonies has risen by 20% since the start of the year, according to new figures.

In the second quarter of this year there were 315 civil partnerships.

The Registrar General for Scotland said there had been a total of 658 same-sex ceremonies by the end of June.

The Civil Partnership Act 2004 came into force in December last year and during that month 84 couples - 53 male and 31 female - tied the knot.

Registrar General Duncan Macniven said: "In the first three months of 2006, 259 partnerships were registered. This rose to 315 in the latest quarter.

Bucking trends

"Almost all of the increase was because more female partnerships were registered - up from 92 to 147."

The statistics were included in Mr Macniven's second Vital Events Quarterly Return for 2006. It showed that the number of traditional marriages was down by 3.5% on the second quarter of last year to 8,330 compared with 8,633.

The report also showed that the number of births was up 3.5% on the same time last year.

Bucking trends from earlier this decade, there were 14,033 births in Scotland between April and June, an increase of 476 compared with 2005.

A total of 13,927 deaths were recorded, 254 more than in the previous year.