The Equal Civil Partnerships campaign has responded to figures released today by the Office for National Statistics showing that the number of couples registering Civil Partnerships in England and Wales has risen for the first time since same sex marriage became possible in 2014.

Campaign Manager Clare Lorraine Phipps said:”This news does not come as a surprise to those who have been campaigning for the extension of Civil Partnerships to mixed sex couples. Nearly 80,000 people have signed our petition, and we have continued to see a persistent number of same sex couples who have still opted for Civil Partnerships over marriage, even since the welcome introduction of marriage equality in 2014.

“The Government doesn’t need to “wait and see” if there is sufficient demand to maintain Civil Partnerships as an institution – these figures speak for themselves. We are calling on Justine Greening and the Government to demonstrate their continued support for Civil Partnerships by extending them to all couples, regardless of their sexuality. Civil Partnerships offer a legally binding arrangement that is fair, popular and good for families and children.”