GLOUCESTER, July 28  –  The Registration Service in Gloucestershire – a largely rural area of England which includes the picturesque Cotswold Hills – will be offering full ceremonies to same-sex couples when civil partnerships come into effect in December.

“We have taken the view that civil partnership ceremonies should be available in the County,” Ruth Pingriff told members of the Gloucestershire Gay and Lesbian Community tonight.

“Gloucestershire is committed to having ceremonies available to those same-sex couple who want them – and tailored to the needs of a couple,” she added, explaining that the legal singing of the register couple be in a quiet ceremony at the register office with two witnesses or a ceremony in either the register office or at one of the 100 approved venues within Gloucestershire.

Prigriff, the deputy superintendent registrar for the city of Gloucester, admitted that there was some detail of the civil partnership legislation that had to be finalised by Government.

“But we want to make sure that we are ready – and that we provide the service that the community want from us,” she added.

“We are very open about how we provide the service and we want to hear from the gay and lesbian community.  Are we going down the right lines,” she asked?

Turning to the 60 staff employed by the service, which runs six offices throughout the County, she said that would be training for everyone.  “We are here to provide a service to the public so we will be providing both technical training and awareness training.

“In the Gloucester office there is total willingness – and we are a liberal office,” she said.

From December 5, same-sex couples in the United Kingdom will be able to give notice of intent to register their civil partnership.  Then they must wait for 15 days (14 days in Northern Ireland) or more before they can form a civil partnership by signing a register.  The process is the same as for a civil marriage.  Fees are expected to be the same.