Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 Granted Royal Assent Wednesday July 17,2013

The Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act is an Act of the Parliament of the UK which will allow Same-Sex Marriage in England and Wales

The Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill was introduced into Parliament on January 24, 2013. The leaders of the three main political parties in the United Kingdom gave their MPs a free vote on the legislation, meaning they would not be whipped to vote in favour or against it.

The Bill went through a number of stages in the House of Commons, where it was introduced. These are:

• First Reading: the formal introduction of the Bill with no debate or vote.
• Second Reading: a debate on the general principles of the Bill followed by a vote.
• Committee Stage: a committee comprising a small number of Members of Parliament is set up to scrutinise the Bill line-by-line. The committee will first take evidence on the Bill, and then vote on any amendments that have been put forward, before returning the Bill, amended or otherwise, to the House of Commons as a whole.
• Report Stage: following the Bill's 'reporting' by the committee, the Bill is scrutinised by the House of Commons as a whole. Any Member of Parliament may table amendments which will be voted on.
• Third Reading: a short debate on the Bill, amended or otherwise, followed by a vote on the final text.

The Bill also went through largely similar stages in the House of Lords

The House of Lords made amendments to the Bill which were accepted by the House of Commons on Tuesday July 16,2013

The Bill received Royal Assent on Wednesday July 17, 2013.