Civil partners

The Scottish Government commissions a regular social attitudes survey, which every four years asks about attitudes towards discrimination.

Each survey is conducted by the Scottish Centre for Social Research, and involves a representative sample of around 1,600 people across Scotland.

One question asks whether people agree or disagree that "gay or lesbian couples should have the right to marry one another if they want to".

In the 2002 survey, 41 per cent agreed, and 29 per cent disagreed; the remainder said they neither agreed nor disagreed.

By 2006, 54 per cent agreed and 21 per cent disagreed – that's an overall majority in favour. The 2010 survey will take place later this year.

Meanwhile, a national survey of a representative sample of 1,000 people across Scotland, conducted in April 2010 by Angus Reid Public Opinion, asked an identical question. In that survey, 58 per cent agreed with same-sex marriage and only 19 per cent disagreed, with the rest saying they neither agreed nor disagreed.

That's a three to one ratio of agree to disagree, and a clear overall majority in support.

TIM HOPKINS

Equality Network

Bernard St

Edinburgh