Last week, the city council embarked on the process of setting up a domestic partnerships register, and committed resources to this.

The register would allow people living on a common purse to formally record this, with the purpose of registration being to provide evidence of this commitment to a common purse if, in the future, some dependency issue arose about pensions or other benefits.

This might be of benefit to two sisters or brothers who decided to live together - being either single, divorced or widowed.

It might also be valuable to sisters in a convent or those in a kibbutz or other commune.

However, to achieve this, our council must not follow the examples of London and Manchester.

These cities seem to have forgotten about human rights and freedom to equal treatment.

These cities have specifically excluded many who might benefit, such as relatives and partnerships of more than two people.

They seem to have lifted their rules from the Book of Common Prayer - as if it was some sort of marriage register.

One city even has rules about confetti!

It will be important to watch the council's progress on this and to ensure that the register is available to all, and not made into an additional sort of marriage.

M R Jackson, Peacock Lane, Hest Bank.