The British Home Secretary, Mr Jack Straw, will today seek to reassure MPs still wavering over tonight's free vote on lowering the age of homosexual consent by promising that the government will legislate to protect vulnerable 16and 17-year-olds of both sexes from abuse by those in authority.
The move, to be announced before an expected decisive vote in favour of reducing the age of gay consent from 18 to 16, has already helped to allay concerns voiced by fellow cabinet members Mr David Blunkett and Mr Frank Dobson, who both discussed moves to strengthen protection of young people with Mr Straw.
Mr Blunkett, who almost lost his shadow cabinet job after voting against a reduction in the age of consent four years ago, yesterday said he had made up his mind not to oppose tonight's move but had not yet decided whether to vote in favour or abstain. The proposal would mean a two-tier age of consent, applying equally to same-sex and opposite sex relationships. The basic age of consent for all would be 16, but that would rise to 18 if one partner were in a position of authority over another.
MPs are being given a free vote on a report stage amendment to the Crime and Disorder Bill. Downing Street yesterday reinforced the message that the vote is a matter of conscience for MPs after the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr George Carey, personally objected to Mr Blair over the move to equalise ages of consent, claiming it would send "wrong messages" about the way young people should behave.
Church of England bishops made clear their opposition to the change at the weekend, issuing a warning that leaders have a duty "to protect young people from harm and exploitation and to offer them a vision of what is good", and urging resistance against "pressures to legitimise every kind of lifestyle".
Though the intervention is unlikely to affect the outcome of today's vote, the bishops are expected to play a leading role in attempting to overturn the expected vote when the Bill moves to the House of Lords.
The issue is returning to parliament four years after the Commons voted decisively to bring the age of homosexual consent down from 21 to 18.