Nationalist MP Jesmond Mugliett today backed the Opposition position on the divorce referendum question, telling Parliament that he preferred a question that sets parameters on divorce.

Mr Mugliett said that having a question which reflected the main points of the Divorce Bill currently before the House gave better guidance to the people.

It also meant that if, in the future, somebody wanted to loosen the requirements for divorce, he would feel bound to subject the proposals to a referendum once more.

Mr Mugliett is the second Nationalist MP to formally declare agreement with the referendum question as proposed by the Opposition in its motion for the holding of a divorce referendum. The other is Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando.

All 34 Labour MPs have backed the Opposition motion, meaning that the Opposition enjoys a majority on this issue.

The government has said it would prefer a referendum question which asks the people whether or not they want divorce.

The Opposition question is: "Do you agree with having the option of having divorce for married couples who have been separated for four years when there is no reasonable hope for reconciliation and when adequate maintenance is guaranteed and the children are cared for."

The Divorce Movement has also backed the Opposition position while the movement against divorce has described the proposed question as ‘loaded’ and ‘misleading’.

In his address this evening, Mr Mugliett also said that he would not feel comfortable voting on proposals to regularise cohabitation unless there was also the possibility of divorce.

However he stressed that family unity was very important, and he regretted that repeated calls for stronger measures to strengthen families had not been matched by actions.