Archbishop Vincent Nichols on gay marriage

Head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales, Vincent Nichols, has likened committed gay relationships to "friendship".

Asked by Newsnight's Jeremy Paxman what he would say to a gay couple who came to him seeking marriage, he said he would tell them that their relationship was the basis for a "profound friendship", not marriage.

The government has launched a 12-week consultation on allowing gay couples in England and Wales to marry.