Italy secular State, parl'mt free to debate-Draghi on Zan

(ANSA) - ROME, JUN 23 - Italy is a secular State, and parliament is "always free to debate", Premier Mario Draghi said Wednesday on a homophobia bill which the Vatican has raised concerns about.
    Draghi said he did not want to enter into the merits of the question of the bill, named after centre-left Democratic Party (PD) MP Alessandro Zan, which the Holy See has said infringes the Concordat between Italy and the Vatican, allegedly curbing freedom of expression.
    But he aid the Italian institutional and judicial system "contains all the guarantees to respect international commitments including the Concordat".
    "There are preventive controls in the parliamentary committees.
    There are subsequent controls in the Constitutional Court.
    "The government does not enter into the merits of the discussion. This is the time of parliament, it is not the time of the government". (ANSA).