– in the House of Commons at 9:30 pm on 6 May 1980.
Mr Arthur Lewis
, Newham North West
On a point of order, Mr. Deputy Speaker. With great respect, I thought that I heard only one voice shouting " No " when you put the Question. I understood that the Chair had to hear at least two voices. Perhaps you thought that there were two. I thought that there had to be two to provide two Tellers for the "Noes".
Mr. Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bryant God-man Irvine):
The hon. Gentleman is not correct in his assumption. If there is an objection to the motion, the Chair is entitled to put the matter to the test.
Later—
Mr Bernard Weatherill
, Croydon North East
The Question is the business motion. As many as are of that opinion say "Aye".
Mr Bernard Weatherill
, Croydon North East
To the contrary "No". The " Ayes " have it.
The House of Commons votes by dividing. Those voting Aye (yes) to any proposition walk through the division lobby to the right of the Speaker and those voting no through the lobby to the left. In each of the lobbies there are desks occupied by Clerks who tick Members' names off division lists as they pass through. Then at the exit doors the Members are counted by two Members acting as tellers. The Speaker calls for a vote by announcing "Clear the Lobbies". In the House of Lords "Clear the Bar" is called. Division Bells ring throughout the building and the police direct all Strangers to leave the vicinity of the Members’ Lobby. They also walk through the public rooms of the House shouting "division". MPs have eight minutes to get to the Division Lobby before the doors are closed. Members make their way to the Chamber, where Whips are on hand to remind the uncertain which way, if any, their party is voting. Meanwhile the Clerks who will take the names of those voting have taken their place at the high tables with the alphabetical lists of MPs' names on which ticks are made to record the vote. When the tellers are ready the counting process begins - the recording of names by the Clerk and the counting of heads by the tellers. When both lobbies have been counted and the figures entered on a card this is given to the Speaker who reads the figures and announces "So the Ayes [or Noes] have it". In the House of Lords the process is the same except that the Lobbies are called the Contents Lobby and the Not Contents Lobby. Unlike many other legislatures, the House of Commons and the House of Lords have not adopted a mechanical or electronic means of voting. This was considered in 1998 but rejected. Divisions rarely take less than ten minutes and those where most Members are voting usually take about fifteen. Further information can be obtained from factsheet P9 at the UK Parliament site.
The Deputy speaker is in charge of proceedings of the House of Commons in the absence of the Speaker.
The deputy speaker's formal title is Chairman of Ways and Means, one of whose functions is to preside over the House of Commons when it is in a Committee of the Whole House.
The deputy speaker also presides over the Budget.
