Amendment of the Law – in the House of Commons at 9:44 pm on 30 March 2010.
Votes in this debate
Question put,
That-
(1) The Hydrocarbon Oil Duties Act 1979 is amended as follows.(2) In section 6(1A) (main rates)-
(a) in paragraph (a) (unleaded petrol), for "£0.5619" substitute "£0.5719",
(b) in paragraph (aa) (aviation gasoline), for "£0.3457" substitute "£0.3835",
(c) in paragraph (b) (light oil other than unleaded petrol or aviation gasoline), for "£0.6591" substitute "£0.6691", and
(d) in paragraph (c) (heavy oil), for "£0.5619" substitute "£0.5719".
(3) In section 6AA(3) (rate of duty on biodiesel), for "shall be £0.3619 a litre." substitute "is the same as that in the case of heavy oil."(4) In section 6AB (rate of duty on bioblend)-
(a) in subsection (3), for the words after "is the" substitute "same as that in the case of heavy oil.", and
(b) omit subsections (4) and (5).
(5) In section 6AD(3) (rate of duty on bioethanol), for "shall be £0.3619 a litre." substitute "is the same as that in the case of unleaded petrol."(6) In section 6AE (rate of duty on blends of bioethanol and hydrocarbon oil)-
(a) in subsection (3), for the words after "bioethanol blend" substitute "is the same as that in the case of unleaded petrol.", and
(b) omit subsections (4) and (5).
(7) In section 8(3) (road fuel gas)-
(a) in paragraph (a) (natural road fuel gas), for "£0.2216" substitute "£0.2360", and
(b) in paragraph (b) (other road fuel gas), for "£0.2767" substitute "£0.3053".
(8) In section 11(1) (rebate on heavy oil)-
(a) in paragraph (a) (fuel oil), for "£0.1037" substitute "£0.1055", and
(b) in paragraph (b) (gas oil), for "£0.1080" substitute "£0.1099".
(9) In section 14(1) (rebate on light oil for use as furnace fuel), for "£0.1037" substitute "£0.1055".(10) In section 14A(2) (rebate on certain biodiesel), for "£0.1080" substitute "£0.1099".(11) The following are revoked-
(a) the Hydrocarbon Oil Duties (Hydrogenation of Biomass) (Reliefs)
(b) the Hydrocarbon Oil Duties (Sulphur-free Diesel) (Hydrogenation of Biomass) (Reliefs) (Amendment) Regulations 2007 (S.I. 2007/2406), and
(c) regulation 11 of the Hydrocarbon Oil, Biofuels and Other Fuel Substitutes (Determination of Composition of a Substance and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2008 (S.I. 2008/753).
(12) The amendments made by this Resolution come into force on
And it is declared that it is expedient in the public interest that this Resolution should have statutory effect under the provisions of the Provisional Collection of Taxes Act 1968.
The House divided: Ayes 298, Noes 63.
Division number 123
Amendment of the Law — 11. Fuel duties (rates and rebates from April 2010)
The amendment of the law motion relates to the chancellor's Budget statement.
It is a general resolution laid before the House of Commons by the chancellor of the exchequer.
It enables the financial changes proposed in the Budget statement to be passed into law.
The amendment of the law is moved formally at the start of the Budget debate and, together with the Ways and Means resolutions, is voted on at the end of this debate.
As a bill passes through Parliament, MPs and peers may suggest amendments - or changes - which they believe will improve the quality of the legislation.
Many hundreds of amendments are proposed by members to major bills as they pass through committee stage, report stage and third reading in both Houses of Parliament.
In the end only a handful of amendments will be incorporated into any bill.
The Speaker - or the chairman in the case of standing committees - has the power to select which amendments should be debated.
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.
