Academies Bill [ Lords] (Programme)

– in the House of Commons at 9:46 pm on 19 July 2010.

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Votes in this debate

  • Division number 31
    A majority of MPs voted in favour of a proposed timetable and rules for consideration of the Academies Bill by the House of Commons.

Motion made, and Question put forthwith (Standing Order No. 83A(7)),

That the following provisions shall apply to the Academies Bill [ Lords]:

Committal

1. The Bill shall be committed to a Committee of the whole House.

Proceedings

2. Proceedings in Committee, any proceedings on consideration and proceedings on Third Reading shall be completed in three days.

3. Proceedings in Committee shall be taken on each of those days as shown in the first column of the following Table and in the order so shown.

4. Proceedings shall (so far as not previously concluded) be brought to a conclusion at the times specified in the second column of the Table.

TABLE
Proceedings Time for conclusion of proceedings
First day
Clauses 1, 6, 9 and 10, new Clauses relating to Clauses 1, 6, 9 or 10, new Schedules relating to Clauses 1, 6, 9 or 10. Three hours after the moment of interruption.
Second day
Clauses 2, 7, 8 and 11 to 13, Schedule 1, Clause 14, Schedule 2, Clause 15, new Clauses relating to Clauses 2, 7 or 8 or any of Clauses 11 to 15 or Schedule 1 or 2, new Schedules relating to Clauses 2, 7 or 8 or any of Clauses 11 to 15 or Schedule 1 or 2. One hour after the moment of interruption.
Third day
Clauses 3 to 5, Clauses 16 to 20, new Clauses relating to any of Clauses 3 to 5 or 16 to 20, new Schedules relating to any of Clauses 3 to 5 or 16 to 20, remaining proceedings on the Bill. One hour before the moment of interruption.

5. Any proceedings on consideration and proceedings on Third Reading shall (so far as not previously concluded) be brought to a conclusion at the moment of interruption on the third day.

Programming Committee

6. Standing Order No. 83B (Programming committees) shall not apply to proceedings in Committee, any proceedings on consideration or proceedings on Third Reading.

Other proceedings

7. Any other proceedings on the Bill (including any proceedings on consideration of any message from the Lords) may be programmed. - ( Mr Vara .)

The House divided: Ayes 322, Noes 238.

Division number 31 Academies Bill — Programme

A majority of MPs voted in favour of a proposed timetable and rules for consideration of the Academies Bill by the House of Commons.

Aye: 322 MPs

No: 238 MPs

Aye: A-Z by last name

Tellers

No: A-Z by last name

Tellers

Absent: 86 MPs

Absent: A-Z by last name

Question accordingly agreed to.

Committee tomorrow.

Committee of the whole House

The clause by clause consideration of a parliamentary bill takes place at its committee stage.

In the Commons this usually takes place in a standing committee, outside the Chamber, but occasionally a bill will be considered in a committee of the Whole House in the main chamber.

This means the bill is discussed in detail on the floor of the House by all MPs.

Any bill can be committed to a Committee of the Whole House but the procedure is normally reserved for finance bills and other important, controversial legislation.

The Chairman of Ways and Means presides over these Committees and the mace is placed on a bracket underneath the Table.

Clause

A parliamentary bill is divided into sections called clauses.

Printed in the margin next to each clause is a brief explanatory `side-note' giving details of what the effect of the clause will be.

During the committee stage of a bill, MPs examine these clauses in detail and may introduce new clauses of their own or table amendments to the existing clauses.

When a bill becomes an Act of Parliament, clauses become known as sections.

Division

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.