Cities and Local Government Devolution Bill [Lords] – in the House of Commons at 9:00 pm on 7 December 2015.
Votes in this debate
Amendment proposed: 58, page 2, line 10, at end insert—
‘( ) The transfer of local or public authority functions to combined authorities shall not be dependent on an order being made under subsection (1).”—(Mr Steve Reed.)
This amendment makes clear that devolution deals must not be dependent on a combined authority having a mayor.
Question put, That the amendment be made.
The House divided:
Ayes 195, Noes 290.
Division number 143
Cities and Local Government Devolution Bill [Lords] — Power to provide for an elected mayor
Question accordingly negatived.
Amendment proposed: 2, page 2, line 13, at end insert—
“(2A) An order under subsection (1) may not be made unless the proposition that the combined authority have a mayor is approved by a referendum of the electorate of that combined authority.
(2B) The Secretary of State shall, by regulations, establish the procedures to be followed in conducting a referendum under subsection 2A.
(2C) Before making a regulation under subsection 2B, the Secretary of State must consult the Electoral Commission.”—(William Wragg.)
The intention of this amendment is that elected mayors will be introduced only if that proposal has been approved by a referendum of the residents of the combined authority. The rule for the conduct for such a referendum shall be made by the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Electoral Commission.
Question put, That the amendment be made.
Question negatived.
Amendments made: 7, page 3, line 1, leave out from “authority,” to end of line 3 and insert
“there are one or more non-consenting constituent councils but the combined authority and at least two constituent councils consent.”
This amendment enables an order to be made providing for there to be a mayor for the area of a combined authority if, in the case of an existing combined authority where there are one or more non-consenting constituent councils, at least two constituent councils consent.
Amendment 8, page 3, line 6, leave out second “the” and insert “each”.
This amendment is consequential on amendment 7 and enables more than one non-consenting constituent council to be removed from the existing area of the combined authority.
Amendment 9, page 3, line 8, leave out subsection (5). —(Alistair Burt.)
This amendment is consequential on amendment 27 (see in particular the new section 106(3D) that is inserted by that amendment).
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.
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A person involved in the counting of votes. Derived from the word 'tallier', meaning one who kept a tally.
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.
Secretary of State was originally the title given to the two officials who conducted the Royal Correspondence under Elizabeth I. Now it is the title held by some of the more important Government Ministers, for example the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
