New Clause 7 - Indefinite leave to remain payments by Commonwealth and Gurkha members of armed forces

Armed Forces Bill – in the House of Commons at 5:00 pm on 23 June 2021.

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Votes in this debate

  • Division number 35
    A majority of MPs voted not to cap immigration and nationality related fees at level of the actual cost for citizens of Commonwealth countries who have who have served at least four years in the UK armed forces and for anyone who has served at least four years in the Brigade of Gurkhas.

(1) The Immigration Act 2014 is amended as follows.

(2) In section 68 (10), after “regulations” insert “must make exceptions in respect of any person with citizenship of a Commonwealth country (other than the United Kingdom) who has served at least four years in the UK armed forces, or in respect of any person who has served at least four years in the Brigade of Gurkhas, such exceptions to include capping the fee for any such person applying for indefinite leave to remain at no more than the actual administrative cost of processing that application, and”—(Stephen Morgan.)

Brought up, and read the First time.

Question put, That the clause be read a Second time.

Division number 35 Armed Forces Bill — New Clause 7 — Immigration and Nationality Fees Cap — Commonwealth and Gurkha Members of Armed Forces

A majority of MPs voted not to cap immigration and nationality related fees at level of the actual cost for citizens of Commonwealth countries who have who have served at least four years in the UK armed forces and for anyone who has served at least four years in the Brigade of Gurkhas.

Aye: 272 MPs

No: 355 MPs

Aye: A-Z by last name

Tellers

No: A-Z by last name

Tellers

Absent: 18 MPs

Absent: A-Z by last name

The Committee divided: Ayes 272, Noes 355.

Question accordingly negatived.

The list of Members currently certified as eligible for a proxy vote, and of the Members nominated as their proxy, is published at the end of today’s debates.

Schedules 1 and 2 agreed to.

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.

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.

teller

A person involved in the counting of votes. Derived from the word 'tallier', meaning one who kept a tally.

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.