Health and Social Care Bill – in a Public Bill Committee at on 15 January 2008.
Derek Conway
Conservative, Old Bexley and Sidcup
10:30,
15 January 2008
Good morning. Before we start, I would like to inform the Committee about arrangements for this afternoon. Members will have noticed that there is a debate on the Floor of the House on a Ways and Means resolution relating to the Bill, which will start at the beginning of Public Business. Mr. Hood and I propose that the Committee resume its consideration 10 minutes after the conclusion of the debate and any Division. If the Committee is content with that, it seems a sensible way forward.
Stephen O'Brien
Shadow Minister (Health)
On a point of order, Mr. Conway. When we resume 10 minutes after the debate—at whatever time that is, depending on whether there is a statement—will we have the same amount of time that we would have had: in other words, will the time be effectively sheared, not truncated?
Derek Conway
Conservative, Old Bexley and Sidcup
We do not know when the Ways and Means resolution will be taken this afternoon. The ten-minute Bill may be divided on or there may be Government statements—it is beyond the control of the Committee. On when the Committee adjourns this evening, as there is no knife set for today it will be for the Government Whip to move the Adjournment, and I am sure that that will be discussed in the usual way. If the Committee sits very late, it remains within the power of the Chairman to suspend for a break, but the Committee itself will decide when to adjourn.
Public Business is the main business of the day that follows questions, urgent questions and statements.
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.
