Elin Jones
Plaid Cymru
6:42,
15 February 2017
That brings us to voting time. Unless three Members wish for the bell to be rung, I will move immediately to the vote. The first vote is on the Plaid Cymru debate on banking services. I call for a vote on the motion tabled in the name of Rhun ap Iorwerth. Open the vote. Close the vote. In favour 16, no abstentions, 35 against. The motion is, therefore, not agreed.
Division number 232
NDM6240 - Plaid Cymru debate on the motion without amendment
Elin Jones
Plaid Cymru
6:43,
15 February 2017
I now call for a vote on Amendment 1. If amendment 1 is agreed, amendment 2 will be deselected. I, therefore, call for a vote on amendment 1, tabled in the name of Jane Hutt. Open the vote. Close the vote. In favour 29, four abstentions, 18 against. Therefore, the amendment is agreed.
Division number 233
NDM6240 - Amendment 1
Elin Jones
Plaid Cymru
6:43,
15 February 2017
I now call for a vote on Amendment 3, tabled in the name of Paul Davies. Open the vote. Close the vote. In favour 37, 10 abstentions, four against. Therefore, amendment 3 is agreed.
Division number 234
NDM6240 - Amendment 3
Elin Jones
Plaid Cymru
6:43,
15 February 2017
I now call for a vote on Amendment 4, tabled in the name of Paul Davies. Open the vote. Close the vote. In favour 51, no abstentions, none against. Therefore, amendment 4 is agreed.
Division number 235
NDM6240 - Amendment 4
Elin Jones
Plaid Cymru
6:44,
15 February 2017
I now call for a vote on the motion as amended.
Motion NDM6240 as amended:
To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:
1. Recognises the importance of easily accessible financial advice and banking services to individuals and businesses in all communities in Wales.
2. Regrets the closure of bank and building society branches in communities across Wales.
3. Welcomes the work of the Welsh Government in promoting financial inclusion, including support for advice services and credit unions, and the ambitions set out in the 2016 Financial Inclusion Strategy for a well-functioning and comprehensive financial system in Wales.
Recognises the need for the Welsh and UK Governments to work together with partners to improve access to affordable credit and financial services and information for individuals, including debt advice.
Recognises the need to improve financial capability in Wales and notes the work being undertaken to establish the Development Bank of Wales and its intelligence unit which will better target financial services and advice for micro, small and medium sized businesses in Wales.
5. Welcomes the independent ‘Access to Banking Protocol One Year on Review’ by Professor Russel Griggs OBE, published in November 2016.
6. Welcomes the new Post Office Partnership agreement with UK Banks.
Elin Jones
Plaid Cymru
6:44,
15 February 2017
Open the vote. Close the vote. In favour 51, no abstentions, none against. Therefore, the motion as amended is agreed.
Division number 236
NDM6240 - Plaid Cymru debate on the motion as amended
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.
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.
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.
