Ann Jones
Labour
6:20,
18 October 2017
Unless three Members wish for the bell to be rung, I will proceed directly to voting time. Okay. So, we’re going to vote firstly on motions to elect Members to committees. Can I just inform you that the first three votes we take have to have a two-thirds Majority to pass? So, I now call for a vote on the first motion to elect Neil McEvoy to the Petitions Committee. Open the vote. Close the vote. For the motion 39, 10 abstentions. Therefore, that motion is carried.
Division number 507
NDM6541 - Motion to elect Neil McEvoy to the Petitions Committee
Ann Jones
Labour
6:21,
18 October 2017
The motion to elect Rhun ap Iorwerth to the Petitions Committee again requires a two-thirds Majority to carry. Open the vote. Close the vote. For the motion 39, 10 abstentions. Therefore, that motion is carried.
Division number 510
NDM6542 - Motion to elect Rhun ap Iorwerth to the Petitions Committee
Ann Jones
Labour
6:21,
18 October 2017
The motion to elect Adam Price to the Public Accounts Committee again requires a two-thirds vote to carry. Open the vote. Close the vote. For the motion 40, 10 abstentions. Therefore, that motion is carried.
Division number 509
NDM6543 - Motion to elect Adam Price to the Public Accounts Committee
Ann Jones
Labour
6:22,
18 October 2017
We now move on to the Welsh Conservative debate on concessionary bus and travel for young people, and I call for a vote on the motion tabled in the name of Paul Davies. If the proposal is not agreed to, we will vote on the amendments tabled to that motion. Open the vote. Close the vote. For the motion 24, no abstentions, against the motion 26. Therefore, that motion is not agreed—[Interruption.] Can we have some quiet while we are carrying out the votes? [Assembly Member: ‘Hear, hear.’] And the person saying ‘Hear, hear’ is probably the one who’s the noisiest in the Chamber. Thank you. So, that was for the motion 24, no abstentions, against the motion 26. Therefore, that is not agreed.
Division number 508
NDM6534 - Welsh Conservatives debate: Motion without amendment
Ann Jones
Labour
6:22,
18 October 2017
We’ll now turn to vote on Amendment 1. I call for a vote on amendment 1 tabled in the name of Jane Hutt. Open the vote. Close the vote. For the amendment 26, eight abstentions, 16 votes against. Therefore, amendment 1 is agreed.
Division number 511
NDM6534 - Welsh Conservatives debate: Amendment 1
Ann Jones
Labour
6:23,
18 October 2017
I now call for a vote on the motion as amended.
Motion NDM6534 as amended:
To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:
1. Recognises the economic, educational and social importance of supporting young people with the costs of public transport.
2. Notes the consultation launched by the Welsh Government to develop a new and ambitious Youth Travel Pass scheme from 2018 that can encourage more young people to travel by bus.
3. Recognises the need for any proposals to be fully costed.
4. Notes the importance of engaging widely with young people, local authorities, education providers and bus operators to ensure any extension of provision is targeted towards those that need the greatest support.
5. Notes the Welsh Government’s intention through Transport for Wales to encourage more young people onto a sustainable, integrated and multi-modal transport network.
Ann Jones
Labour
6:23,
18 October 2017
Open the vote. Close the vote. For the motion 49, one abstention. Therefore, the motion as amended is agreed.
Division number 506
NDM6534 - Welsh Conservatives debate: Motion as amended
Ann Jones
Labour
6:23,
18 October 2017
We now move on to the Plaid Cymru debate on the north Wales economy, and I call for a vote on the motion tabled in the name of Rhun ap Iorwerth. Again, if this proposal is not agreed, we vote on the amendments tabled to the motion. Open the vote. Close the vote. For the motion eight, no abstentions, 42 against. Therefore, that motion is not agreed.
Division number 502
NDM6536 - Plaid Cymru debate: Motion without amendment
Ann Jones
Labour
6:24,
18 October 2017
We proceed to vote on the amendments. We now turn to Amendment 1. If amendment 1 is agreed, amendment 2 will be deselected. So, I call for a vote on amendment 1 tabled in the name of Jane Hutt. Open the vote. Close the vote. For the motion 26, no abstentions, 24 against. Therefore, amendment 1 is agreed and amendment 2 is deselected.
Division number 505
NDM6536 - Plaid Cymru debate: Amendment 1
Ann Jones
Labour
6:24,
18 October 2017
I now call for a vote on Amendment 3 tabled in the name of Paul Davies. Open the vote. Close the vote. For the amendment 50, no abstentions, none against. Therefore amendment 3 is agreed.
Division number 504
NDM6536 - Plaid Cymru debate: Amendment 3
Ann Jones
Labour
6:25,
18 October 2017
So, I now call for a vote on the motion as amended. Open the vote.
Motion NDM6536 as amended.
To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:
1. Recognises the vital strategic importance of the North Wales economy to Wales and the UK.
2. Notes the cross-border leadership role played by the Welsh Government in developing proposals with partners for a North Wales Growth Deal.
3. Welcomes the ambitious programme of investment being led by the Welsh Government in the region, including:
a) £250m of investment in the A55/A494 corridor;
b) £20m to establish an Advanced Manufacturing and Research Institute;
c) £50m to take forward the North East Wales Metro; and
d) plans for a third Menai crossing.
4. Welcomes the Welsh Government’s funding support for the steel industry which is helping provide a sustainable future for the plant, community and workers in Shotton.
5. Notes the Welsh Government’s support for the £14 billion Wylfa Newydd project and work to ensure the UK Government leaves a sustainable legacy of good quality jobs, infrastructure and housing for Ynys Mon and North West Wales.
6. Welcomes the recent budget agreement with Plaid Cymru.
7. Notes the Welsh Government’s intention to bring forward an Economic Action Plan that can support jobs and growth in the region.
8. Notes that the North Wales Economic Ambition Board’s ‘A Growth Vision for the Economy of North Wales’ document concludes that ‘North Wales is well placed to receive a range of new responsibilities’ and endorses its call for the devolution of powers by the Welsh Government over employment, taxes, skills and transport.
Ann Jones
Labour
6:25,
18 October 2017
Close the vote. For the motion 28, eight abstentions, 14 against. Therefore the motion as amended is agreed.
Division number 503
NDM6536 - Plaid Cymru debate: Motion as amended
Ann Jones
Labour
6:25,
18 October 2017
We now move to the short debate. If Members are leaving the Chamber, can you do so quietly and quickly, please?
The term "majority" is used in two ways in Parliament. Firstly a Government cannot operate effectively unless it can command a majority in the House of Commons - a majority means winning more than 50% of the votes in a division. Should a Government fail to hold the confidence of the House, it has to hold a General Election. Secondly the term can also be used in an election, where it refers to the margin which the candidate with the most votes has over the candidate coming second. To win a seat a candidate need only have a majority of 1.
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.
