Kenneth Macintosh
Labour
There are seven questions to be put as a result of today’s business. The first question is, that Amendment S5M-02919.1, in the name of Alexander Burnett, which seeks to amend motion S5M-02919, in the name of Paul Wheelhouse, on support for Scotland’s renewables, be agreed to. Are we agreed?
The Presiding Officer:
There will be a Division.
Division number 1
Decision Time
The Presiding Officer:
The result of the Division is: For 30, Against 91, Abstentions 0.
Amendment disagreed to.
The next question is, that amendment S5M-02919.3, in the name of Jackie Baillie, which seeks to amend motion S5M-02919, in the name of Paul Wheelhouse, be agreed to.
Amendment agreed to.
The next question is, that amendment S5M-02919.4, in the name of Mark Ruskell, which seeks to amend motion S5M-02919, in the name of Paul Wheelhouse, be agreed to. Are we agreed?
The Presiding Officer:
There will be a Division.
Division number 2
Decision Time
The Presiding Officer:
The result of the Division is: For 6, Against 97, Abstentions 18.
Amendment disagreed to.
The next question is, that motion S5M-02919, in the name of Paul Wheelhouse, on support for Scotland’s renewables, as amended, be agreed to. Are we agreed?
The Presiding Officer:
There will be a Division.
Division number 3
Decision Time
The Presiding Officer:
The result of the Division is: For 92, Against 29, Abstentions 0.
Motion, as amended, agreed to,
That the Parliament notes the UK Government’s announcement on the second renewable energy Contracts for Difference (CfD) allocation round; acknowledges the latest round as a potential opportunity for Scottish offshore wind farms to compete for contracts; notes its strong concern that the UK Government has effectively excluded island wind projects from this CfD allocation, despite repeated assurances to the contrary following a 2013 consultation; further notes with concern the UK Government’s decision not to provide a minimum allocation for Scotland’s world-leading marine energy technologies, therefore overlooking their potential to supply a substantial contribution to future energy needs and to develop a domestic engineering base; considers that the UK Government has, to date, failed to respond positively to calls from the Scottish Government and industry for a “route to market” to unlock investment in consented pumped hydro storage projects; notes the Scottish Government’s efforts to coordinate development of the offshore wind supply chain; supports the Scottish Government in its efforts to work with the renewable energy industry to identify the most appropriate means by which it can use those powers at its disposal to support the development of the renewable energy sector, across a range of technologies, and to ensure that the sector has the financial and political support that it requires; notes that the Scottish Government has not set a specific target for the number of jobs that the renewables sector should create; therefore urges it to do more for jobs that will support Scotland’s economy, and recognises that this should include the full use of transferable skills of the oil and gas sector so that they can be utilised in the renewables sector across a range of alternative energy projects.
The next question is, that motion S5M-02834, in the name of Joe FitzPatrick, on the draft Air Weapons Licensing (Exemptions) (Scotland) Regulations 2016, be agreed to.
Motion agreed to,
That the Parliament agrees that the Air Weapons Licensing (Exemptions) (Scotland) Regulations 2016 [draft] be approved.
The next question is, that motion S5M-02835, in the name of Joe FitzPatrick, on the draft Home Detention Curfew Licence (Amendment) (Scotland) Order 2016, be agreed to. Are we agreed?
The Presiding Officer:
There will be a Division.
Division number 4
Decision Time
The Presiding Officer:
The result of the Division is: For 91, Against 30, Abstentions 0.
Motion agreed to,
That the Parliament agrees that the Home Detention Curfew Licence (Amendment) (Scotland) Order 2016 [draft] be approved.
The final question is, that motion S5M-02386, in the name of Joe FitzPatrick, on the draft Crofting Commission (Elections) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2016, be agreed to.
Motion agreed to,
That the Parliament agrees that the Crofting Commission (Elections) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2016 [draft] be approved.
That concludes decision time.
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.
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.
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.
