Kenneth Macintosh
Labour
The first question today is, that Amendment S5M-04472.1, in the name of Alex Rowley, which seeks to amend motion S5M-04472, in the name of Derek Mackay, on the local government finance order, be agreed to. Are we agreed?
The Presiding Officer:
There will be a Division.
Division number 1
Decision Time
The Presiding Officer:
There will be a Division.
Division number 2
Decision Time
The Presiding Officer:
The result of the Division is: For 66, Against 26, Abstentions 31.
Motion agreed to,
That the Parliament agrees that the Local Government Finance (Scotland) Order 2017 [draft] be approved.
The next question is, that Amendment S5M-04493.1, in the name of Maurice Golden, which seeks to amend motion S5M-04493, in the name of Roseanna Cunningham, on Scotland’s biodiversity, be agreed to.
Amendment agreed to.
The next question is, that amendment S5M-04493.2, in the name of Claudia Beamish, which seeks to amend motion S5M-04493, in the name of Roseanna Cunningham, be agreed to.
Amendment agreed to.
The next question is, that amendment S5M-04493.4, in the name of Mark Ruskell, which seeks to amend motion S5M-04493, in the name of Roseanna Cunningham, be agreed to.
Amendment agreed to.
The next question is, that motion S5M-04493, in the name of Roseanna Cunningham, on Scotland’s biodiversity, as amended, be agreed to.
Motion, as amended, agreed to,
That the Parliament recognises that Scotland’s biodiversity is one of its most precious and valuable assets, has intrinsic value and underpins a strong economy and healthy communities; agrees that significant progress has been made to protect and enhance Scotland’s biodiversity in certain areas; looks forward to delivering the ambitious targets that have been set, while recognising the scale of the challenge remaining to address the decline in over half of Scotland’s species since 1970, as noted by the
State of Nature Report 2016
; considers that, by fully implementing a National Ecological Network, embedding the principles and objectives of the Land Use Strategy across all sectors of government and, by working in partnership, Scotland can collectively achieve more for its biodiversity, help meet its international obligations and ensure that its biodiversity has a secure and healthy future; agrees that the Scottish Government must redouble its efforts if Scotland is to contribute robustly to its UN Convention on Biological Diversity 2020 Aichi targets; recognises that reference to the Land Use Strategy is an appropriate way to embed biodiversity in all relevant decisions; agrees that the Scottish Government should take more robust action to develop the National Ecological Framework with partners, and recognises the importance of protection and enhancement of marine biodiversity.
The next question is, that motion S5M-04529, in the name of Joe FitzPatrick, on substitution on committees, be agreed to.
Motion agreed to,
That the Parliament agrees that Alexander Stewart be appointed to replace Donald Cameron as a substitute member of the Justice Committee.
Meeting closed at 17:03.
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.
