– in the Scottish Parliament at on 30 September 2020.
Kenneth Macintosh
Labour
The first question is, that
Amendment S5M-22860.2, in the name of Jeane Freeman, which seeks to amend motion S5M-22860, in the name of Monica Lennon, on recognising the importance of family care givers, be agreed to. Are we agreed?
The Presiding Officer:
There will be a Division. We will suspend business for a few moments to allow all members, both in the chamber and online, to access the voting platform.
17:53 Meeting suspended.
18:00 On resuming—
Thank you colleagues. We move to the division. This will be a one-minute division, after which there will be a pause to ensure that everyone has registered their vote. Members should vote now.
I believe that everybody in the chamber voted correctly, but, unfortunately, we had some connectivity problems, so I ask for points of order.
Tom Arthur
Scottish National Party
On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I vote yes.
The Presiding Officer:
Thank you. I will instruct the clerks to formally note that you voted in favour of the Amendment.
Richard Leonard
Labour
On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I was not able to register my vote, but I vote yes.
The Presiding Officer:
Thank you. I will instruct the clerks to note that you voted in favour of the Amendment.
Alexander Burnett
Conservative
On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I vote no.
The Presiding Officer:
Thank you. I will inform the clerks that you voted against the Amendment.
Those three votes will be added to the register before we announce the result.
Division number 1
Decision Time
The Presiding Officer:
The result of the Division is: For 92, Against 27, Abstentions 0.
Amendment agreed to.
The next question is, that amendment S5M-22860.1, in the name of Donald Cameron, which seeks to amend motion S5M-22860, in the name of Monica Lennon, be agreed to. Are we agreed?
The Presiding Officer:
There will be a one-minute Division, after which there will be a pause.
Division number 2
Decision Time
The Presiding Officer:
The result of the vote is: For 27, Against 92, Abstentions 0.
Amendment disagreed to.
The next question is, that motion S5M-22860, in the name of Monica Lennon, on recognising the importance of family care givers, as amended, be agreed to. Are we agreed?
The Presiding Officer:
There will be a Division.
The vote is closed, but there will be a short pause to allow any members who have not recorded a vote to let us know that in the BlueJeans chat function.
Division number 3
Decision Time
The Presiding Officer:
The result of the Division is: For 90, Against 27, Abstentions 0.
Motion, as amended, agreed to,
That the Parliament observes that 1 October is International Day of Older Persons; notes that more than 200 days have passed since care homes began locking down in March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic; further notes with great sadness the scale of the pandemic in Scotland’s care homes and the tragic loss of life that has occurred; believes quality social care to be essential to the health and wellbeing of people across Scotland and concludes that it is time for a National Care Service, which will deliver pay for social care workers that reflects their value and professionalism; is concerned that limited or no contact with family caregivers is having a negative impact not only on the health and wellbeing of care home residents, including those with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, but also on children, young people and other adults affected by restrictions on their caregivers; agrees that receiving care and support from one or more designated caregivers is important for the health and wellbeing of individuals, and that testing should be available to everyone involved in providing care; commends Bill 203: More Than A Visitor Act (Caregiving in Congregate Care Settings), 2020, which is currently progressing through the Legislative Assembly of Ontario; calls on Ministers to adopt a similar approach; notes that the Scottish Government will soon be setting out winter plans for the NHS and social care to ensure that they are as protected as possible during the winter; welcomes that the independent review of social care is examining how adult social care can be most effectively reformed to deliver a national approach to care and support services, including a National Care Service; recognises that everyone has a part to play in ensuring that transmission of COVID-19 is curtailed in order to protect the most vulnerable people in society, and further recognises that, while some restrictions on care home visiting may be required to prevent the spread of COVID-19 to and within care homes, these should be removed, mitigated and amended as soon as it is clinically safe to do so in order that care home residents can safely see their loved ones.
The next question is, that motion S5M-22889, in the name of Fergus Ewing, on the Agriculture Bill, which is United Kingdom legislation, be agreed to.
Motion agreed to,
That the Parliament agrees that any provisions in the UK Agriculture Bill, introduced into the House of Commons on 16 January 2020, related to the effect of section 3 of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018, and the provision of financial assistance in respect of continuing EU programmes, so far as these matters fall within the legislative competence of the Scottish Parliament and alter the executive competence of the Scottish Ministers, be considered by the UK Parliament.
The next question is, that motion S5M-22887, in the name of Shirley-Anne Somerville, on the Social Security (Up-rating of Benefits) Bill, which is UK legislation, be agreed to.
Motion agreed to,
That the Parliament agrees that the relevant provisions of the Social Security (Up-rating of Benefits) Bill, introduced in the House of Commons on 23 September, relating to Industrial Death Benefit, so far as these matters fall within the legislative competence of the Scottish Parliament, or executive competence of Scottish Ministers should be considered by the UK Parliament.
I propose to ask a single question on the three Parliamentary Bureau motions unless there are any objections. There are no objections, so t he question is, that motions S5M-22880, S5M-22881 and S5M-22882, in the name of Graeme Dey, on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau, be agreed to.
Motions agreed to,
That the Parliament agrees that the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (International Travel) (Scotland) Amendment (No. 13) Regulations 2020 (SSI 2020/274) be approved.
That the Parliament agrees that the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (International Travel) (Scotland) Amendment (No. 14) Regulations 2020 (SSI 2020/280) be approved.
That the Parliament agrees that the Marine Licensing (Exempted Activities) (Scottish Inshore Region) Amendment Order 2020 [draft] be approved.
That concludes decision time.
We will move shortly to members’ business, but first we will pause for a few moments to allow members and ministers to change seats.
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.
The House of Commons is one of the houses of parliament. Here, elected MPs (elected by the "commons", i.e. the people) debate. In modern times, nearly all power resides in this house. In the commons are 650 MPs, as well as a speaker and three deputy speakers.
