Kenneth Macintosh
Labour
The first question is, that Amendment S5M-24224.1, in the name of Murdo Fraser, which seeks to amend motion S5M-24224, in the name of Kate Forbes, on the Budget (Scotland) (No 5) Bill, be agreed to. Are we agreed?
The Presiding Officer:
There will be a Division. Members may cast their votes now. This is a one-minute division.
The vote is now closed. Please let me know if you were not able to vote.
Donald Cameron
Conservative
On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I was unable to vote. I would have voted yes.
Division number 2
Decision Time
The Presiding Officer:
The result of the Division on Amendment S5M-24224.1, in the name of Murdo Fraser, which seeks to amend motion S5M-24224, in the name of Kate Forbes, on the Budget (Scotland) (No 5) Bill, is: For 53, Against 62, Abstentions 10.
Amendment disagreed to.
The next question is, that amendment S5M-24224.2, in the name of Jackie Baillie, which seeks to amend motion S5M-24224, in the name of Kate Forbes, on the Budget (Scotland) (No 5) Bill, 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 on Amendment S5M-24224.2, in the name of Jackie Baillie, which seeks to amend motion S5M-24224, in the name of Kate Forbes, on the Budget (Scotland) (No 5) Bill, is: For 22, Against 60, Abstentions 41.
Amendment disagreed to.
The next question is, that motion S5M-24224, in the name of Kate Forbes, on the Budget (Scotland) (No 5) Bill at stage 1, be agreed to. Are we agreed?
The Presiding Officer:
There will be a Division.
The vote is now closed. Members should let me know if they were unable to vote.
Division number 4
Decision Time
The Presiding Officer:
The result of the Division on motion S5M-24224, in the name of Kate Forbes, on the Budget (Scotland) (No 5) Bill at stage 1 is: For 88, Against 31, Abstentions 5.
Motion agreed to,
That the Parliament agrees to the general principles of the Budget (Scotland) (No.5) Bill.
The next question is, that motion S5M-24223, in the name of Kate Forbes, on an appointment to the Scottish Fiscal Commission, be agreed to.
Motion agreed to,
That the Parliament agrees with the recommendation of the Scottish Government and the Finance and Constitution Committee that Professor Alasdair Smith be reappointed to the Scottish Fiscal Commission.
The final question is, that motion S5M-24236, in the name of Graeme Dey, on a stage 2 extension and suspension of standing orders, be agreed to.
Motion agreed to,
That the Parliament agrees that—
(a) consideration of the Tied Pubs (Scotland) Bill at stage 2 be completed by 5 March 2021;
(b) under Rule 12.3.3B of Standing Orders, the Economy, Energy and Fair Work Committee can meet, if necessary, at the same time as a meeting of the Parliament, during Members’ Business on Tuesday 2 March 2021, for the purpose of considering the Tied Pubs (Scotland) Bill at stage 2;
(c) for the purposes of consideration of the Tied Pubs (Scotland) Bill at stage 2, the second sentence of Rule 9.10.2 of Standing Orders is suspended.
That concludes decision time.
Meeting closed at 18:16.
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.
