Kenneth Macintosh
Labour
There are three questions this evening. Because the first question is on an act of Parliament, members will have to vote, so I ask all members to refresh the voting app, including members who have voted previously. In fact, because there might be some members who did not vote on amendments earlier and are joining us now, the best thing to do is to have a short suspension to allow members who have not done so to access the app and to allow those who have already accessed the app to refresh it. We will resume in a few moments.
17:23 Meeting suspended.
17:28 On resuming—
The Presiding Officer:
We are now back in session and will move straight to the vote.
The question is, that motion S5M-24257, in the name of Ash Denham, on the Defamation and Malicious Publication (Scotland) Bill at stage 3, be agreed to. This will be a one-minute Division.
That vote is now closed. Please let me know if you were not able to vote.
Division number 2
Decision Time
The Presiding Officer:
The result of the Division on motion S5M-24257, in the name of Ash Denham, on the Defamation and Malicious Publication (Scotland) Bill, is: For 118, Against 0, Abstentions 0.
Motion agreed to,
That the Parliament agrees that the Defamation and Malicious Publication (Scotland) Bill be passed.
Therefore, the Defamation and Malicious Publication (Scotland) Bill is passed. [Applause.]
The next question is, that motion S5M-24177, in the name of Bill Kidd, on behalf of the Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee, on code of conduct rule changes—treatment of others, be agreed to.
Motion agreed to,
That the Parliament notes the Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee’s 1st report 2021 (Session 5),
Code of Conduct Rule changes - Treatment of Others
(SP Paper 940), and agrees that the changes to the Code of Conduct for Members of the Scottish Parliament set out in Annexe A of the report be made with effect from 6 May 2021.
The final question is, that motion S5M-24232, in the name of Liam McArthur, on behalf of the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, on the reimbursement of members’ expenses scheme, be agreed to.
Motion agreed to,
That the Parliament, recognising that the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (the SPCB) carried out a review of the Reimbursement of Members’ Expenses Scheme approved by Resolution of the Parliament of 12 June 2008 (as last amended by a Resolution of the Parliament on 24 April 2020)—
(a) in exercise of the powers conferred by section 81(2), (5)(b) and 85(5) of the Scotland Act 1998—
(i) confers functions on the SPCB to reimburse members in respect of expenses and cost incurred in each financial year in accordance with the Reimbursement of Members’ Expenses Scheme (the Scheme) annexed as Annex 1 to this Resolution and confers other functions on the SPCB as specified in the Scheme;
(ii) determines that the various limits on expenses or costs under the Scheme are as set out in the Schedule of Rates annexed as Annex 2 to this Resolution and that such limits are applicable until the SPCB exercises its power under the Scheme to uprate or vary them;
(iii) confers other functions on the SPCB as specified in the Scheme; and
(iv) approves the Scheme;
(b) determines that the Scheme shall come into effect on 6 May 2021;
(c) rescinds, with effect from 6 May 2021, the Resolution of the Parliament of 12 June 2008 (as last amended on 24 April 2020).
That concludes decision time. Before members’ business, we will take a short pause while members change seats. I encourage all members to observe social distancing rules, wear their masks and follow the one-way systems when leaving the chamber.
17:31 Members’ business will be published tomorrow, 3 March 2021, as soon as the text is available.
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.
