Kenneth Macintosh
Labour
There are nine questions tonight. The first question is, that motion S5M-24395, in the name of Ivan McKee, on the Local Government Finance (Scotland) Order 2021, be agreed to.
Motion agreed to,
That the Parliament agrees that the Local Government Finance (Scotland) Order 2021 [draft] be approved.
The Presiding Officer:
The next question is, that Amendment S5M-24396.1, in the name of Brian Whittle, which seeks to amend motion S5M-24396, in the name of Angela Constance, on the national mission to reduce drug deaths and harms, be agreed to. Are we agreed?
The Presiding Officer:
There will be a Division. I will suspend for a few moments to allow members to access the voting app.
18:03 Meeting suspended.
18:08 On resuming—
We are now back in session and will go straight to the question.
The question is, that Amendment S5M-24396.1, in the name of Brian Whittle, which seeks to amend motion S5M-24396, in the name of Angela Constance, on the national mission to reduce drug deaths and harms, be agreed to. Members may cast their votes now on Brian Whittle’s amendment, in a one-minute division.
The vote is closed. Please let me know if you were not able to vote.
Division number 1
Decision Time
The Presiding Officer:
The result of the Division on Amendment S5M-24396.1, in the name of Brian Whittle, which seeks to amend motion S5M-24396, in the name of Angela Constance, on the national mission to reduce drug deaths and harms, is: For 43, Against 69, Abstentions 1.
Amendment disagreed to.
Jenny Marra
Labour
On a point of order, Presiding Officer. With apologies, Scottish Labour does not agree to the Local Government Finance (Scotland) Order 2021. Is it possible to record our dissent or move to a Division?
The Presiding Officer:
I understand that you missed that. I called the vote and I heard acclamation from Mr Lyle, at least, that the order was agreed to, but the point is noted and will be in the
Official Report.
The next question is, that Amendment S5M-24396.3, in the name of James Kelly, which seeks to amend motion S5M-24396, in the name of Angela Constance, on the national mission to reduce drug deaths and harms, be agreed to. Are we agreed? We are agreed.
The next question is—
I beg your pardon—a “no” was registered online. That was my fault; I should have noticed it. We will run a vote on the amendment in the name of James Kelly. The question is, that amendment S5M-24396.3, in the name of James Kelly, be agreed to. This will be a one-minute Division.
The 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 Amendment S5M-24396.3, in the name of James Kelly, which seeks to amend motion S5M-24396, in the name of Angela Constance, is: For 114, Against 1, Abstentions 0.
Amendment agreed to.
The next question is, that amendment S5M-24396.2, in the name of Liam McArthur, which seeks to amend motion S5M-24396, in the name of Angela Constance, on the national mission to reduce drug deaths and harms, be agreed to.
Amendment agreed to.
The next question is, that motion S5M-24396, in the name of Angela Constance, on the national mission to reduce drug deaths and harms, as amended, be agreed to.
Motion, as amended, agreed to,
That the Parliament recognises that almost 3,400 people in Scotland have lost their lives to drug misuse in the last three years; believes that this scale of loss of life is not only a tragedy on the friends and families left behind, but is also a mark of shame on the nation; notes the Scottish Government’s proposal to lead a national mission to reduce drug deaths and harms, and to agree that this is a public health emergency requiring partnership working and concerted action at all levels of public life; welcomes the announcement of significant increased funding to support this national mission to be invested in a range of areas that will have the biggest impact in getting individuals into treatment and keeping them alive; acknowledges that additional resources are necessary after years of funding cuts to services; supports the use of public health interventions such as safe consumption facilities to prevent overdoses and save lives; considers that the resources of the police and criminal justice system should be focused on preventing supply of harmful drugs in Scotland’s communities and ensuring that vulnerable drug users are not exposed to unnecessary court action; notes that the scale of drugs deaths in Scotland is the highest in the UK; believes that, as well as preventing deaths, there is a need to deliver improvements in treatment options and the availability of same-day treatment for those who seek help with substance misuse; calls on the next Scottish administration to coordinate a plan for a Scotland-wide network of heroin-assisted treatment facilities, and agrees to work towards diverting people caught in possession of drugs for personal use into treatment and ceasing imprisonment in these cases, helping save lives.
The next question is, that motion S5M-24364, in the name of Bill Kidd, on changes to private and hybrid bill procedures, be agreed to.
Motion agreed to,
That the Parliament notes the Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee’s 6th Report 2021 (Session 5), S tanding Order Rule Changes — Private and Hybrid Bill Procedures
(SP Paper 973), and agrees that the changes to Standing Orders set out in Annexe A of the report be made with effect from 12 May 2021.
The next question is, that motion S5M-24391, in the name of Bill Kidd, on changes in relation to revised accompanying documents for emergency Bills, be agreed to.
Motion agreed to,
That the Parliament notes the Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee’s 10th Report 2021 (Session 5),
Standing Order Rule Changes — Delegated Powers Memorandum and Emergency Bills
(SP Paper 987), and agrees that the changes to Standing Orders set out in Annexe A of the report be made with effect from 12 May 2021.
The next question is, that motion S5M-24375, in the name of Bill Kidd, on changes to the financial scrutiny provisions, be agreed to.
Motion agreed to,
That the Parliament notes the Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee’s 3rd Report 2021 (Session 5),
Standing Order Rule Changes on the Financial Scrutiny of Bills
(SP Paper 964), and agrees that the changes to Standing Orders set out in Annexe A of the report be made with effect from 12 May 2021.
The final question is, that motion S5M-24359, in the name of Bill Kidd, on the code of conduct—register of interests—gifts threshold, be agreed to.
Motion agreed to,
That the Parliament notes the Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee’s 5th Report 2021 (Session 5),
Code of Conduct — Register of Interests — Gifts Threshold
(SP Paper 972), and agrees that the proposed changes come into effect on 6 May 2021.
That concludes decision time. When leaving the chamber, members should follow the one-way systems, wear their masks and make sure that they observe social distancing rules.
Meeting closed at 18:15.
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.
A proposal for new legislation that is debated by Parliament.
