Kenneth Macintosh
Labour
There are three questions to be put. Before I put the first question, which is on legislation, I will pause to allow members to refresh the voting app. Members do not have to put the PIN in again, but if they press their refresh buttons, it should come back up with the most recent vote that they took part in today. Members who have not already voted today will need to enter the PIN; hopefully, most members have voted already and just need to refresh the app.
The first question is, that motion S5M-24238, in the name of Andy Wightman, on the European Charter of Local Self-Government (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill at stage 3, be agreed to. As this is legislation, we must all cast a vote. Members should press their voting buttons now. This is a one-minute Division.
The vote is now closed. Please let me know if you were not able to vote.
Jamie Greene
Conservative
On a point of order, Presiding Officer. Perhaps the office wi-fi has failed us one last time. I would have voted yes.
Beatrice Wishart
Liberal Democrat
On a point of order Presiding Officer. I do not know what happened; there was a hiccup here and I would have voted yes if the system had allowed.
Division number 2
Decision Time
The Presiding Officer:
The result of the Division on motion S5M-24238, in the name of Andy Wightman, is: For 114, Against 0, Abstentions 0.
The motion is agreed to and the European Charter of Local Self-Government (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill is therefore passed. [Applause.]
Motion agreed to,
That the Parliament agrees that the European Charter of Local Self-Government (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill be passed.
The next question is, that motion S5M-24271, in the name of Neil Bibby, on the Tied Pubs (Scotland) Bill at stage 3 be agreed to. Members may cast their votes now. 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 3
Decision Time
The Presiding Officer:
The result of the Division on motion S5M-24271, in the name of Neil Bibby, is: For 111, Against 0, Abstentions 0.
The motion is agreed to and the Tied Pubs (Scotland) Bill is passed. [Applause.]
Motion agreed to,
That the Parliament agrees that the Tied Pubs (Scotland) Bill be passed.
The final question is, that motion S5M-24453, in the name of Graeme Dey, on approval of an SSI, be agreed to.
Motion agreed to,
That the Parliament agrees that the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Restrictions and Requirements) (Miscellaneous Amendments) (Scotland) (No. 2) Regulations 2021 (SSI 2021/117) be approved.
That concludes decision time. We will shortly move to members’ business in the name of Jeremy Balfour on the “Stories of Hope” report. We will pause for a few moments to allow some members to leave and others to arrive. I remind members who are leaving the chamber to be careful to observe social distancing rules, follow the one-way systems and wear their masks.
18:30 Members’ business will be published tomorrow, 24 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.
