Alison Johnstone
Presiding Officer
There are five questions to be put as a result of today’s business. The first question is, that Amendment S6M-09213.3, in the name of Stephen Kerr, which seeks to amend motion S6M-09213, in the name of Jenny Gilruth, on let’s talk education—the national discussion, be agreed to.
Are we agreed?
Division number 1
Decision Time
The Presiding Officer:
The result of the Division on Amendment S6M-09213.3, in the name of Stephen Kerr, is: For 29, Against 90, Abstentions 0.
Amendment disagreed to.
The next question is, that amendment S6M-09213.1, in the name of Pam Duncan-Glancy, which seeks to amend motion S6M-09213, in the name of Jenny Gilruth, on let’s talk education—the national discussion, be agreed to.
Amendment agreed to.
The next question is, that motion S6M-09213, in the name of Jenny Gilruth, on let’s talk education—the national discussion, as amended, be agreed to.
Motion, as amended, agreed to,
That the Parliament welcomes the publication of
All Learners in Scotland Matter: Our National Discussion on Education
; acknowledges the significant levels of engagement that the National Discussion generated, with events and discussions taking place in every part of Scotland, led by schools, community groups and third sector organisations, and reaching more than 38,000 people; thanks the independent academic facilitators, Prof Carol Campbell and Prof Alma Harris, for overseeing this work; supports the guiding values of the report to ensure that all learners in Scotland experience an education system that is ambitious, inclusive and supportive; recognises the diversity of all learners and endorses the vision, which will safeguard the learning and the life chances of all children and young people in Scotland; agrees to work with the Scottish Government and COSLA to turn this vision into a reality for Scotland’s children and young people, and the educators, parents and carers who support them; recognises that the implementation of the existing Scottish Government commitment to increase non-contact time is necessary, and calls on the Scottish Government to reiterate this commitment and set out when it intends to fulfil it.
The next question is that motion S6M-09249, in the name of Jackson Carlaw, on behalf of the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, on reimbursement of members’ expenses scheme, be agreed to.
Motion agreed to,
That the Parliament, in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 81(2), 81(5)(b) and 83(5) of the Scotland Act 1998, determines that the Reimbursement of Members’ Expenses Scheme, which was agreed to by resolution of the Parliament on 2 March 2021, be amended to—
(a) insert, in paragraph 1.2.4, after “considers appropriate.” and before “Such increases”—
“Any such uprating shall also be applied to the limit on the amount by which Members may vary their office cost and engagement provisions up or down subject to the overall agreed combined annual limit, as set out in paragraph 4.3.1 and 5.1.3.”
(b) insert, in the second sentence of paragraph 4.3.1 after “financial year,” and before “subject to”—
“or by such sum as determined following the uprating of the variation limit applied under paragraph 1.2.4,”
(c) insert, in the second sentence of paragraph 5.1.3 after “financial year,” and before “subject to”—
“or by such sum as determined following the uprating of the variation limit applied under paragraph 1.2.4,”.
I propose to ask a single question on the three Parliamentary Bureau motions.
As no member objects, the final question is, that motions S6M-09252, S6M-09253 and S6M-09254, on the designation of lead committees, in the name of George Adam, on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau, be agreed to.
Motions agreed to,
That the Parliament agrees that the Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee be designated as the lead committee in consideration of the supplementary legislative consent memorandum on the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill.
That the Parliament agrees that the Economy and Fair Work Committee be designated as the lead committee in consideration of the legislative consent memorandum on the Data Protection and Digital Information (No. 2) Bill.
That the Parliament agrees that the Economy and Fair Work Committee be designated as the lead committee in consideration of the legislative consent memorandum on the Electronic Trade Documents Bill.
That concludes decision time.
Members’ business will be published tomorrow, Thursday 1 June 2023, as soon as the text is available.
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.
