Alison Johnstone
Green
There are six questions to be put as a result of today’s business.
The first question is, that Amendment S6M-11247.2, in the name of Shona Robison, which seeks to amend motion S6M-11247, in the name of Douglas Ross, on an independent investigation into the First Minister and Deputy First Minister, be agreed to. Are we agreed?
The Presiding Officer:
There will be a Division. There will be a short suspension to allow members to access digital voting.
17:17 Meeting suspended.
17:20 On resuming—
We move to the division on Amendment S6M-11247.2, in the name of Shona Robison. Members should cast their votes now.
Division number 1
Decision Time
The Presiding Officer:
The result of the Division on Amendment S6M-11247.2, in the name of Shona Robison, is: For 63, Against 53, Abstentions 1.
Amendment agreed to.
The next question is, that amendment S6M-11247.1, in the name of Anas Sarwar, which seeks to amend motion S6M-11247, in the name of Douglas Ross, on an independent investigation into the First Minister and Deputy First Minister, be agreed to. Are we agreed?
Monica Lennon
Labour
On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I could not connect. I would have voted yes.
Division number 2
Decision Time
The Presiding Officer:
The result of the Division on Amendment S6M-11247.1, in the name of Anas Sarwar, is: For 53, Against 64, Abstentions 0.
Amendment disagreed to.
The next question is, that motion S6M-11247, in the name of Douglas Ross, on an independent investigation into the First Minister and Deputy First Minister, as amended, be agreed to. Are we agreed?
Monica Lennon
Labour
On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I was unable to connect. I would have voted no.
Division number 3
Decision Time
The Presiding Officer:
The result of the Division on motion S6M-11247, in the name of Douglas Ross, on an independent investigation into the First Minister and Deputy First Minister, as amended, is: For 62, Against 54, Abstentions 1.
Motion, as amended, agreed to,
That the Parliament agrees that the First Minister and Deputy First Minister should continue to ensure that the Scottish Government responds fully to requests for information from the UK COVID-19 Inquiry and from the Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry; recognises that information has been provided to the Parliament in the contributions from the Deputy First Minister and First Minister on 31 October 2023 and 2 November 2023, and through written answers; notes that the Scottish Government has taken action to transfer messages to the UK COVID-19 Inquiry in compliance with its requests, and further notes that the Scottish Government has offered an apology to families that have lost loves ones to, or been impacted by, COVID-19 for any distress that has been caused.
The next question is, that motion S6M-11262, in the name of George Adam, on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau, on approval of a Scottish statutory instrument, be agreed to. Are we agreed?
The Presiding Officer:
There will be a Division.
Division number 4
Decision Time
The Presiding Officer:
The result of the Division on motion S6M-11262, in the name of George Adam, on approval of a Scottish statutory instrument, is: For 64, Against 53, Abstentions 0.
Motion agreed to,
That the Parliament agrees that the Mental Health (National Secure Adolescent Inpatient Service: Miscellaneous Amendments) (Scotland) Regulations 2023 [draft] be approved.
The next question is, that motion S6M-11264, in the name of George Adam, on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau, on designation of a lead committee, be agreed to.
Motion agreed to,
That the Parliament agrees that the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee be designated as the lead committee in consideration of the Gender Representation on Public Boards (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill at stage 1.
I propose to ask a single question on four Parliamentary Bureau motions. Does any member object?
The Presiding Officer:
Therefore, the final question is, that motions S6M-11261, on approval of a statutory instrument, S6M-11263, on approval of an SSI, S6M-11265, on committee substitutes, and S6M-11266, on recess dates, in the name of George Adam, on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau, be agreed to.
Motions agreed to,
That the Parliament agrees that the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Scheme (Amendment) (No. 2) Order 2023 [draft] be approved.
That the Parliament agrees that the International Organisations (Immunities and Privileges) (Scotland) Amendment (No. 2) Order 2023 [draft] be approved.
That the Parliament agrees that the following changes to committee substitutes will apply from close of business on Thursday 16 November 2023—
Jackie Dunbar be appointed to replace John Mason as the Scottish National Party substitute on the Economy and Fair Work Committee;
Audrey Nicoll be appointed to replace Gordon MacDonald as the Scottish National Party substitute on the Finance and Public Administration Committee;
Gordon MacDonald be appointed to replace Ruth Maguire as the Scottish National Party substitute on the Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee; and
Jim Fairlie be appointed to replace Audrey Nicoll as the Scottish National Party substitute on the Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee.
That the Parliament agrees, further to motion S6M-09150 and under Rule 2.3.1, that the parliamentary recess dates of 29 June to 31 August 2024 (inclusive) be replaced with 29 June to 1 September 2024 (inclusive).
That concludes decision time.
Members’ business will be published tomorrow, 16 November 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.
Ministers make up the Government and almost all are members of the House of Lords or the House of Commons. There are three main types of Minister. Departmental Ministers are in charge of Government Departments. The Government is divided into different Departments which have responsibilities for different areas. For example the Treasury is in charge of Government spending. Departmental Ministers in the Cabinet are generally called 'Secretary of State' but some have special titles such as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Ministers of State and Junior Ministers assist the ministers in charge of the department. They normally have responsibility for a particular area within the department and are sometimes given a title that reflects this - for example Minister of Transport.
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.
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.
