Liam McArthur
Liberal Democrat
There are six questions to be put as a result of today’s business. I remind members that, if the Amendment in the name of Paul McLennan is agreed to, the amendment in the name of Graham Simpson will fall.
The first question is, that amendment S6M-11351.2, in the name of Paul McLennan, which seeks to amend motion S6M-11351, in the name of Mark Griffin, on Scotland’s housing emergency, be agreed to. Are we agreed?
The Deputy Presiding Officer:
There will be a Division.
Division number 2
Decision Time
The Deputy Presiding Officer:
There will be a Division. Members should cast their vote now.
The vote is closed.
Daniel Johnson
Labour
On a point of order, Presiding Officer. My app did not connect, but I would have voted no.
Alexander Stewart
Conservative
On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I do not think that my app worked. It says that I have not voted, so I do not think that my vote was recorded. I would have voted no.
Division number 3
Decision Time
The Deputy Presiding Officer:
The result of the Division on motion S6M-11351, in the name of Mark Griffin, on Scotland’s housing emergency, as amended, is: For 65, Against 50, Abstentions 0.
Motion, as amended, agreed to,
That the Parliament recognises that Scotland is facing significant pressures with homelessness and temporary accommodation, and therefore agrees that the Scottish Government should build on its track record of delivering 123,985 affordable homes since 2007 by delivering 110,000 affordable homes by 2032; considers that it should continue to work on the recommendations of the Temporary Accommodation Task and Finish Group and recently published Rural and Islands Housing Action Plan; further considers that it should continue to develop its proposals for a Housing Bill in 2023, with stronger tenants’ rights and powers to prevent homelessness; acknowledges Scottish Government support for local authorities in developing targeted plans to address local housing needs; regrets the disastrous UK Government “mini-budget” of 2022, which has left the housing market struggling against inflationary pressures, as well as the devastating impact of Brexit on construction costs and workforce challenges, and calls on the UK Government to immediately uprate Local Housing Allowance, end the spare room subsidy, more commonly known as the bedroom tax, and reverse the planned real-terms reduction to Scotland's capital budget.
The next question is, that motion S6M-11375, 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 Deputy Presiding Officer:
There will be a Division.
Division number 4
Decision Time
The Deputy Presiding Officer:
The result of the Division is: For 64, Against 49, Abstentions 0.
Motion agreed to,
That the Parliament agrees that the Coronavirus (Recovery and Reform) (Scotland) Act 2022 (Extension and Expiry of Temporary Justice Measures) Regulations 2023 [draft] be approved.
The next question is, that motion S6M-11376, in the name of George Adam, on approval of an SSI, be agreed to. Are we agreed?
The Deputy Presiding Officer:
There will be a Division. Members should cast their votes now.
The vote is closed.
Neil Bibby
Labour
On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I would have voted yes.
Division number 5
Decision Time
The Deputy Presiding Officer:
The result of the Division is: For 87, Against 3, Abstentions 25.
Motion agreed to,
That the Parliament agrees that the Heat Networks (Supply Targets) (Scotland) Regulations 2023 [draft] be approved.
I propose to ask a single question on the other three Parliamentary Bureau motions. Does any member object?
As no member objects, the question is, that motions S6M-11377, on approval of an SSI, S6M-11378, on designation of a lead committee, and S6M-11379, on committee meeting times, in the name of George Adam, on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau, be agreed to.
Motions agreed to,
That the Parliament agrees that the Budget (Scotland) Act 2023 Amendment Regulations 2023 [draft] be approved.
That the Parliament agrees that the Finance and Public Administration Committee be designated as the lead committee in consideration of the Aggregates Tax and Devolved Taxes Administration (Scotland) Bill at stage 1.
That the Parliament agrees that, under Rule 12.3.3B of Standing Orders, the Finance and Public Administration Committee can meet, if necessary, at the same time as a meeting of the Parliament between 11.40 am and 12 noon on 7 December 2023.
That concludes decision time. I ask members who are leaving the chamber to do so as quickly and quietly as possible.
Members’ business will be published tomorrow, 23 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.
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.
