Alison Johnstone
Green
There are four questions to be put as a result of today’s business. The first question is, that motion S6M-12552, in the name of Lorna Slater, on the Circular Economy (Scotland) Bill at stage 1, be agreed to.
Motion agreed to,
That the Parliament agrees to the general principles of the Circular Economy (Scotland) Bill.
The Presiding Officer:
The question is, that motion S6M-12386, in the name of Shona Robison, on the financial resolution to the Circular Economy (Scotland) Bill, be agreed to.
Motion agreed to,
That the Parliament, for the purposes of any Act of the Scottish Parliament resulting from the Circular Economy (Scotland) Bill, agrees to—
(a) any expenditure of a kind referred to in Rule 9.12.3A of the Parliament’s Standing Orders arising in consequence of the Act, and
(b) any charge or payment in relation to which Rule 9.12.4 of the Parliament’s Standing Orders applies arising in consequence of the Act.
The question is, that motion S6M-12551, in the name of Tom Arthur, on the Economic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) Bill, which is UK legislation, 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 the digital voting system.
17:40 Meeting suspended.
17:43 On resuming—
The question is, that motion S6M-12551, in the name of Tom Arthur, on the Economic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) Bill, which is UK legislation, be agreed to. Members should cast their votes now.
The vote is closed.
Bill Kidd
Scottish National Party
On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I had an issue with the machine thing. [
Laughter
.] I cannae even remember what I am daein. [
Interruption
.] It was yes, actually. I was so funny there that I forgot what I was doing. The answer is that I would like to vote yes, please. Thank you.
Division number 1
Decision Time
The Presiding Officer:
The result of the Division on motion S6M-12551, in the name of Tom Arthur, is: For 88, Against 27, Abstentions 0.
Motion agreed to,
That the Parliament notes the legislative consent memorandum lodged by the Scottish Government on 19 July 2023; agrees not to give consent to the Economic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) Bill; believes that the Bill would represent a wholly unnecessary and unwelcome limitation of the Scottish Ministers’ executive competence, and would act to stifle democracy, and calls on the UK Government to amend the Bill to remove the Scottish Ministers from its scope.
I propose to ask a single question on the six Parliamentary Bureau motions.
As no member objects, the final question is, that motions S6M-12568 to S6M-12571, on approval of Scottish statutory instruments, S6M-12572, on committee meeting times, and S6M-12573, on the designation of a lead committee, all 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 2024 [draft] be approved.
That the Parliament agrees that the National Bus Travel Concession Schemes (Miscellaneous Amendment) (Scotland) Order 2024 [draft] be approved.
That the Parliament agrees that the Social Security (Up-rating) (Miscellaneous Amendments) (Scotland) Regulations 2024 [draft] be approved.
That the Parliament agrees that the Social Security Up-rating (Scotland) Order 2024 [draft] be approved.
That the Parliament agrees that, under Rule 12.3.3B of Standing Orders, the Public Audit Committee can meet, if necessary, at the same time as a meeting of the Parliament between 11.40 am and 12.00 pm on Thursday 21 March 2024.
That the Parliament agrees that the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee be designated as the lead committee in consideration of the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill at stage 1.
That concludes decision time.
Members’ business will be published tomorrow, 21 March 2024, 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.
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.
