– in the Scottish Parliament at 4:58 pm on 7 January 2025.
Alison Johnstone
Green
4:58,
7 January 2025
There are four questions to be put as a result of today’s business. The first question is, that Amendment S6M-16003.4, in the name of Russell Findlay, which seeks to amend motion S6M-16003, in the name of John Swinney, on tackling child poverty and inequality through the Scottish budget, be agreed to. Are we agreed?
Alison Johnstone
Green
There will be a Division. There will be a short suspension to allow members to access the digital voting system.
Alison Johnstone
Green
We move to the vote on Amendment S6M-16003.4, in the name of Russell Findlay. Members should cast their votes now.
Division number 1
Decision Time
Alison Johnstone
Green
5:12,
7 January 2025
The result of the Division on Amendment S6M-16003.4, in the name of Russell Findlay, is: For 30, Against 92, Abstentions 0.
Amendment disagreed to.
Alison Johnstone
Green
The next question is, that Amendment S6M-16003.3, in the name of Paul O’Kane, which seeks to amend motion S6M-16003, in the name of John Swinney, on tackling child poverty and inequality through the Scottish budget, be agreed to. Are we agreed?
Alison Johnstone
Green
There will be a Division.
Division number 2
Decision Time
Alison Johnstone
Green
The next question is, that motion S6M-16003, in the name of John Swinney, on tackling child poverty and inequality through the Scottish budget, be agreed to. Are we agreed?
Alison Johnstone
Green
There will be a Division.
Division number 3
Decision Time
Alison Johnstone
Green
5:12,
7 January 2025
The result of the Division on motion S6M-16003, in the name of John Swinney, is: For 72, Against 50, Abstentions 0.
Motion agreed to,
That the Parliament notes the investments outlined in the draft Scottish Budget for 2025-26 that focus on eradicating child poverty as a national mission and the single greatest priority for the Scottish Government, including continued investment in key policies such as funded early learning and childcare, concessionary travel for those under 22, employability services and social security; further notes increased investment in the Affordable Housing Supply Programme and investment in breakfast clubs and to support the expansion of free school meals; recognises that the Scottish Government’s efforts to tackle child poverty are being undermined by the social security policies of the UK Government; welcomes the Scottish Government’s commitment to spend £3 million to develop the systems to deliver the mitigation of the two-child cap in 2026; acknowledges analysis from the Child Poverty Action Group estimating that abolishing the two-child limit could lift 15,000 children in Scotland out of poverty; recognises that the measures in the draft Scottish Budget 2025-26 will help to drive progress towards this national mission, and calls on the UK Government to match the ambition of the Scottish Government and abolish the two-child limit and benefit cap at the earliest possible opportunity.
Alison Johnstone
Green
The final question is, that motion S6M-16026, in the name of Jamie Hepburn, on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau, on committee membership, be agreed to.
Motion agreed to,
That the Parliament agrees that Stuart McMillan be appointed to replace James Dornan as a member of the Public Audit Committee.
Members’ business will be published tomorrow, 8 January 2025, 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.
