Part of the debate – in the Scottish Parliament at 4:30 pm on 20 May 2025.
Liam McArthur
Liberal Democrat
4:30,
20 May 2025
The result of the Division is: For 48, Against 67, Abstentions 0.
Amendment 135 disagreed to.
Section 71C—Restriction on disclosure of information: Commission
Amendment 22 moved—[Paul O’Kane]—and agreed to.
Section 71E—Restriction on disclosure of information: relevant professional organisations
Amendment 23 moved—[Paul O’Kane]—and agreed to.
Section 72—Conduct complaints: power to impose unlimited fine and removal of power to award compensation
Amendments 24 to 26 moved—[Siobhian Brown]—and agreed to.
Section 76—Commission reports
Amendment 27 moved—[Siobhian Brown]—and agreed to.
Before section 78
Amendment 136 moved—[Paul O’Kane]—and agreed to.
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.
