– in the Scottish Parliament at 5:18 pm on 18 June 2025.
Alison Johnstone
Green
5:18,
18 June 2025
There are 10 questions to be put as a result of today’s business. I remind members that, if the Amendment in the name of Shona Robison is agreed to, the amendment in the name of Michael Marra will fall.
The first question is, that amendment S6M-17980.2, in the name of Shona Robison, which seeks to amend motion S6M-17980, in the name of Craig Hoy, on demanding a better deal for taxpayers in Scotland, 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
I remind members that, if the Amendment in the name of Shona Robison is agreed to, the amendment in the name of Michael Marra will fall.
We come to the vote on amendment S6M-17980.2, in the name of Shona Robison, which seeks to amend motion S6M-17980, in the name of Craig Hoy, on demanding a better deal for taxpayers in Scotland. Members should cast their votes now.
Division number 1
Decision Time
Alison Johnstone
Green
5:24,
18 June 2025
The result of the Division on Amendment S6M-17980.2, in the name of Shona Robison, is: For 72, Against 42, Abstentions 1.
Amendment agreed to.
Alison Johnstone
Green
There will be a Division.
The vote is closed.
Neil Bibby
Labour
On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I would have voted yes.
Alison Johnstone
Green
Thank you, Mr Bibby. We will ensure that that is recorded.
Division number 2
Decision Time
Alison Johnstone
Green
5:24,
18 June 2025
The result of the Division on motion S6M-17980, in the name of Craig Hoy, on demanding a better deal for taxpayers in Scotland, as amended, is: For 83, Against 31, Abstentions 1.
Motion, as amended, agreed to,
That the Parliament believes that public service reform must be an ongoing process in order to deliver the best use of public funding, and recognises that the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party’s arbitrary scheme would lead to a cut in available public funding for vital services like the NHS.
Alison Johnstone
Green
The next question is, that Amendment S6M-17981.3, in the name of Kate Forbes, which seeks to amend motion S6M-17981, in the name of Murdo Fraser, on recognising the economic contribution of Scotland’s defence sector, be agreed to. Are we agreed?
Alison Johnstone
Green
There will be a Division.
The vote is closed.
Mr Mark Ruskell
Green
On a point of order, Presiding Officer. Please record no.
Alison Johnstone
Green
Thank you, Mr Ruskell. We will ensure that that is recorded.
Division number 3
Decision Time
Alison Johnstone
Green
5:24,
18 June 2025
The result of the vote on Amendment S6M-17981.3, in the name of Kate Forbes, is: For 62, Against 53, Abstentions 0.
Amendment agreed to.
Alison Johnstone
Green
The next question is, that Amendment S6M-17981.1, in the name of Daniel Johnson, which seeks to amend motion S6M-17981, in the name of Murdo Fraser, on recognising the economic contribution of Scotland’s defence sector, be agreed to. Are we agreed?
Alison Johnstone
Green
There will be a Division.
Division number 4
Decision Time
Alison Johnstone
Green
The next question is, that Amendment S6M-17981.2, in the name of Lorna Slater, which seeks to amend motion S6M-17981, in the name of Murdo Fraser, on recognising the economic contribution of Scotland’s defence sector, be agreed to. Are we agreed?
Alison Johnstone
Green
There will be a Division.
The vote is closed.
Ben Macpherson
Scottish National Party
On a point of order, Presiding Officer. Please record a no vote.
Alison Johnstone
Green
Thank you, Mr Macpherson. We will ensure that that is recorded.
Division number 5
Decision Time
Alison Johnstone
Green
5:24,
18 June 2025
The result of the Division on Amendment S6M-17981.2, in the name of Lorna Slater, is: For 7, Against 108, Abstentions 0.
Amendment disagreed to.
Alison Johnstone
Green
The next question is, that motion S6M-17981, in the name of Murdo Fraser, on recognising the economic contribution of Scotland’s defence sector, as amended, be agreed to. Are we agreed?
Alison Johnstone
Green
There will be a Division.
Division number 6
Decision Time
Alison Johnstone
Green
5:24,
18 June 2025
The result of the Division on motion S6M-17981, in the name of Murdo Fraser, on recognising the economic contribution of Scotland’s defence sector, as amended, is: For 62, Against 53, Abstentions 0.
Motion, as amended, agreed to,
That the Parliament recognises the significance of the defence industry to Scotland’s economy, in providing secure, well-paid and highly skilled jobs and in driving innovation in the science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) sector; and in protecting national security, especially at a time of increased global instability, and notes that defence is a matter reserved to the UK Government under the Scotland Act 1998 and that the Scottish Government’s long-standing position is that public money should focus on diversification.
Alison Johnstone
Green
The next question is, that motion S6M-18004, in the name of Jamie Hepburn, on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau, on approval of a Scottish statutory instrument, be agreed to.
Motion agreed to,
That the Parliament agrees that the Deposit and Return Scheme for Scotland (Designation of Scheme Administrator) Order 2025 [draft] be approved.
Alison Johnstone
Green
The next question is, that motion S6M-18005, in the name of Jamie Hepburn, on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau, on approval of an SSI, be agreed to. Are we agreed?
Alison Johnstone
Green
There will be a Division.
Division number 7
Decision Time
Alison Johnstone
Green
5:24,
18 June 2025
The result of the Division on motion S6M-18005, in the name of Jamie Hepburn, on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau, on approval of an SSI, is: For 112, Against 2, Abstentions 0.
Motion agreed to,
That the Parliament agrees that the Deposit and Return Scheme for Scotland Amendment Regulations 2025 [draft] be approved.
Alison Johnstone
Green
Unless any member objects, I propose to ask a single question on two Parliamentary Bureau motions.
As no member objects, the final question is, that motions S6M-18006, on approval of an SSI, and S6M-18007, on designation of a lead committee, in the name of Jamie Hepburn, on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau, be agreed to.
Motions agreed to,
That the Parliament agrees that the Environmental Regulation (Enforcement Measures) (Scotland) Amendment Order 2025 [draft] be approved.
That the Parliament agrees that the Finance and Public Administration Committee be designated as the lead committee in consideration of the Building Safety Levy (Scotland) Bill at stage 1.
Alison Johnstone
Green
That concludes decision time.
Members’ business will be published tomorrow, 19 June 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.
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.
