– in the Scottish Parliament at 5:50 pm on 1 October 2025.
Alison Johnstone
Green
5:50,
1 October 2025
There are seven questions to be put as a result of today’s business. The first question is, that Amendment S6M-19123.2, in the name of Jenny Gilruth, which seeks to amend motion S6M-19123, in the name of Pam Duncan-Glancy, on mobile phones in schools, be agreed to. Are we agreed?
Alison Johnstone
Green
There will be a short suspension to allow members to access the digital voting system.
Alison Johnstone
Green
We come to the vote on Amendment S6M-19123.2, in the name of Jenny Gilruth. Members should cast their votes now.
Division number 1
Decision Time
Alison Johnstone
Green
The next question is, that Amendment S6M-19123.1, in the name of Miles Briggs, which seeks to amend motion S6M-19123, in the name of Pam Duncan-Glancy, on mobile phones in schools, 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-19123, in the name of Pam Duncan-Glancy, on mobile phones in schools, as amended, be agreed to. Are we agreed?
Alison Johnstone
Green
There will be a Division.
The vote is closed.
Pam Gosal
Conservative
On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I do not think that my vote went through. I would have voted yes.
Alison Johnstone
Green
I can confirm that your vote was recorded, Ms Gosal.
Division number 3
Decision Time
Alison Johnstone
Green
5:56,
1 October 2025
The result of the Division on motion S6M-19123, in the name of Pam Duncan-Glancy, on mobile phones in schools, as amended, is: For 85, Against 26, Abstentions 0.
Motion, as amended, agreed to,
That the Parliament agrees that mobile phones should be banned for learners in school classrooms, and acknowledges that the Scottish Government's Guidance on Mobile Phones in Scotland's Schools makes clear that headteachers are empowered to implement full bans, should their professional judgment see fit to do so.
Alison Johnstone
Green
The next question is, that Amendment S6M-19124.2, in the name of Siobhian Brown, which seeks to amend motion S6M-19124, in the name of Katy Clark, on protecting Scotland’s fire service, 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-19124.1, in the name of Sharon Dowey, which seeks to amend motion S6M-19124, in the name of Katy Clark, on protecting Scotland’s fire service, be agreed to. Are we agreed?
Alison Johnstone
Green
There will be a Division.
The vote is closed.
Jenny Gilruth
Scottish National Party
On a point of order, Presiding Officer. My app did not connect. I would have voted no.
Alison Johnstone
Green
Thank you, Ms Gilruth. We will ensure that that is recorded.
Liam McArthur
Liberal Democrat
On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I could not connect to the app. I would have voted yes.
Alison Johnstone
Green
Thank you, Mr McArthur. We will ensure that that is recorded.
Division number 5
Decision Time
Alison Johnstone
Green
The next question is, that motion S6M-19124, in the name of Katy Clark, on protecting Scotland’s fire service, as amended, be agreed to. Are we agreed?
Alison Johnstone
Green
There will be a Division.
Division number 6
Decision Time
Alison Johnstone
Green
5:56,
1 October 2025
The result of the Division on motion S6M-19124, in the name of Katy Clark, on protecting Scotland’s fire service, as amended, is: For 56, Against 53, Abstentions 3.
Motion, as amended, agreed to,
That the Parliament recognises that, whilst house fires have reduced by over 20% since 2013, due to the climate emergency, incidents and risk of flooding and wildfires have significantly increased; further recognises that the recent Scottish Fire and Rescue Service’s (SFRS) Service Delivery Review aims to ensure that the service can respond to these changing risks and that the right firefighters and appliances are in the right place at the right time; notes that no decisions will be taken until an independent analysis of the public consultation has been carried out and that any changes would be implemented over a five-year period; agrees that all public services need to provide efficient and effective services that deliver value for the public purse, and encourages the Scottish Government to continue to work alongside the SFRS and the Fire Brigades Union to ensure that Scotland has safer communities.
Alison Johnstone
Green
The next and final question is, that motion S6M-19139, in the name of Graeme Dey, 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 Climate Change (Local Development Plan) (Repeals) (Scotland) Order 2025 [draft] be approved.
Alison Johnstone
Green
That concludes decision time.
Members business will be published tomorrow, Thursday 2 October 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.
