– in the Scottish Parliament at 4:49 pm on 8 January 2026.
Alison Johnstone
Green
4:49,
8 January 2026
There are three questions to be put as a result of today’s business. The first question is, that motion S6M-20285, in the name of Ivan McKee, on the Building Safety Levy (Scotland) Bill at stage 1, 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 come to the vote on motion S6M-20285, in the name of Ivan McKee, on the Building Safety Levy (Scotland) Bill at stage 1. Members should cast their votes now.
Division number 1
Decision Time
Alison Johnstone
Green
5:04,
8 January 2026
The result of the Division on motion S6M-20285, in the name of Ivan McKee, on the Building Safety Levy (Scotland) Bill at stage 1, is: For 65, Against 54, Abstentions 0.
Motion agreed to,
That the Parliament agrees to the general principles of the Building Safety Levy (Scotland) Bill.
Alison Johnstone
Green
The next question is, that motion S6M-19533, in the name of Shona Robison, on a financial resolution on the Building Safety Levy (Scotland) Bill, be agreed to.
Motion agreed to,
That the Parliament, for the purposes of any Act of the Scottish Parliament resulting from the Building Safety Levy (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,
(b) any tax imposed in consequence of the Act in relation to which Rule 9.12.3B(a) of the Parliament’s Standing Orders applies, and
(c) 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.
Alison Johnstone
Green
The final question is, that motion S6M-20291, in the name of Shona Robison, on a financial resolution on the Scottish Parliament (Recall and Removal of Members) Bill, be agreed to.
Motion agreed to,
That the Parliament, for the purposes of any Act of the Scottish Parliament resulting from the Scottish Parliament (Recall and Removal of Members) Bill, agrees to any expenditure of a kind referred to in Rule 9.12.3A of the Parliament’s Standing Orders arising in consequence of the Act.
Alison Johnstone
Green
That concludes decision time.
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.
