house of commons debates and voting
TRANSCRIPT
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Debates and voting
Marek Kubala
Clerk of Divisions, Public Bill Office, House of Commons
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Debates
• All debates take place on a Motion• Motion is “a proposal made for the
purpose of eliciting a decision of the House” (Erskine May chapter 21).
• Gives rise to a question for decision• “A Member’s speech must be directed to
the question under discussion or to the motion or amendment intended to be moved.”
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Order of debate
Motion moved by Whip, Minister or signatory
Question proposed by Chair
Debate takes place
Question put by Chair
Question decided by division, by voice or on the nod
Once the question has been proposed by the Chair, the House is in possession of that question: it must be disposed of before the House can proceed with any other business, and it can only be withdrawn by leave of the House.
Questions that are agreed to become either orders or resolutions of the House.
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Different types of debate• Motions for debate can originate with
– Government– Opposition– Backbenchers– Backbench Business Committee
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Government debates
• Motion moved by Minister• General debate – “That this House has
considered the matter of […]”• Sometimes have a vote• Very rarely happen now• Motion for an Address
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Opposition debates
• 20 Opposition Days in each session (SO 14) – 17 Labour, 3 other parties
• Often two separate subjects in a day• Amendments can be tabled, usually by the
Government• Vote on original motion before amendment
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Emergency debates (S.O. 24)
• Any non-Government Member can apply• Speaker makes decision• No longer than three hours• Usually takes place next day
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Backbench business debates
• New innovation since 2010• Backbench Business Committee• Allocate 35 days each session in House
and Westminster Hall (27 in Chamber)• Take bids from backbench Members• E-petitions via the Petitions Committee
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Adjournment debates
• 30 minute debate at end of day• Any non-Government Member can bid for
a debate• Often on constituency matters• Sometimes debate is only between the
Member and the Minister
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Rules and courtesies of debate (1)
• Members let Chair know they wish to speak
• Sometimes time limit on speeches• Mover of motion first and usually wraps up• Minister always speaks towards the end• Can intervene on speech but only if
speaker gives way
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Rules and courtesies of debate (2)
• Address House through Chair• Parliamentary language• Dress
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Decisions, Votes and Divisions
• When a debate is concluded, the Question on the Motion must be put
• Speaker ‘collects the voices’ and gives his view of the sense of the House
• If challenged, a division occurs • Many decisions are agreed without
division
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Divisions• Speaker orders ‘Clear the Lobby’• Bells ring all over the Parliamentary Estate• ‘Tellers’ are appointed (two per side)• Division clerks take their places (3 per
Lobby)• Members enter the Aye or No Lobby, give
their names to a Clerk and are counted as they leave
• Doors are open for 8 minutes• Whole process takes 10 – 15 minutes
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Division Lobby
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Announcement of result
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Divisions: continued• If fewer than 35 vote, the division is invalid
(SO No. 41 says 40 must take part, and Speaker and tellers are counted)
• Members can vote in both Lobbies• ‘Nodding through’ of incapacitated
Members who are on the premises• ‘Pairing’ of Members• Speaker has casting vote if there is a tie:
guided by principles and precedent• ‘English votes for English laws’
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Deferred Divisions• Introduced in 2000 to provide more certainty
about the time of rising by reducing number of votes after the ‘moment of interruption’
• Decisions (with some exceptions, particularly on legislation) challenged after that moment are deferred to the following Wednesday from 12.30 to 2.00 pm
• At that time, Members hand in voting forms in the No Lobby
• The votes are counted elsewhere• The results are announced to the House later
in the day