– in the Scottish Parliament am ar 21 Chwefror 2024.
Alison Johnstone
Green
There are nine questions to be put as a result of today’s business. I remind members that, if Amendment S6M-12214.2, in the name of Neil Gray, is agreed to, amendment S6M-12214.3, in the name of Sandesh Gulhane, will fall.
The first question is, that amendment S6M-12214.2, in the name of Neil Gray, which seeks to amend motion S6M-12214, in the name of Alex Cole-Hamilton, on improving access to primary care, be agreed to. Are we agreed?
The Presiding Officer:
There will be a Division. There will be a short suspension to allow access to the digital voting system.
17:16 Meeting suspended.
17:19 On resuming—
I remind members that, if Amendment S6M-12214.2, in the name of Neil Gray, is agreed to, amendment S6M-12214.3, in the name of Sandesh Gulhane, will fall.
We come to the vote on amendment S6M-12214.2, in the name of Neil Gray, which seeks to amend motion S6M-12214, in the name of Alex Cole-Hamilton. Members should cast their votes now.
The vote is closed.
Bill Kidd
Scottish National Party
On a point of order, Presiding Officer. My phone has something wrong with it, beginning with the letter B. [
Interruption
.]
Bill Kidd
Scottish National Party
I would have voted yes.
Rhif adran 1
Decision Time
The Presiding Officer:
The result of the Division on Amendment S6M-12214.2, in the name of Neil Gray, is: For 63, Against 53, Abstentions 0.
Amendment agreed to.
Therefore, amendment S6M-12214.3, in the name of Sandesh Gulhane, falls.
The next question is, that amendment S6M-12214.1, in the name of Paul Sweeney, which seeks to amend motion S6M-12214, in the name of Alex Cole-Hamilton, on improving access to primary care, be agreed to. Are we agreed?
Rhif adran 2
Decision Time
The Presiding Officer:
The result of the Division on Amendment S6M-12214.1, in the name of Paul Sweeney, is: For 53, Against 62, Abstentions 1.
Amendment disagreed to.
The next question is, that motion
S6M-12214, in the name of Alex Cole-Hamilton, on improving access to primary care, as amended, be agreed to. Are we agreed?
Claire Baker
Llafur
On a point of order, Presiding Officer. The app did not work. I would have voted no.
Angela Constance
Scottish National Party
On a point of order, Presiding Officer. My screen went blank and it has remained blank since I voted. I voted yes.
Rhif adran 3
Decision Time
The Presiding Officer:
The result of the Division on motion S6M-12214, in the name of Alex Cole-Hamilton, as amended, is: For 63, Against 53, Abstentions 0.
Motion, as amended, agreed to,
That the Parliament notes that, every day, public services continue to face the aftermath of the biggest shock faced since the establishment of the NHS – dealing with the combined impact of a pandemic, Brexit, which Scotland overwhelmingly rejected, and a cost of living crisis, amplified by catastrophic UK Government mismanagement; recognises that, in the face of over a decade of UK Government austerity, the Scottish Government’s draft Budget will invest over £2.1 billion in primary care to improve preventative care in the community; welcomes that the Scottish Government’s commitment to NHS staff has meant that Scotland is the only part of the UK not to lose any days to strikes; further welcomes an increase of 271 additional GPs in headcount terms since 2017, and a record expansion of GP speciality training, which will see over 1,200 GP trainees in Scotland in the next year; recognises the unique challenges that rural and island communities face and therefore welcomes the Scottish Government’s intention to publish a Remote and Rural Workforce Recruitment Strategy by the end of 2024; welcomes the expanded primary care multi-disciplinary team workforce, with over 4,700 staff working in these services, including physiotherapy, pharmacy and phlebotomy; notes the doubling of mental health spending in cash terms from £651 million in 2006-07 to £1.3 billion in 2021-22, and that, as a result of that investment, child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) staffing has more than doubled; highlights the investment of over £100 million in community-based mental health and wellbeing support for children, young people and adults since 2020; acknowledges that the Scottish Government has exceeded its commitment to fund over 800 additional mental health workers in numerous settings, including over 350 in GP practices; welcomes the ongoing £1 billion NHS Recovery Plan to increase capacity and deliver reform, and pays tribute to, and thanks, the entire health and care workforce for its unstinting efforts to provide services through a very challenging period.
I remind members that if the Amendment in the name of Neil Gray is agreed to, the amendment in the name of Sandesh Gulhane will fall.
The next question is, that motion S6M-12215.2, in the name of Neil Gray, which seeks to amend motion S6M-12215, in the name of Willie Rennie, on crisis in national health service dentistry, be agreed to. Are we agreed?
The Presiding Officer:
There will be a Division.
Rhif adran 4
Decision Time
The Presiding Officer:
The result of the Division is: For 63, Against 53, Abstentions 0.
Amendment agreed to.
The amendment in the name of Sandesh Gulhane falls.
The next question is, that motion S6M-12215.1, in the name of Paul Sweeney, which seeks to amend motion S6M-12215, in the name of Willie Rennie, on crisis in NHS dentistry, be agreed to. Are we agreed?
Claire Baker
Llafur
On a point of order, Presiding Officer. Can you confirm that my vote was registered?
Gillian Mackay
Green
On a point of order, Presiding Officer. My vote does not appear to have registered. I would have voted yes.
Rhif adran 5
Decision Time
The Presiding Officer:
The result of the Division on Amendment S6M-12215.1, in the name of Paul Sweeney, is: For 85, Against 31, Abstentions 0.
Amendment agreed to.
The question is, that motion S6M-12215, in the name of Willie Rennie, on crisis in NHS dentistry, as amended, be agreed to. Are we agreed?
Rhif adran 6
Decision Time
The Presiding Officer:
The result of the Division on motion S6M-12215, in the name of Willie Rennie, as amended, is: For 84, Against 32, Abstentions 0.
Motion, as amended, agreed to,
That the Parliament recognises the significant challenges in dental services, compounded by the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, high inflation, and Brexit on public services, dentistry and the available dental workforce across the UK; welcomes that the Scottish Government has confirmed the sustainment and improvement of access to NHS dentistry as a strategic priority; acknowledges that payment reform, as introduced on 1 November 2023, is the most significant change to NHS dentistry since its inception and the most meaningful Intervention to realise the Scottish Government’s ambition at this time; recognises that payment reform correctly prioritises public resources on securing access to NHS dentistry by incentivising delivery of NHS care through improved fees; is confident that the changes are the appropriate basis for further reforms to NHS dentistry, which will be focused on improvements in workforce and access to services across Scotland; thanks NHS dentists and all staff working across Scotland for their continued commitment to the sector and provision of a vital service to the people of Scotland, and recognises that the world-leading Childsmile programme, which was implemented by the last Scottish Labour Party-led administration in 2006, has been widely recognised as one of the most effective public health interventions of the devolved era and has transformed child dental health.
The final question is, that motion S6M-12235, in the name of George Adam, on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau, on designation of a lead committee, be agreed to.
Motion agreed to,
That the Parliament agrees that the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee be designated as the lead committee in consideration of the Disability Commissioner (Scotland) Bill at stage 1.
That concludes decision time.
Members’ business will be published tomorrow, 22 February 2024, 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.
An intervention is when the MP making a speech is interrupted by another MP and asked to 'give way' to allow the other MP to intervene on the speech to ask a question or comment on what has just been said.
