Summary

  • MPs met for education questions at 2.30pm.

  • The main business of the day was committee stage consideration of the Scotland Bill.

  • The adjournment debate dealt with the Navitus Bay Wind Farm.

  • Peers met at 2.30pm and after oral questions, held a debate on trade and investment led by Lord Maude.

  • They also held a short debate on the law governing elections in the UK.

  1. The little thingspublished at 21:00

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Cabinet Office Minister John Penrose whisks through the many government amendments (mainly "minor and technical") on amending the reservation of the Digital Service -  the technology services provided by the government in the public sector - and clarifying the reserved powers about enforcement provisions on political parties.

    "I'm sure you're all taking notes", he says.

    John Penrose
  2. By the bookpublished at 20:52

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Graham Allen

    Graham Allen flashes a copy of his former select committee's report, external on voter engagement to propose his amendments. 

    These would give Scottish Ministers the power to make provision for automatic registration and online voting for Scottish Parliament and Scottish local elections.  

    The former Commons Political and Constitutional Reform Committee Chair encourages the idea that voters appear on the register without having to sign up first.

    He says online voting was the "most popular" of the committee's suggestions, as it would increase electoral participation. He goes on to propose a "trial" of online voting in Scotland.

  3. The problem with 'normally'published at 20:35

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Shadow Political and Constitutional Reform Minister Wayne David does not put his amendments to a vote but still has reservations on the wording of clause 2 as it stands ("that the Parliament of the United Kingdom will not normally legislate with regard to devolved matters without the consent of the Scottish Parliament”). 

    He says "the word 'normally' is legally imprecise" and there would be enormous difficulties about that word when it came to a court of law.

  4. 'Statutory footing'published at 20:32

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Scottish Secretary David Mundell replies to MPs contributions saying that the Smith Commission recommended that the Sewell Convention "should be set out in a bill of this type and that is what the United Kingdom government is doing" by putting it on a "statutory footing".

    David Mundell
  5. 'Constitutional unit'published at 20:24

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Lib Dem MP Alastair Carmichael is speaking on his amendments 19 and 20 and urges a "constitutional unit" for legislating on the matter of Human Rights.

    As he closes, Graham Allen asks that his amendment be put to a vote so MPs can decide whether to include a provision requiring express consent of the Scottish Parliament before Westminster could repeal the Human Rights Act 1998 as it applies to Scotland.

  6. Another sighting...published at 20:14

    Conservative MP for South Thanet tweets

  7. Human Rightspublished at 20:08

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Graham Allen, chair of the Political and Constitutional Reform Committee in the last parliament, rises to promote his New Clause 5.

    It states that any repeal by the UK Parliament of the Human Rights Act 1998 as it applies to Scotland would require the express consent of the Scottish Parliament.

    This is the "first shot to be fired" on the debate to come on human rights, he says, and on the wider issue of the European Convention on Human Rights.

    Graham Allen
  8. Finished for the nightpublished at 20:03

    House of Lords
    Parliament

    With little legislation yet to make it to the second chamber for debate the House of Lords have taken the opportunity to have an early night.

    Peers will return tomorrow at 2.30 BST for oral questions and then the second reading of the Childcare Bill.

  9. On to the next amendmentspublished at 19:58

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Wayne David

    MPs vote to keep Clause 1 as Shadow Political and Constitutional Reform Minister Wayne David moves opposition amendments 39, 9 and 41 to clause 2 on The Sewel convention, which applies when the UK Parliament legislates on a matter which is normally dealt with by the Scottish Parliament, but only with the consent of the Scottish Parliament.

  10. Amendment lostpublished at 19:47

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    After a 15 minute shuffle to and from the division lobbies, MPs reject the SNP's amendment by 302 votes to 271. That's a majority of 31.

  11. Waiting...published at 19:45

    SNP MP tweets:

  12. Divisionpublished at 19:37

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    MPs divide on the SNP's amendment 58, which proposes that the Scottish Parliament can only be abolished with the consent of the Scottish Parliament and the Scottish people after a referendum.

    Commons
  13. Amendment withdrawnpublished at 19:34

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Liberal Democrat Alistair Carmichael reflects on the debate today saying it was characterised by the "heat generated rather than the light".

    He withdraws amendment 16 and says he will not back the SNP in their amendments or the "English nationalists" in theirs.

    "The SNP are proposing something not voted for by the people of Scotland," he says as his neighbouring MPs tut.

  14. Individual Electoral Registrationpublished at 19:34

    House of Lords
    Parliament

    In the House of Lords Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen  is summing up for the government on UK election law.

    She says the government has a challenging programme for reform and will include a number of changes to the law including full transition to IER (Individual Electoral Registration) and wider changes such as devolution across the UK. 

    Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen
  15. Quick legislatingpublished at 19:33

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    David Mundell ends by saying "this government does not support a constitutional convention as it would slow down the process of the Scotland Bill" which he is keen to push forward.

  16. 'Full fiscal-light'published at 19:25

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    David Mundell

    David Mundell says he is not convinced by the amendments that have been tabled and calls the SNP amendment "full fiscal-light" and sums it up as full fiscal autonomy "sometime, somewhere, somehow".

    "Full fiscal autonomy would be an end to the Scotland pooling resources" and "an end to being part of a hugely successful single market", he says.  

  17. Summing uppublished at 19:18

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Rising to sum up, the Scottish Secretary David Mundell says the government works very closely with the Scottish government on a whole range of issues "for the benefit of the people of Scotland". 

  18. Clause 89published at 19:14

    Sky political Editor tweets:

  19. No support for the amendmentspublished at 19:10

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Shadow Scottish Secretary Ian Murray tells the House that Labour will not support the two amendments as they would not be "in the interests of the Scottish people". 

    He says that new clause 3 delivers 'full fiscal autonomy' at the commencement of the bill.

  20. Which amendment?published at 19:05

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Summing up for the opposition, Shadow Scottish Secretary Ian Murray faces a large number of interventions from the floor.

    Having suggested that Edward Leigh's amendment is the only reason that "full fiscal autonomy" is available to vote on tonight, he is challenged by Stewart Hosie who claims that the SNP's amendment 89 on the order paper does just that and asks him to "withdraw that daft allegation".

    Edward Leigh rises again to say, "my amendment gives what they say they want straight away, while theirs is a bit of a fudge and slightly kicks it into the long grass."

    Ian Murray