Sexual Offences (Amendment) Bill — Second Reading — 25 Jan 1999

Theresa May MP, Maidenhead voted against reducing the age of consent for homosexual acts from eighteen to sixteen bringing equality to the the law affecting heterosexual and homosexual acts.

The majority of MPs voted to reduce the age of consent for homosexual acts from eighteen to sixteen bringing equality to the the law affecting heterosexual and homosexual acts.

The motion supported by the majority of MPs taking part in this vote was:

  • That the Bill be now read a Second time:--

A majority of MPs voted for the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Bill to be read a second time, thus moving it closer to becoming law.

The bill sought to reduce the age at which buggery was legal from 18 to 16. ("Buggery" is the legal term for anal intercourse either between men or between a man and a woman.) It also sought to reduce the age at which other homosexual acts were permitted from 18 to 16.

The House divided: Ayes 313, Noes 130.

Historical Hansard | Online Hansard |

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Party Summary

Votes by party, red entries are votes against the majority for that party.

What is Tell? '+1 tell' means that in addition one member of that party was a teller for that division lobby.

What are Boths? An MP can vote both aye and no in the same division. The boths page explains this.

What is Turnout? This is measured against the total membership of the party at the time of the vote.

PartyMajority (Aye)Minority (No)BothTurnout
Con7 (+1 tell) 104 (+2 tell)070.4%
DUP0 1050.0%
Independent0 10100.0%
Lab275 (+1 tell) 15069.8%
LDem28 3067.4%
PC1 0025.0%
SNP2 0033.3%
UUP0 6060.0%
Total:313 130069.0%

Rebel Voters - sorted by party

MPs for which their vote in this division differed from the majority vote of their party. You can see all votes in this division, or every eligible MP who could have voted in this division

Sort by: Name | Constituency | Party | Vote

NameConstituencyPartyVote
Tim BoswellDaventryCon (front bench)aye
Mr Peter BrookeCities of London and WestminsterCon (front bench)aye
Alan DuncanRutland and MeltonCon (front bench)aye
Mr Edward HeathOld Bexley and SidcupConaye
Robert KeySalisburyConaye
Eleanor LaingEpping ForestCon (front bench)aye
Mr Andrew RoweFaversham and Mid KentConaye
Shaun WoodwardWitneywhilst Con (front bench)tellaye
Mr Donald AndersonSwansea EastLab (minister)no
Stuart BellMiddlesbroughLab (minister)no
Joe BentonBootleLab (minister)no
Mr Jamie CannIpswichLabno
Mr Eric ClarkeMidlothianLabno
Mr Tam DalyellLinlithgowLabno
Mr Denzil DaviesLlanelliLabno
Bruce GeorgeWalsall SouthLabno
David MarshallGlasgow ShettlestonLabno
Mr Bill O'BrienNormantonLabno
Mr Kerry PollardSt AlbansLabno
Mr Raymond PowellOgmoreLabno
Mr Allan RogersRhonddaLabno
Mr Ted RowlandsMerthyr Tydfil and RhymneyLab (minister)no
Robert WareingLiverpool, West DerbyLabno
Colin BreedSouth East CornwallLDemno
Mrs Ray MichieArgyll and ButeLDemno
Bob RussellColchesterLDem (front bench)no

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