Comparison of Divisions: Licensing Act 2003 — 12 Jul 2005 at 21:49 with Division No. 104 on 29 Apr 2009 at 15:49
(Swap the two divisions around).
This was an "opposition day" debate, where the opposition party proposes a motion, and the government, which holds the majority, always votes it down and replaces it with its own motion.
Those voting no rejected the motion that was being debated, which read:
This House notes with concern that with only 25 days to go before the 6th August deadline set in the Licensing Act 2003, only 20 per cent. of licence applications have been received; further notes the chaos that this is creating both for the licensing trade and for local authorities; is concerned by the problems of extra cost that the legislation is creating for village halls, sports clubs and community centres; regrets the effect that this will have upon local communities; condemns the Government for its lack of action in dealing with the problem; and calls upon the Government to extend the deadlines for the receipt of applications and re-examine the impact upon village halls and sports clubs.
A new motion was then put in place, which read:
This House commends the Government on its effective publicity campaign that has significantly increased the rate of applications to convert existing licences under the Licensing Act 2003 before 6th August; encourages remaining licensees to fulfil their responsibilities and get their applications in before that date; considers that failure to implement the Act without delay would deny local communities increased powers of intervention and improved democratic accountability with regard to licensing and deny the police the expanded powers that are vital to their efforts to tackle alcohol-related crime and anti-social behaviour; welcomes the powers in the Act to prevent crime and disorder and public nuisance, and protect children from harm; believes that the Act will benefit local communities, local economies and tourism and generate savings for business of almost £2 billion over 10 years; and furthermore, believes that the Act will be successfully implemented by 24th November 2005 and will be welcomed by industry and non-commercial organisations, including village halls and sports clubs, alike.
This then passed without a further vote.
The majority of MPs voted in favour of the motion:[1]
-
This House
-
regrets the Government's recent statement[2] outlining the eligibility criteria for Gurkhas to reside in the United Kingdom;
-
recognises the contribution the Gurkhas have made to the safety and freedom of the United Kingdom for the past 200 years;
-
notes that more Gurkhas have laid down their lives for the United Kingdom than are estimated to want to live here;
-
believes that Gurkhas who retired before 1997 should be treated fairly and in the same way as those who have retired since;
-
is concerned that the Government's new guidelines will permit only a small minority of Gurkhas and their families to settle whilst preventing the vast majority;
-
further believes that people who are prepared to fight and die for the United Kingdom should be entitled to live in the country; and
-
calls upon the Government to withdraw its new guidelines immediately and bring forward revised proposals that extend an equal right of residence to all Gurkhas.
As a consequence, the alternative Government motion, which read:[3]
-
This House
-
recognises that this Government is the only one since the Second World War to allow Gurkhas and their families settlement rights to the United Kingdom;
-
notes that in 2004 the Government permitted settlement rights to Gurkhas discharged since 1997, following the transfer of the Brigade HQ from Hong Kong to the United Kingdom;
-
further notes that under these rules around 6,000 Gurkhas and family members have been welcomed to the UK;
-
acknowledges that the court judgement of September 2008 determined that the 1997 cut-off date was fair and rational, while seeking clarification of the criteria for settlement rights for those who retired before 1997;
-
further notes that on 24 April the Government published new and more generous guidelines for the settlement applications of Gurkhas who retired before 1997;
-
supports this revised guidance, which will make around 10,000 Gurkhas and family members eligible to settle in the UK;
-
further notes that the Government undertakes actively to inform those who may be eligible in Nepal of these changes and to review the impact of the new guidance within 12 months;
-
further notes that the contribution Gurkhas have made is already recognised by pensions paid to around 25,000 Gurkhas or their widows in Nepal that allow for a good standard of living there; and
-
further notes that in the year 2000 Gurkha pensions were doubled and that, earlier in April 2009, in addition to an inflationary uplift of 14 per cent., those over 80 years old received a 20 per cent. increase in their pension.
... was never voted upon.
Although this extremely rare Government defeat in an opposition day motion is not binding (has no legal force)[4] a Government minister made a statement later in the day to bring "forward the date for the determination of the outstanding applications to the end of May."[5]
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MPs for which their vote on Motion (a) differed from their vote on Motion (b).
You can also see just opposite votes
between these two divisions,
or simply all the votes.
Sort by: Name | Constituency | Party | Vote (a) | Vote (b)
Name | Constituency | Party | Vote (a) | Vote (b) |
Diane Abbott | Hackney North and Stoke Newington | Lab | absent |
aye |
Danny Alexander | Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Douglas Alexander | Paisley and Renfrewshire South | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
John Austin | Erith and Thamesmead | Lab | no |
absent |
Adrian Bailey | West Bromwich West | Lab | no |
absent |
Norman Baker | Lewes | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Tony Baldry | Banbury | Con | absent |
aye |
John Barrett | Edinburgh West | LDem | absent |
aye |
Margaret Beckett | Derby South | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
John Bercow | Buckingham | whilst Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Brian Binley | Northampton South | Con | aye |
absent |
David Blunkett | Sheffield, Brightside | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Tim Boswell | Daventry | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Graham Brady | Altrincham and Sale West | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Tom Brake | Carshalton and Wallington | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
James Brokenshire | Hornchurch | Con | absent |
aye |
Annette Brooke | Mid Dorset and North Poole | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Gordon Brown | Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Karen Buck | Regent's Park and Kensington North | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Richard Burden | Birmingham, Northfield | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Colin Burgon | Elmet | Lab | no |
absent |
David Burrowes | Enfield, Southgate | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Lorely Burt | Solihull | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
John Butterfill | Bournemouth West | Con | aye |
absent |
Vincent Cable | Twickenham | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Richard Caborn | Sheffield Central | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Gregory Campbell | East Londonderry | DUP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Ronnie Campbell | Blyth Valley | Lab | no |
absent |
Alistair Carmichael | Orkney and Shetland | LDem (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Martin Caton | Gower | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Ian Cawsey | Brigg and Goole | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
David Chaytor | Bury North | Lab | absent |
no |
Michael Clapham | Barnsley West and Penistone | Lab | no |
absent |
James Clappison | Hertsmere | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Katy Clark | North Ayrshire and Arran | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Nick Clegg | Sheffield, Hallam | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Ann Clwyd | Cynon Valley | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Ann Coffey | Stockport | Lab | absent |
no |
Harry Cohen | Leyton and Wanstead | Lab | no |
aye |
Derek Conway | Old Bexley and Sidcup | whilst Con | aye |
absent |
Frank Cook | Stockton North | Lab | no |
absent |
Robin Cook | Livingston | Lab | no |
absent |
Yvette Cooper | Pontefract and Castleford | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Jeremy Corbyn | Islington North | Lab | no |
aye |
Patrick Cormack | South Staffordshire | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Jon Cruddas | Dagenham | Lab | no |
absent |
John Cummings | Easington | Lab | absent |
no |
Claire Curtis-Thomas | Crosby | Lab | no |
absent |
Alistair Darling | Edinburgh South West | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Wayne David | Caerphilly | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Dai Davies | Blaenau Gwent | Independent | absent |
aye |
Quentin Davies | Grantham and Stamford | whilst Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Quentin Davies | Grantham and Stamford | whilst Lab (front bench) | absent |
no |
Jim Devine | Livingston | Lab | absent |
no |
Nigel Dodds | Belfast North | DUP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Jeffrey M. Donaldson | Lagan Valley | DUP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Alan Duncan | Rutland and Melton | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Gwyneth Dunwoody | Crewe and Nantwich | Lab | no |
absent |
Mark Durkan | Foyle | SDLP (front bench) | no |
absent |
Natascha Engel | North East Derbyshire | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Bill Etherington | Sunderland North | Lab | no |
absent |
Paul Farrelly | Newcastle-under-Lyme | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Tim Farron | Westmorland and Lonsdale | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Lynne Featherstone | Hornsey and Wood Green | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Frank Field | Birkenhead | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Mark Fisher | Stoke-on-Trent Central | Lab | no |
aye |
Caroline Flint | Don Valley | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Paul Flynn | Newport West | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Eric Forth | Bromley and Chislehurst | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Liam Fox | Woodspring | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Mike Gapes | Ilford South | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Neil Gerrard | Walthamstow | Lab | no |
aye |
Ian Gibson | Norwich North | Lab | no |
absent |
Sandra Gidley | Romsey | LDem (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Dame Cheryl Gillan | Chesham and Amersham | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Roger Godsiff | Birmingham, Sparkbrook and Small Heath | Lab | no |
absent |
Julia Goldsworthy | Falmouth and Camborne | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
James Gray | North Wiltshire | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
John Greenway | Ryedale | Con | aye |
absent |
John Gummer | Suffolk Coastal | Con | absent |
aye |
Peter Hain | Neath | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Mike Hall | Weaver Vale | Lab | no |
absent |
Patrick Hall | Bedford | Lab | no |
absent |
Fabian Hamilton | Leeds North East | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Greg Hands | Hammersmith and Fulham | Con | absent |
aye |
Evan Harris | Oxford West and Abingdon | LDem | absent |
aye |
David Heathcoat-Amory | Wells | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
John Hemming | Birmingham, Yardley | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Doug Henderson | Newcastle upon Tyne North | Lab | no |
absent |
Sylvia Hermon | North Down | UUP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
David Heyes | Ashton-under-Lyne | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Meg Hillier | Hackney South and Shoreditch | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Margaret Hodge | Barking | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Kate Hoey | Vauxhall | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Jimmy Hood | Lanark and Hamilton East | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Geoff Hoon | Ashfield | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Kelvin Hopkins | Luton North | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
John Horam | Orpington | Con | aye |
absent |
John Howell | Henley | Con | absent |
aye |
Lindsay Hoyle | Chorley | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Simon Hughes | North Southwark and Bermondsey | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Christopher Huhne | Eastleigh | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Joan Humble | Blackpool North and Fleetwood | Lab | no |
aye |
Mark Hunter | Cheadle | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Nick Hurd | Ruislip - Northwood | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Eric Illsley | Barnsley Central | Lab | no |
absent |
Michael Jack | Fylde | Con | aye |
absent |
Glenda Jackson | Hampstead and Highgate | Lab | absent |
aye |
Siân James | Swansea East | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Alan Johnson | Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Lynne Jones | Birmingham, Selly Oak | Lab | no |
absent |
Martyn Jones | Clwyd South | Lab | no |
absent |
Tessa Jowell | Dulwich and West Norwood | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Daniel Kawczynski | Shrewsbury and Atcham | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Fraser Kemp | Houghton and Washington East | Lab | absent |
no |
Piara S Khabra | Ealing, Southall | Lab | no |
absent |
Peter Kilfoyle | Liverpool, Walton | Lab | no |
absent |
Julie Kirkbride | Bromsgrove | Con | aye |
absent |
Susan Kramer | Richmond Park | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Ashok Kumar | Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland | Lab | no |
absent |
Eleanor Laing | Epping Forest | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Norman Lamb | North Norfolk | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
David Laws | Yeovil | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
John Leech | Manchester, Withington | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Martin Linton | Battersea | Lab | no |
absent |
Peter Luff | Mid Worcestershire | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
John MacDougall | Glenrothes | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Andrew MacKinlay | Thurrock | Lab | no |
aye |
David Maclean | Penrith and The Border | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Anne Main | St Albans | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Humfrey Malins | Woking | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Judy Mallaber | Amber Valley | Lab | no |
absent |
John Mann | Bassetlaw | Lab | no |
absent |
Gordon Marsden | Blackpool South | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
David Marshall | Glasgow East | Lab | no |
absent |
Robert Marshall-Andrews | Medway | Lab | absent |
aye |
John Mason | Glasgow East | SNP | absent |
aye |
Michael Mates | East Hampshire | Con | aye |
absent |
Steve McCabe | Birmingham, Hall Green | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Chris McCafferty | Calder Valley | Lab | no |
absent |
Ian McCartney | Makerfield | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
William McCrea | South Antrim | DUP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Alasdair McDonnell | Belfast South | SDLP (front bench) | no |
aye |
John Martin McDonnell | Hayes and Harlington | Lab | no |
aye |
Anne McGuire | Stirling | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Shona McIsaac | Cleethorpes | Lab | absent |
aye |
Michael Meacher | Oldham West and Royton | Lab | no |
absent |
Alan Meale | Mansfield | Lab | no |
absent |
Ed Miliband | Doncaster North | Lab | no |
absent |
Austin Mitchell | Great Grimsby | Lab | no |
absent |
Anne Moffat | East Lothian | Lab | no |
absent |
Julie Morgan | Cardiff North | Lab | no |
aye |
Malcolm Moss | North East Cambridgeshire | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Kali Mountford | Colne Valley | Lab | no |
absent |
Greg Mulholland | Leeds North West | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
David Mundell | Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Denis Murphy | Wansbeck | Lab | absent |
no |
Bob Neill | Bromley and Chislehurst | Con | absent |
aye |
Stephen O'Brien | Eddisbury | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Edward O'Hara | Knowsley South | Lab | no |
absent |
Lembit Öpik | Montgomeryshire | LDem (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Sandra Osborne | Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Albert Owen | Ynys Môn | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Nick Palmer | Broxtowe | Lab | no |
aye |
Owen Paterson | North Shropshire | Con | aye |
absent |
Andrew Pelling | Croydon Central | whilst Con | aye |
absent |
Andrew Pelling | Croydon Central | whilst Independent | absent |
aye |
Eric Pickles | Brentwood and Ongar | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Greg Pope | Hyndburn | Lab | no |
absent |
Steve Pound | Ealing North | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Bridget Prentice | Lewisham East | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Mark Prisk | Hertford and Stortford | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
John Pugh | Southport | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Nick Raynsford | Greenwich and Woolwich | Lab | no |
aye |
Andy Reed | Loughborough | Lab | no |
aye |
Jamie Reed | Copeland | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Willie Rennie | Dunfermline and West Fife | LDem | absent |
aye |
Malcolm Rifkind | Kensington and Chelsea | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Linda Riordan | Halifax | Lab | no |
aye |
Andrew Robathan | Blaby | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Angus Robertson | Moray | SNP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
John Robertson | Glasgow North West | Lab | no |
absent |
Iris Robinson | Strangford | DUP | aye |
absent |
Terry Rooney | Bradford North | Lab | absent |
no |
Lindsay Roy | Glenrothes | Lab | absent |
no |
Martin Salter | Reading West | Lab | no |
absent |
Virendra Sharma | Ealing, Southall | Lab | absent |
no |
Richard Shepherd | Aldridge-Brownhills | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Clare Short | Birmingham, Ladywood | whilst Lab | no |
absent |
Mark Simmonds | Boston and Skegness | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Alan Simpson | Nottingham South | Lab | no |
aye |
Marsha Singh | Bradford West | Lab | no |
absent |
Andrew Smith | Oxford East | Lab | no |
aye |
Robert Smith | West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Anne Snelgrove | South Swindon | Lab | no |
absent |
Caroline Spelman | Meriden | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Bob Spink | Castle Point | whilst Con | aye |
absent |
Bob Spink | Castle Point | whilst Independent | absent |
aye |
John Stanley | Tonbridge and Malling | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Ian Stewart | Eccles | Lab | absent |
no |
Jack Straw | Blackburn | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Gisela Stuart | Birmingham, Edgbaston | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Andrew Stunell | Hazel Grove | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Jo Swinson | East Dunbartonshire | LDem (front bench) | aye |
absent |
David Taylor | North West Leicestershire | Lab | no |
both |
Ian Taylor | Esher and Walton | Con | absent |
aye |
Richard Taylor | Wyre Forest | Independent | absent |
aye |
Gareth Thomas | Harrow West | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Emily Thornberry | Islington South and Finsbury | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
John Thurso | Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Edward Timpson | Crewe and Nantwich | Con | absent |
aye |
Paddy Tipping | Sherwood | Lab | no |
absent |
David Tredinnick | Bosworth | Con | absent |
aye |
Paul Truswell | Pudsey | Lab | no |
aye |
Andrew Turner | Isle of Wight | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Neil Turner | Wigan | Lab | no |
absent |
Kitty Ussher | Burnley | Lab | absent |
no |
Keith Vaz | Leicester East | Lab | no |
aye |
Rudi Vis | Finchley and Golders Green | Lab | no |
absent |
Joan Walley | Stoke-on-Trent North | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Robert Walter | North Dorset | Con | aye |
absent |
Robert Wareing | Liverpool, West Derby | whilst Independent | absent |
aye |
Michael Weir | Angus | SNP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Ann Widdecombe | Maidstone and The Weald | Con | absent |
aye |
David Willetts | Havant | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Mark Williams | Ceredigion | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Roger Williams | Brecon and Radnorshire | LDem (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Jennifer Willott | Cardiff Central | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Michael Wills | North Swindon | Lab | absent |
no |
David Wilshire | Spelthorne | Con | aye |
absent |
Phil Wilson | Sedgefield | Lab | absent |
no |
Sammy Wilson | East Antrim | DUP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Pete Wishart | Perth and North Perthshire | SNP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Mike Wood | Batley and Spen | Lab | no |
aye |
Anthony D Wright | Great Yarmouth | Lab | no |
absent |
The measure of similarity between these two divisions is a calculation
based on a comparison of their votes.
There were
645 MPs who could have voted in both of these divisions,
and 380 voted the same way, with 25 voting in opposite ways.
There were 46 MPs who didn't vote in either division,
and 194 who voted in only one of them.
We invert the vote on the second division if it makes the distance closer (since the meaning of
'Aye' and 'No' are often interchangeable depending on how the question was put).
In this case, they line up the same way.
An 's vote in in only one of the divisions contributes a factor of 0.2 to the distance.
The calculation runs as follows:
ratio =
[same-votes]
([same-votes] + [differing-votes] + 0.2x[abstain-in-one])
=
380
(380 + 25 + 0.2x194)
=
380
443.8
=
0.856
=
85.6 %.