Comparison of Divisions: Opposition Day — [18th Allotted Day] — Penal System — 24 Jul 2007 at 19:17 with Division No. 104 on 29 Apr 2009 at 15:49
(Swap the two divisions around).
I beg to move,
That this House considers that the Government's management of the prison system has become a national disgrace; believes that the Government by ignoring official projections of the prison population and failing to plan for sufficient capacity has allowed jails to become overcrowded, reconviction rates to rise and the Probation Service to become overstretched; further considers that the Government's resort to releasing prisoners early, including violent offenders, without risk assessment or accommodation checks is wholly unacceptable; notes that many of those released under the scheme have previously been refused release on Home Detention Curfew and that others have already re-offended when they should have been in custody; is concerned that offenders are also being transferred early to open prisons from which they can and do abscond at any time and that over 4,000 offenders released early on electronic tags have re-offended, committing over 1,000 violent crimes; further believes that the modest additional prison capacity announced by the Government will be insufficient; and calls upon the Government to halt the End of Custody Licence scheme and take immediate steps to ensure adequate prison capacity, the proper treatment and rehabilitation of offenders, and the safety of the British public.
I beg to move, To leave out from "House" to the end of the Question, and to add instead thereof:
"welcomes the record of the Government which has since 1997 cut crime, reformed the penal system, invested in record prison places, created a legislative framework which provides tough and effective sentences, introduced risk assessment and offender management systems, introduced and seen ever increasing numbers of offenders complete accredited programmes, enabled record numbers of offenders to pay back to the community through unpaid work, ensured that offenders in the community who pose a risk to the public are recalled to custody, radically reformed the youth justice system and brought the prison and probation services together under the National Offender Management Service with a renewed focus on protecting the public and reducing re-offending."
Question put, That the original words stand part of the Question:-
The House divided: Ayes 156, Noes 355.
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) |
John Reid | Airdrie and Shotts | Lab | no |
absent |
Judy Mallaber | Amber Valley | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Michael Weir | Angus | SNP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Alan Reid | Argyll and Bute | LDem (front bench) | no |
tellaye |
Geoff Hoon | Ashfield | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
David Heyes | Ashton-under-Lyne | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Sandra Osborne | Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Margaret Hodge | Barking | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Eric Illsley | Barnsley Central | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Michael Clapham | Barnsley West and Penistone | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
John Mann | Bassetlaw | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Don Foster | Bath | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Mike Wood | Batley and Spen | Lab | no |
aye |
Martin Linton | Battersea | Lab | no |
absent |
Patrick Hall | Bedford | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Peter Robinson | Belfast East | DUP | absent |
aye |
Nigel Dodds | Belfast North | DUP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Alasdair McDonnell | Belfast South | SDLP (front bench) | no |
aye |
Alan Beith | Berwick-upon-Tweed | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Michael Moore | Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Gisela Stuart | Birmingham, Edgbaston | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Richard Burden | Birmingham, Northfield | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Khalid Mahmood | Birmingham, Perry Barr | Lab | no |
absent |
Lynne Jones | Birmingham, Selly Oak | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
John Hemming | Birmingham, Yardley | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Joan Humble | Blackpool North and Fleetwood | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Gordon Marsden | Blackpool South | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Dai Davies | Blaenau Gwent | Independent | no |
aye |
Ronnie Campbell | Blyth Valley | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Mark Simmonds | Boston and Skegness | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Tobias Ellwood | Bournemouth East | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
John Butterfill | Bournemouth West | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Marsha Singh | Bradford West | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Brooks Newmark | Braintree | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Sarah Teather | Brent East | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Ian Cawsey | Brigg and Goole | Lab | no |
aye |
David Lepper | Brighton, Pavilion | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Stephen Williams | Bristol West | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Julie Kirkbride | Bromsgrove | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Charles Walker | Broxbourne | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Nick Palmer | Broxtowe | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Kitty Ussher | Burnley | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Ivan Lewis | Bury South | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
John Thurso | Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Chris McCafferty | Calder Valley | Lab | no |
absent |
David Howarth | Cambridge | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Jennifer Willott | Cardiff Central | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Julie Morgan | Cardiff North | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Tom Brake | Carshalton and Wallington | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Bob Spink | Castle Point | whilst Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Bob Spink | Castle Point | whilst Independent (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Mark Williams | Ceredigion | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Stephen Dorrell | Charnwood | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Mark Hunter | Cheadle | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Martin Horwood | Cheltenham | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Paul Holmes | Chesterfield | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Lindsay Hoyle | Chorley | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Shona McIsaac | Cleethorpes | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Martyn Jones | Clwyd South | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Bob Russell | Colchester | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Betty Williams | Conwy | Lab | no |
absent |
Jamie Reed | Copeland | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Geoffrey Robinson | Coventry North West | Lab | absent |
no |
Gwyneth Dunwoody | Crewe and Nantwich | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Edward Timpson | Crewe and Nantwich | Con | absent |
aye |
Andrew Pelling | Croydon Central | whilst Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Andrew Pelling | Croydon Central | whilst Independent (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Richard Ottaway | Croydon South | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Jon Cruddas | Dagenham | Lab | no |
absent |
Alan Milburn | Darlington | Lab | absent |
no |
Tim Boswell | Daventry | Con | aye |
absent |
Michael Ancram | Devizes | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Ed Miliband | Doncaster North | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Tessa Jowell | Dulwich and West Norwood | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Willie Rennie | Dunfermline and West Fife | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Steve Pound | Ealing North | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Jo Swinson | East Dunbartonshire | LDem (front bench) | no |
absent |
Anne Moffat | East Lothian | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Peter Ainsworth | East Surrey | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Tim Loughton | East Worthing and Shoreham | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Greg Knight | East Yorkshire | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Christopher Huhne | Eastleigh | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Ian Stewart | Eccles | Lab | absent |
no |
Gavin Strang | Edinburgh East | Lab | no |
absent |
John Barrett | Edinburgh West | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
David Burrowes | Enfield, Southgate | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Chris Grayling | Epsom and Ewell | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
John Austin | Erith and Thamesmead | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Eric Joyce | Falkirk | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Julia Goldsworthy | Falmouth and Camborne | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Hugh Robertson | Faversham and Mid Kent | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Rudi Vis | Finchley and Golders Green | Lab | no |
absent |
Michael Howard | Folkestone and Hythe | Con | absent |
aye |
Mark Durkan | Foyle | SDLP (front bench) | no |
absent |
Michael Jack | Fylde | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Edward Leigh | Gainsborough | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Sharon Hodgson | Gateshead East and Washington West | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Mohammad Sarwar | Glasgow Central | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
John Mason | Glasgow East | SNP | absent |
aye |
John Robertson | Glasgow North West | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Lindsay Roy | Glenrothes | Lab | absent |
no |
Malcolm Bruce | Gordon | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Martin Caton | Gower | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Anthony D Wright | Great Yarmouth | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Nick Raynsford | Greenwich and Woolwich | Lab | no |
aye |
Anne Milton | Guildford | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Diane Abbott | Hackney North and Stoke Newington | Lab | no |
aye |
Meg Hillier | Hackney South and Shoreditch | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Linda Riordan | Halifax | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
David Davis | Haltemprice and Howden | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Glenda Jackson | Hampstead and Highgate | Lab | absent |
aye |
Phil Willis | Harrogate and Knaresborough | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
John Martin McDonnell | Hayes and Harlington | Lab | no |
aye |
Andrew Stunell | Hazel Grove | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
John Howell | Henley | Con | absent |
aye |
Boris Johnson | Henley | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
James Clappison | Hertsmere | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Jim Dobbin | Heywood and Middleton | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Tom Levitt | High Peak | Lab | absent |
no |
Lynne Featherstone | Hornsey and Wood Green | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Barry Sheerman | Huddersfield | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Greg Pope | Hyndburn | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Mike Gapes | Ilford South | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Danny Alexander | Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Andrew Turner | Isle of Wight | Con | absent |
aye |
Jeremy Corbyn | Islington North | Lab | no |
aye |
Emily Thornberry | Islington South and Finsbury | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Malcolm Rifkind | Kensington and Chelsea | Con | absent |
aye |
Edward Davey | Kingston and Surbiton | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Gordon Brown | Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Jimmy Hood | Lanark and Hamilton East | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Ben Wallace | Lancaster and Wyre | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Hilary Benn | Leeds Central | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Fabian Hamilton | Leeds North East | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Greg Mulholland | Leeds North West | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
John Battle | Leeds West | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Keith Vaz | Leicester East | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Norman Baker | Lewes | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Harry Cohen | Leyton and Wanstead | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Michael Connarty | Linlithgow and East Falkirk | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Peter Kilfoyle | Liverpool, Walton | Lab | no |
absent |
Robert Wareing | Liverpool, West Derby | whilst Independent | absent |
aye |
Robert Wareing | Liverpool, West Derby | whilst Lab | no |
absent |
Andy Reed | Loughborough | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Peter Tapsell | Louth and Horncastle | Con | absent |
aye |
Kelvin Hopkins | Luton North | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Theresa May | Maidenhead | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Tony Lloyd | Manchester Central | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Gerald Kaufman | Manchester, Gorton | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
John Leech | Manchester, Withington | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Robert Marshall-Andrews | Medway | Lab | no |
aye |
Elfyn Llwyd | Meirionnydd Nant Conwy | PC (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Annette Brooke | Mid Dorset and North Poole | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Peter Luff | Mid Worcestershire | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Ashok Kumar | Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Lembit Öpik | Montgomeryshire | LDem (front bench) | no |
absent |
Angus Robertson | Moray | SNP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Geraldine Smith | Morecambe and Lunesdale | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Julian Lewis | New Forest East | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Nick Brown | Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Doug Henderson | Newcastle upon Tyne North | Lab | no |
absent |
Paul Farrelly | Newcastle-under-Lyme | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Paul Flynn | Newport West | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Ian Paisley | North Antrim | DUP (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Katy Clark | North Ayrshire and Arran | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Dan Rogerson | North Cornwall | LDem (front bench) | no |
tellaye |
Nick Harvey | North Devon | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Sylvia Hermon | North Down | UUP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Alistair Burt | North East Bedfordshire | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Malcolm Moss | North East Cambridgeshire | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Menzies Campbell | North East Fife | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Mark Lancaster | North East Milton Keynes | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Norman Lamb | North Norfolk | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Owen Paterson | North Shropshire | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Simon Hughes | North Southwark and Bermondsey | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Stephen Byers | North Tyneside | Lab | no |
absent |
Shailesh Vara | North West Cambridgeshire | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
David Taylor | North West Leicestershire | Lab (minister) | no |
both |
James Gray | North Wiltshire | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Brian Binley | Northampton South | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Steve Webb | Northavon | LDem | no |
aye |
Ian Gibson | Norwich North | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Alan Simpson | Nottingham South | Lab | no |
aye |
Derek Conway | Old Bexley and Sidcup | whilst Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Phil Woolas | Oldham East and Saddleworth | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Alistair Carmichael | Orkney and Shetland | LDem (front bench) | no |
absent |
John Horam | Orpington | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Andrew Smith | Oxford East | Lab | no |
aye |
Evan Harris | Oxford West and Abingdon | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Gordon Prentice | Pendle | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Pete Wishart | Perth and North Perthshire | SNP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Kim Howells | Pontypridd | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Paul Truswell | Pudsey | Lab | no |
aye |
Rob Wilson | Reading East | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Martin Salter | Reading West | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Crispin Blunt | Reigate | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Susan Kramer | Richmond Park | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Paul Rowen | Rochdale | LDem (front bench) | no |
absent |
Andrew Rosindell | Romford | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Charles Kennedy | Ross, Skye and Lochaber | LDem | no |
absent |
Janet Anderson | Rossendale and Darwen | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Denis MacShane | Rotherham | Lab | no |
absent |
John Greenway | Ryedale | Con | aye |
absent |
John Grogan | Selby | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Nick Clegg | Sheffield, Hallam | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Paddy Tipping | Sherwood | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
David Curry | Skipton and Ripon | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Lorely Burt | Solihull | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
David Heath | Somerton and Frome | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
William McCrea | South Antrim | DUP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Colin Breed | South East Cornwall | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Anne Snelgrove | South Swindon | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Jeremy Hunt | South West Surrey | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
John Pugh | Southport | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Shaun Woodward | St Helens South | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Andrew George | St Ives | LDem | no |
aye |
Anne McGuire | Stirling | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Frank Cook | Stockton North | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Mark Fisher | Stoke-on-Trent Central | Lab | no |
aye |
John Maples | Stratford-on-Avon | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Michael Gove | Surrey Heath | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Paul Burstow | Sutton and Cheam | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Andrew Mitchell | Sutton Coldfield | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Siân James | Swansea East | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Alan Williams | Swansea West | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Jeremy Browne | Taunton | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Richard Younger-Ross | Teignbridge | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Andrew MacKinlay | Thurrock | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
John Stanley | Tonbridge and Malling | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Adrian Sanders | Torbay | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Matthew Taylor | Truro and St Austell | LDem | absent |
aye |
Vincent Cable | Twickenham | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
David Simpson | Upper Bann | DUP (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Kate Hoey | Vauxhall | Lab | absent |
aye |
Mary Creagh | Wakefield | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Neil Gerrard | Walthamstow | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Ed Vaizey | Wantage | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Claire Ward | Watford | Lab (minister) | absent |
tellno |
Mike Hall | Weaver Vale | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
David Heathcoat-Amory | Wells | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Grant Shapps | Welwyn Hatfield | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Robert Smith | West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Adrian Bailey | West Bromwich West | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Rosie Cooper | West Lancashire | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Tim Farron | Westmorland and Lonsdale | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Neil Turner | Wigan | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
David Cameron | Witney | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Humfrey Malins | Woking | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Peter Bottomley | Worthing West | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Richard Taylor | Wyre Forest | Independent (front bench) | absent |
aye |
David Laws | Yeovil | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
The measure of similarity between these two divisions is a calculation
based on a comparison of their votes.
There were
646 MPs who could have voted in both of these divisions,
and 356 voted the same way, with 72 voting in opposite ways.
There were 48 MPs who didn't vote in either division,
and 170 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])
=
356
(356 + 72 + 0.2x170)
=
356
462
=
0.771
=
77.1 %.