Comparison of Divisions: Opposition Day — [3rd allotted day] — Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs — 4 Dec 2007 at 21:50 with Division No. 104 on 29 Apr 2009 at 15:49
(Swap the two divisions around).
I beg to move,
That this House deplores the performance of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; regrets that it has been responsible for huge and avoidable costs to farmers and taxpayers; notes with concern the significant cost overruns in the Department's programme and administration budgets; and believes that planned budget cuts of £270 million will further undermine efforts to deliver policies which tackle climate change, promote the farming industry and enhance the natural environment.
I beg to move, To leave out from "House" to the end of the Question, and to add instead thereof:
"commends the Government on its swift and effective action to deal with four different disease outbreaks in England in 2007; welcomes the announcement on 8th October 2007 of an aid package to farmers worth £12.5 million through extra support to hill farmers, fallen stock collection, meat promotion and help for farming support charities; congratulates the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) on its effective emergency planning arrangements in conjunction with the emergency services and local authorities to warn those at risk from the recent tidal surge and initiate precautionary evacuation; applauds the increase in spending on flood defences since 1997, a 30 per cent. increase in real terms to around £600 million, and the announcement that spending will rise to a maximum of £800 million by 2010-11; and further congratulates the Government for bringing together environment, rural affairs and food and farming under Defra to create a unified structure essential for the effective delivery of integrated Government policies across these issues.".
Question put accordingly, That the original words stand part of the Question:-
The House divided: Ayes 186, Noes 275.
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 |
James Arbuthnot | North East Hampshire | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Hilary Armstrong | North West Durham | Lab | absent |
no |
Norman Baker | Lewes | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Tony Baldry | Banbury | Con | absent |
aye |
Kevin Barron | Rother Valley | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
John Battle | Leeds West | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Stuart Bell | Middlesbrough | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Henry Bellingham | North West Norfolk | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Hilary Benn | Leeds Central | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Roger Berry | Kingswood | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Clive Betts | Sheffield, Attercliffe | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Brian Binley | Northampton South | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Peter Bottomley | Worthing West | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Graham Brady | Altrincham and Sale West | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Colin Breed | South East Cornwall | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
James Brokenshire | Hornchurch | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Gordon Brown | Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Jeremy Browne | Taunton | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
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 |
Paul Burstow | Sutton and Cheam | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Lorely Burt | Solihull | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Dawn Butler | Brent South | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Stephen Byers | North Tyneside | Lab | no |
absent |
Richard Caborn | Sheffield Central | Lab | no |
absent |
David Cameron | Witney | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Menzies Campbell | North East Fife | LDem | absent |
aye |
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 |
Colin Challen | Morley and Rothwell | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Ben Chapman | Wirral South | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Christopher Chope | Christchurch | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Michael Clapham | Barnsley West and Penistone | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Greg Clark | Tunbridge Wells | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Katy Clark | North Ayrshire and Arran | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Charles Clarke | Norwich South | Lab | no |
absent |
Kenneth Clarke | Rushcliffe | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Nick Clegg | Sheffield, Hallam | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Harry Cohen | Leyton and Wanstead | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Derek Conway | Old Bexley and Sidcup | whilst Con (front bench) | aye |
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 |
Stephen Crabb | Preseli Pembrokeshire | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Mary Creagh | Wakefield | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Jon Cruddas | Dagenham | Lab | no |
absent |
Ann Cryer | Keighley | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
David Curry | Skipton and Ripon | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Claire Curtis-Thomas | Crosby | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Alistair Darling | Edinburgh South West | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Edward Davey | Kingston and Surbiton | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Dai Davies | Blaenau Gwent | Independent | no |
aye |
David Davies | Monmouth | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
David Davis | Haltemprice and Howden | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
John Denham | Southampton, Itchen | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Jonathan Djanogly | Huntingdon | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Jim Dobbin | Heywood and Middleton | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Nigel Dodds | Belfast North | DUP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Jeffrey M. Donaldson | Lagan Valley | DUP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Nadine Dorries | Mid Bedfordshire | Con | absent |
aye |
David Drew | Stroud | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Iain Duncan Smith | Chingford and Woodford Green | Con | absent |
aye |
Tobias Ellwood | Bournemouth East | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Natascha Engel | North East Derbyshire | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Paul Farrelly | Newcastle-under-Lyme | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Frank Field | Birkenhead | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Mark Field | Cities of London and Westminster | Con | absent |
aye |
Mark Fisher | Stoke-on-Trent Central | Lab | absent |
aye |
Rob Flello | Stoke-on-Trent South | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Liam Fox | Woodspring | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Mike Gapes | Ilford South | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Barry Gardiner | Brent North | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Edward Garnier | Harborough | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Neil Gerrard | Walthamstow | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Ian Gibson | Norwich North | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Sandra Gidley | Romsey | LDem (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Roger Godsiff | Birmingham, Sparkbrook and Small Heath | Lab | no |
absent |
Chris Grayling | Epsom and Ewell | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Nigel Griffiths | Edinburgh South | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
John Grogan | Selby | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
John Gummer | Suffolk Coastal | Con | absent |
aye |
Peter Hain | Neath | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Mike Hall | Weaver Vale | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Patrick Hall | Bedford | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Greg Hands | Hammersmith and Fulham | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Evan Harris | Oxford West and Abingdon | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
John Healey | Wentworth | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
David Heathcoat-Amory | Wells | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Stephen Hepburn | Jarrow | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
John Heppell | Nottingham East | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Sylvia Hermon | North Down | UUP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
David Heyes | Ashton-under-Lyne | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Keith Hill | Streatham | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Meg Hillier | Hackney South and Shoreditch | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Margaret Hodge | Barking | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Sharon Hodgson | Gateshead East and Washington West | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Kate Hoey | Vauxhall | Lab (minister) | absent |
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 (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Stewart Hosie | Dundee East | SNP (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Michael Howard | Folkestone and Hythe | Con | absent |
aye |
Gerald Howarth | Aldershot | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
John Howell | Henley | Con | absent |
aye |
Lindsay Hoyle | Chorley | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Christopher Huhne | Eastleigh | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Joan Humble | Blackpool North and Fleetwood | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Jeremy Hunt | South West Surrey | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
John Hutton | Barrow and Furness | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Eric Illsley | Barnsley Central | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Glenda Jackson | Hampstead and Highgate | Lab | absent |
aye |
Siân James | Swansea East | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Boris Johnson | Henley | Con | aye |
absent |
David Jones | Clwyd West | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Martyn Jones | Clwyd South | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Daniel Kawczynski | Shrewsbury and Atcham | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Sally Keeble | Northampton North | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Barbara Keeley | Worsley | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Fraser Kemp | Houghton and Washington East | Lab | absent |
no |
Peter Kilfoyle | Liverpool, Walton | Lab | no |
absent |
Julie Kirkbride | Bromsgrove | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Susan Kramer | Richmond Park | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Ashok Kumar | Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Mark Lancaster | North East Milton Keynes | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
David Laws | Yeovil | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Bob Laxton | Derby North | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
John Leech | Manchester, Withington | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Ivan Lewis | Bury South | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
David Lidington | Aylesbury | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Martin Linton | Battersea | Lab | no |
absent |
Elfyn Llwyd | Meirionnydd Nant Conwy | PC (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Tim Loughton | East Worthing and Shoreham | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Peter Luff | Mid Worcestershire | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
John MacDougall | Glenrothes | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Andrew MacKinlay | Thurrock | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
David Maclean | Penrith and The Border | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Angus MacNeil | Na h-Eileanan an Iar | SNP (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Judy Mallaber | Amber Valley | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
John Maples | Stratford-on-Avon | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Gordon Marsden | Blackpool South | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Robert Marshall-Andrews | Medway | Lab | no |
aye |
John Mason | Glasgow East | SNP | absent |
aye |
Michael Mates | East Hampshire | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Ian McCartney | Makerfield | Lab | absent |
no |
Alasdair McDonnell | Belfast South | SDLP (front bench) | no |
aye |
John Martin McDonnell | Hayes and Harlington | Lab | absent |
aye |
Pat McFadden | Wolverhampton South East | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Anne McGuire | Stirling | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Shona McIsaac | Cleethorpes | Lab | no |
aye |
Michael Meacher | Oldham West and Royton | Lab | no |
absent |
Ed Miliband | Doncaster North | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Andrew Mitchell | Sutton Coldfield | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Austin Mitchell | Great Grimsby | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Anne Moffat | East Lothian | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Julie Morgan | Cardiff North | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Malcolm Moss | North East Cambridgeshire | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Greg Mulholland | Leeds North West | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
David Mundell | Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Jim Murphy | East Renfrewshire | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Bob Neill | Bromley and Chislehurst | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Lembit Öpik | Montgomeryshire | LDem (front bench) | aye |
absent |
George Osborne | Tatton | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Sandra Osborne | Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Richard Ottaway | Croydon South | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Albert Owen | Ynys Môn | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Nick Palmer | Broxtowe | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Owen Paterson | North Shropshire | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Andrew Pelling | Croydon Central | whilst Independent (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Greg Pope | Hyndburn | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Steve Pound | Ealing North | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
James Purnell | Stalybridge and Hyde | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Bill Rammell | Harlow | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Nick Raynsford | Greenwich and Woolwich | Lab | no |
aye |
Andy Reed | Loughborough | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Alan Reid | Argyll and Bute | LDem (front bench) | absent |
tellaye |
Linda Riordan | Halifax | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Angus Robertson | Moray | SNP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Hugh Robertson | Faversham and Mid Kent | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
John Robertson | Glasgow North West | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Laurence Robertson | Tewkesbury | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Iris Robinson | Strangford | DUP | aye |
absent |
Terry Rooney | Bradford North | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Lindsay Roy | Glenrothes | Lab | absent |
no |
Martin Salter | Reading West | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Mohammad Sarwar | Glasgow Central | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Mark Simmonds | Boston and Skegness | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Alan Simpson | Nottingham South | Lab | no |
aye |
Marsha Singh | Bradford West | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Andrew Slaughter | Ealing, Acton and Shepherd's Bush | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Andrew Smith | Oxford East | Lab | no |
aye |
Angela Smith | Sheffield, Hillsborough | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Anne Snelgrove | South Swindon | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
John Spellar | Warley | Lab | absent |
no |
Bob Spink | Castle Point | whilst Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Bob Spink | Castle Point | whilst Independent (front bench) | absent |
aye |
John Stanley | Tonbridge and Malling | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Ian Stewart | Eccles | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Gavin Strang | Edinburgh East | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Gisela Stuart | Birmingham, Edgbaston | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Jo Swinson | East Dunbartonshire | LDem (front bench) | aye |
absent |
David Taylor | North West Leicestershire | Lab (minister) | absent |
both |
Richard Taylor | Wyre Forest | Independent (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Sarah Teather | Brent East | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Emily Thornberry | Islington South and Finsbury | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Edward Timpson | Crewe and Nantwich | Con | absent |
aye |
Paddy Tipping | Sherwood | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Paul Truswell | Pudsey | Lab | no |
aye |
Neil Turner | Wigan | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Kitty Ussher | Burnley | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Ed Vaizey | Wantage | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Keith Vaz | Leicester East | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Peter Viggers | Gosport | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Charles Walker | Broxbourne | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Claire Ward | Watford | Lab (minister) | absent |
tellno |
Robert Wareing | Liverpool, West Derby | whilst Independent | absent |
aye |
John Whittingdale | Maldon and East Chelmsford | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Malcolm Wicks | Croydon North | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Mark Williams | Ceredigion | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Nicholas Winterton | Macclesfield | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Mike Wood | Batley and Spen | Lab | no |
aye |
Shaun Woodward | St Helens South | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Anthony D Wright | Great Yarmouth | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Tony Wright | Cannock Chase | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
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 366 voted the same way, with 24 voting in opposite ways.
There were 60 MPs who didn't vote in either division,
and 196 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])
=
366
(366 + 24 + 0.2x196)
=
366
429.2
=
0.853
=
85.3 %.