Comparison of Divisions: Planning Bill — Right of oral representations — rejected — 25 Jun 2008 at 16:45 with Division No. 104 on 29 Apr 2009 at 15:49
(Swap the two divisions around).
The majority of MPs voted against giving the right to make oral representations to the single planning commissioner, or panel of planning commissioners, who were handling the application.[1]
This proposed change to the Bill was intended to preserve the right for interested parties to cross-examine the applicant, which exists in the current planning system.[2]
Under the new system brought about by this Planning Bill, the evidence would be received in written form,[3] although the Examining Authority (either a single commissioner or a panel of commissioners) could choose to hold hearings on a specific issue[4] or open floor hearings[5] (which does not include the right to ask questions).[2]
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) |
Brian Binley | Northampton South | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Tim Boswell | Daventry | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
James Clappison | Hertsmere | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Kenneth Clarke | Rushcliffe | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Nigel Evans | Ribble Valley | Con | aye |
absent |
James Gray | North Wiltshire | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Oliver Heald | North East Hertfordshire | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
David Heathcoat-Amory | Wells | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
John Horam | Orpington | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Michael Jack | Fylde | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Julie Kirkbride | Bromsgrove | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Peter Luff | Mid Worcestershire | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Humfrey Malins | Woking | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Michael Mates | East Hampshire | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Francis Maude | Horsham | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Malcolm Moss | North East Cambridgeshire | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
David Mundell | Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Owen Paterson | North Shropshire | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
John Stanley | Tonbridge and Malling | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Robert Walter | North Dorset | Con | aye |
absent |
James Arbuthnot | North East Hampshire | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Julian Brazier | Canterbury | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
David Cameron | Witney | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Roger Gale | North Thanet | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Adam Holloway | Gravesham | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
John Howell | Henley | Con | absent |
aye |
Bernard Jenkin | North Essex | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
David Lidington | Aylesbury | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Theresa Villiers | Chipping Barnet | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Gregory Campbell | East Londonderry | DUP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Jeffrey M. Donaldson | Lagan Valley | DUP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Peter Robinson | Belfast East | DUP | absent |
aye |
Bob Spink | Castle Point | whilst Independent (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Clare Short | Birmingham, Ladywood | whilst Independent Labour | aye |
absent |
Colin Challen | Morley and Rothwell | Lab (minister) | aye |
no |
David Drew | Stroud | Lab (minister) | aye |
no |
John Grogan | Selby | Lab (minister) | aye |
no |
Gordon Prentice | Pendle | Lab (minister) | aye |
no |
Colin Burgon | Elmet | Lab | aye |
absent |
Paul Flynn | Newport West | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Michael Meacher | Oldham West and Royton | Lab | aye |
absent |
Ian Cawsey | Brigg and Goole | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Harry Cohen | Leyton and Wanstead | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Paul Farrelly | Newcastle-under-Lyme | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Mark Fisher | Stoke-on-Trent Central | Lab | no |
aye |
Joan Humble | Blackpool North and Fleetwood | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Glenda Jackson | Hampstead and Highgate | Lab | no |
aye |
Andrew MacKinlay | Thurrock | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Gordon Marsden | Blackpool South | Lab | no |
aye |
Shona McIsaac | Cleethorpes | Lab | no |
aye |
Julie Morgan | Cardiff North | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Nick Palmer | Broxtowe | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Steve Pound | Ealing North | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Nick Raynsford | Greenwich and Woolwich | Lab | no |
aye |
Andy Reed | Loughborough | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Linda Riordan | Halifax | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Andrew Smith | Oxford East | Lab | no |
aye |
Keith Vaz | Leicester East | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
John Austin | Erith and Thamesmead | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Adrian Bailey | West Bromwich West | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
John Battle | Leeds West | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Hilary Benn | Leeds Central | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Karen Buck | Regent's Park and Kensington North | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Richard Burden | Birmingham, Northfield | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Richard Caborn | Sheffield Central | Lab | no |
absent |
Ronnie Campbell | Blyth Valley | Lab | no |
absent |
Michael Clapham | Barnsley West and Penistone | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Charles Clarke | Norwich South | Lab | no |
absent |
Frank Cook | Stockton North | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Claire Curtis-Thomas | Crosby | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Jim Dobbin | Heywood and Middleton | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Bill Etherington | Sunderland North | Lab | no |
absent |
Frank Field | Birkenhead | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Mike Gapes | Ilford South | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Ian Gibson | Norwich North | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Mike Hall | Weaver Vale | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Patrick Hall | Bedford | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Fabian Hamilton | Leeds North East | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Doug Henderson | Newcastle upon Tyne North | Lab | no |
absent |
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 |
Geoff Hoon | Ashfield | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Lindsay Hoyle | Chorley | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Lynne Jones | Birmingham, Selly Oak | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Martyn Jones | Clwyd South | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Peter Kilfoyle | Liverpool, Walton | Lab | no |
absent |
Ashok Kumar | Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Ivan Lewis | Bury South | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Martin Linton | Battersea | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Denis MacShane | Rotherham | Lab | no |
absent |
Khalid Mahmood | Birmingham, Perry Barr | Lab | no |
absent |
Judy Mallaber | Amber Valley | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
John Mann | Bassetlaw | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Chris McCafferty | Calder Valley | Lab | no |
absent |
Anne McGuire | Stirling | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Alan Meale | Mansfield | Lab | no |
absent |
Ed Miliband | Doncaster North | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Austin Mitchell | Great Grimsby | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Anne Moffat | East Lothian | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Kali Mountford | Colne Valley | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Edward O'Hara | Knowsley South | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Sandra Osborne | Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Greg Pope | Hyndburn | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Bridget Prentice | Lewisham East | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Bill Rammell | Harlow | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Jamie Reed | Copeland | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
John Reid | Airdrie and Shotts | Lab | no |
absent |
John Robertson | Glasgow North West | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Martin Salter | Reading West | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Marsha Singh | Bradford West | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Anne Snelgrove | South Swindon | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Gavin Strang | Edinburgh East | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Gisela Stuart | Birmingham, Edgbaston | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Paddy Tipping | Sherwood | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Neil Turner | Wigan | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Betty Williams | Conwy | Lab | no |
absent |
Shaun Woodward | St Helens South | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Anthony D Wright | Great Yarmouth | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Neil Gerrard | Walthamstow | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
Nick Ainger | Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
David Borrow | South Ribble | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
David Crausby | Bolton North East | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Frank Dobson | Holborn and St Pancras | Lab | absent |
no |
Natascha Engel | North East Derbyshire | Lab | absent |
no |
Dai Havard | Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Kevan Jones | North Durham | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Stephen Ladyman | South Thanet | Lab | absent |
no |
Ian McCartney | Makerfield | Lab | absent |
no |
Elliot Morley | Scunthorpe | Lab | absent |
no |
Lindsay Roy | Glenrothes | Lab | absent |
no |
Barry Sheerman | Huddersfield | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Graham Stringer | Manchester, Blackley | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
David Taylor | North West Leicestershire | Lab (minister) | absent |
both |
Alistair Carmichael | Orkney and Shetland | LDem (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Sandra Gidley | Romsey | LDem (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Paul Keetch | Hereford | LDem (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Mark Oaten | Winchester | LDem (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Lembit Öpik | Montgomeryshire | LDem (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Paul Rowen | Rochdale | LDem (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Roger Williams | Brecon and Radnorshire | LDem (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Lorely Burt | Solihull | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Menzies Campbell | North East Fife | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Nick Clegg | Sheffield, Hallam | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Mark Williams | Ceredigion | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Alasdair McDonnell | Belfast South | SDLP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
John Mason | Glasgow East | SNP | absent |
aye |
Angus Robertson | Moray | SNP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Michael Weir | Angus | SNP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Pete Wishart | Perth and North Perthshire | SNP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Bob Spink | Castle Point | whilst UKIP (front bench) | aye |
absent |
The measure of similarity between these two divisions is a calculation
based on a comparison of their votes.
There were
644 MPs who could have voted in both of these divisions,
and 459 voted the same way, with 21 voting in opposite ways.
There were 40 MPs who didn't vote in either division,
and 124 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])
=
459
(459 + 21 + 0.2x124)
=
459
504.8
=
0.909
=
90.9 %.