Comparison of Divisions: Planning Bill — Secretary of State to have final say — 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 inserting a new clause near the start of the Planning Bill[1] which said:[2]
-
Decisions taken by the Commission as part of any function conferred on it shall be subject to confirmation [within six months] by the Secretary of State.
The purpose of this amendment was to ensure that ministers "cannot duck having the final say" and would reinstate an element of democratic accountability, so to speak.[3]
Without this clause, the intent of the Planning Bill is that the final say would be by an appointed Planning Commission within the brief of a National Policy Statement.
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 |
Geoff Hoon | Ashfield | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
David Heyes | Ashton-under-Lyne | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
David Lidington | Aylesbury | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Sandra Osborne | Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Margaret Hodge | Barking | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Michael Clapham | Barnsley West and Penistone | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
John Mann | Bassetlaw | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Martin Linton | Battersea | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Patrick Hall | Bedford | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Peter Robinson | Belfast East | DUP | absent |
aye |
Alasdair McDonnell | Belfast South | SDLP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Frank Field | Birkenhead | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Gisela Stuart | Birmingham, Edgbaston | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Clare Short | Birmingham, Ladywood | whilst Independent Labour | aye |
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 |
Joan Humble | Blackpool North and Fleetwood | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Gordon Marsden | Blackpool South | Lab | no |
aye |
Ronnie Campbell | Blyth Valley | Lab | no |
absent |
David Crausby | Bolton North East | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Gerry Sutcliffe | Bradford South | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Marsha Singh | Bradford West | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Roger Williams | Brecon and Radnorshire | LDem (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Ian Cawsey | Brigg and Goole | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Desmond Turner | Brighton, Kemptown | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Julie Kirkbride | Bromsgrove | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Nick Palmer | Broxtowe | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Ivan Lewis | Bury South | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Chris McCafferty | Calder Valley | Lab | no |
absent |
Julian Brazier | Canterbury | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Julie Morgan | Cardiff North | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Nick Ainger | Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Bob Spink | Castle Point | whilst Independent (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Bob Spink | Castle Point | whilst UKIP (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Mark Williams | Ceredigion | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Theresa Villiers | Chipping Barnet | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Lindsay Hoyle | Chorley | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Hugh Bayley | City of York | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Shona McIsaac | Cleethorpes | Lab | no |
aye |
Martyn Jones | Clwyd South | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Kali Mountford | Colne Valley | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Betty Williams | Conwy | Lab | no |
absent |
Jamie Reed | Copeland | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Claire Curtis-Thomas | Crosby | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Tim Boswell | Daventry | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Ed Miliband | Doncaster North | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
David Mundell | Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Steve Pound | Ealing North | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Michael Mates | East Hampshire | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Gregory Campbell | East Londonderry | DUP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Anne Moffat | East Lothian | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Gavin Strang | Edinburgh East | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Colin Burgon | Elmet | Lab | aye |
absent |
John Austin | Erith and Thamesmead | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Michael Jack | Fylde | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
John Mason | Glasgow East | SNP | absent |
aye |
John Robertson | Glasgow North West | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Lindsay Roy | Glenrothes | Lab | absent |
no |
Adam Holloway | Gravesham | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Austin Mitchell | Great Grimsby | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Anthony D Wright | Great Yarmouth | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Nick Raynsford | Greenwich and Woolwich | Lab | no |
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 |
Glenda Jackson | Hampstead and Highgate | Lab | no |
aye |
Bill Rammell | Harlow | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
John Howell | Henley | Con | absent |
aye |
Paul Keetch | Hereford | LDem (front bench) | aye |
absent |
James Clappison | Hertsmere | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Jim Dobbin | Heywood and Middleton | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Frank Dobson | Holborn and St Pancras | Lab | absent |
no |
Francis Maude | Horsham | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Greg Pope | Hyndburn | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Mike Gapes | Ilford South | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Edward O'Hara | Knowsley South | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Jeffrey M. Donaldson | Lagan Valley | DUP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Hilary Benn | Leeds Central | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Fabian Hamilton | Leeds North East | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
John Battle | Leeds West | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Keith Vaz | Leicester East | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Bridget Prentice | Lewisham East | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Harry Cohen | Leyton and Wanstead | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Peter Kilfoyle | Liverpool, Walton | Lab | no |
absent |
Andy Reed | Loughborough | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Ian McCartney | Makerfield | Lab | absent |
no |
Graham Stringer | Manchester, Blackley | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Alan Meale | Mansfield | Lab | no |
absent |
Dai Havard | Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
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) | aye |
absent |
Angus Robertson | Moray | SNP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Colin Challen | Morley and Rothwell | Lab (minister) | aye |
no |
Jim Cousins | Newcastle upon Tyne Central | Lab (minister) | aye |
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) | aye |
absent |
Robert Walter | North Dorset | Con | aye |
absent |
Kevan Jones | North Durham | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Malcolm Moss | North East Cambridgeshire | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Natascha Engel | North East Derbyshire | Lab | absent |
no |
Menzies Campbell | North East Fife | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
James Arbuthnot | North East Hampshire | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Oliver Heald | North East Hertfordshire | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Bernard Jenkin | North Essex | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Owen Paterson | North Shropshire | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Roger Gale | North Thanet | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
David Taylor | North West Leicestershire | Lab (minister) | aye |
both |
James Gray | North Wiltshire | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Brian Binley | Northampton South | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Ian Gibson | Norwich North | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Charles Clarke | Norwich South | Lab | no |
absent |
Michael Meacher | Oldham West and Royton | Lab | aye |
absent |
Alistair Carmichael | Orkney and Shetland | LDem (front bench) | aye |
absent |
John Horam | Orpington | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Andrew Smith | Oxford East | Lab | no |
aye |
Gordon Prentice | Pendle | Lab (minister) | aye |
no |
Pete Wishart | Perth and North Perthshire | SNP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Martin Salter | Reading West | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Karen Buck | Regent's Park and Kensington North | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Nigel Evans | Ribble Valley | Con | aye |
absent |
Paul Rowen | Rochdale | LDem (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Sandra Gidley | Romsey | LDem (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Janet Anderson | Rossendale and Darwen | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Denis MacShane | Rotherham | Lab | no |
absent |
Philip Hammond | Runnymede and Weybridge | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Kenneth Clarke | Rushcliffe | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Elliot Morley | Scunthorpe | Lab | absent |
no |
John Grogan | Selby | Lab (minister) | aye |
no |
Richard Caborn | Sheffield Central | Lab | no |
absent |
Nick Clegg | Sheffield, Hallam | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Lorely Burt | Solihull | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
John Hayes | South Holland and The Deepings | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
David Borrow | South Ribble | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Anne Snelgrove | South Swindon | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Stephen Ladyman | South Thanet | Lab | absent |
no |
Shaun Woodward | St Helens South | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Anne McGuire | Stirling | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Frank Cook | Stockton North | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Mark Fisher | Stoke-on-Trent Central | Lab | no |
aye |
David Drew | Stroud | Lab (minister) | aye |
no |
Bill Etherington | Sunderland North | Lab | no |
absent |
Andrew MacKinlay | Thurrock | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
John Stanley | Tonbridge and Malling | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Adrian Sanders | Torbay | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Neil Gerrard | Walthamstow | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Mike Hall | Weaver Vale | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
David Heathcoat-Amory | Wells | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Adrian Bailey | West Bromwich West | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Neil Turner | Wigan | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Mark Oaten | Winchester | LDem (front bench) | aye |
absent |
David Cameron | Witney | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Humfrey Malins | Woking | Con (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 451 voted the same way, with 24 voting in opposite ways.
There were 40 MPs who didn't vote in either division,
and 129 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])
=
451
(451 + 24 + 0.2x129)
=
451
500.8
=
0.901
=
90.1 %.