Conference Agenda Liberal Democrat Autumn Conference 17th - 22nd September 2005 Blackpool The REAL alternative Contents Procedural information 2-4 Wednesday 21st F35 Reports of the Parliamentary Parties of the 31 Information Sunday 18th September Liberal Democrats Consultative Sessions 5 F36 Urgent Issue 31 F1 Report of the FCC 6 F37 Speech by Mark Oaten MP 31 F2 Standing Order Amendments 6 F38 Ending Elective Dictatorship 32 F3 Report of the FPC 7 F39 Road User Pricing 33 F4 Tax Credits 8 F40 Question and Answer Session on the 34 F5 Speech by Steve Webb MP 9 Environment F6 Equal Pay Audits 9 F41 Tackling Carbon Emissions: A Strategy for 35 Sunday 18th F7 Federal Executive Report 10 Clean and Sustainable Energy F8 Appointment of Federal Appeals Panel 10 F42 Speech by Rt Hon Jim Wallace QC MSP 36 2005-2010 F43 Parliamentary Candidates 37 F9 Report of the FFAC 11 F44 Leadership Election Nominations 37 F10 Membership Subscription and Federal Levy 11 F11 Report of the Gender Balance Task Force 12 Thursday 22nd F12 Campaign for Gender Balance 12 F45 Emergency Motions 39 F46 Anti-Social Behaviour 39 Monday 19th F47 Civil Liberties 41 Monday 19th F13 Formal Opening of Federal Conference 14 F48 Presentation of Awards 43 F14 The Future for Europe 14 F49 Speech by the Leader of the Liberal 43 F15 Control of Small Arms 16 Democrats, the Rt Hon Charles Kennedy MP F16 Speech by Rt Hon Sir Menzies Campbell QC MP 17 F17 Review of Millennium Development Goals 17 Standing Orders 44-51 F18 Speech by Simon Hughes MP 19 Federal Party 51 F19 Presentation of Newly Elected MPs 19 uesday 20th F20 Question & Answer with Charles Kennedy MP 19 T F21 Speech by Seif Shariff Hamad 20 See Conference Directory for Conference F22 NHS Dentistry 20 information, Fringe, Exhibition, Features F23 Mental Health 21 F24 Urgent Issue 23 Conference Directory and Agenda Tuesday 20th are available on tape and in large F25 Standards Board for England 24 print. See page 3. F26 Closing the Funding Gap in 16-19 Education 25 ednesday 21st F27 Speech by Graham Watson MEP 26 W F28 Saving the Post Office and Royal Mail 26 F29 Speech by Dr Vincent Cable MP 28 F30 School Discipline: School Communities and 28 Pastoral Care F31 Speech by Sarah Teather MP 29 F32 Emergency Motions 30 www.libdems.org.uk F33 Presentation by Scottish Liberal Democrat 30 Thursday 22nd Parliamentary Party Published by The Conference Office, Liberal Democrats, F34 Meeting the Challenge Consultative Session 30 4 Cowley Street, London, SW1P 3NB. Edited by Stuart Marritt. Design and layout by Mike Cooper, 25 Orchard Road, Sutton, SM1 2QA. Printed by Burlington Press, 1 Station Road, Foxton, CB2 6SW. Front cover photo: © Blackpool Conference Centre Tourism Division. Printed on recycled paper ISBN 1-85187-742-8 Standing Orders Information Procedural information Please ensure that you read carefully the Amendments, emergency motions, appeals and Conference information starting on page 66 of the questions to reports should be sent to the Policy Conference Directory, which includes registration Unit, preferably by email to and security information. [email protected], or by fax to 020 7799 2170 or post to 4 Cowley Street, London SW1P 3NB. A standard form is included with this Final Agenda; if Deadlines faxing or posting, please use this or a photocopy. Amendments to motions / emergency motions / All items accepted for debate will be detailed in questions to reports / appeals Sunday’s Advance Notice sheet. The deadline for: Applicability of motions ● amendments to motions F4, F6, F10, F12, F14, F15, F17, F22, F23, F25, F26, F28, F30, F38, F39, All motions are Federal in application unless F41, F46 and F47; otherwise stated. ● emergency motions; ● questions to reports; Urgent Issues ● appeals The Conference Committee has decided to pilot a new is 12.00 noon Wednesday 14th September. type of agenda item known as an Urgent Issue. Emergency motions may be the subject of priority Two slots at F24 and F36 have been reserved for ballots among representatives. Ballot papers and the discussion of an important current political issue. ballot box will be available at the Information Desk. The topic for the discussion will therefore only be The poll will be held, if necessary, between 09.30 and selected in the week before Conference, and notified 13.00 on Monday 19th September. through the Advance Notice and Daily Announcements. Unlike other debates at Conference, Procedure for submission this discussion will not make new party policy, but is intended to allow conference representatives and Appeals against non-acceptance of motions should: spokespeople an opportunity to discuss and comment on a political issue live at the time of a) be typed clearly on one side of an A4 sheet; Conference. b) give a contact name and telephone number; c) include a copy of the original motion to which Suggestions for issues may be submitted by any they relate; and conference representative, and should be emailed to d) specify the justification for the appeal and [email protected] by noon on Friday 9 provide new information of which the Conference September. The title of the issue should be no more Committee was unaware when it made its original than ten words long, and should not include an decision. expression of opinion. For example, ‘The Chaos on the Railways’ would be acceptable, ‘The Chaos on the Questions to reports may be submitted by any voting Railways can be solved by Renationalisation’ would Representative. not. Emails should also include full contact details of the submitter, and may include up to 100 words of Amendments, emergency motions and appeals must explanatory background. be signed by 10 voting representatives, or submitted by Local Parties, State Parties, Regional Parties in The person submitting an issue chosen for one of England, Federal Specified Associated Organisations these slots will be expected to speak for five minutes or Federal Party Committees. to introduce the discussion. The relevant 2 Liberal Democrat Conference Autumn 2005 Parliamentary spokesperson will be invited to respond. At the end of the debate, a member of the Services for the blind FPC will sum up the main points and suggest any Information further actions. and visually impaired Copies of the Conference Agenda and Advance Notice and Directory and Consultation Papers Daily Announcements will be available from RNIB on tape and large print from 7th September. An Advance Notice sheet will be published on Sunday. Contact Donna Gordon at RNIB: This will contain amendments to motions, urgent issues, emergency motions for debate or the ballot 01733 375106. and questions to reports selected by the Conference Committee. PDF files of the Agenda, Directory and Consultation Papers are available A Daily Announcements sheet will be published each from the Conference Office: email day Monday-Thursday and will be available at the start of the morning session from the information [email protected]. desk. It will include last-minute changes to the order of business, movers, emergency motions etc. Speaking at conference Please make sure you collect your Advance Notice Only four categories of people are entitled to speak in sheet and Daily Announcements sheet as the a debate at conference: information they contain will always be vital to understanding the day’s business. ● Voting representatives (or substitutes) who have paid their full registration fee for the conference (i.e. not day visitors). Venue ● Non-voting representatives who have paid their full registration fee for the conference (i.e. not Auditorium day visitors). ● Persons who are ex-officio representatives (e.g. The main conference sessions will take place in the Parliamentary Spokespersons). auditorium of the Winter Gardens and attendees ● Persons who have been given permission to speak must ensure they are wearing their badges by the Conference Committee. everywhere within the Conference Centre. Certain areas within the auditorium will be reserved for No other person may be called to speak in debates. guests and observers. Smoking is not permitted in the auditorium. In exceptional circumstances (such as the possession of particular expertise that would not otherwise be Platform seating represented in the debate), people who are not either voting or non-voting representatives may be Except for the opening ceremony of the conference authorised to submit a speaker’s card by the (Monday morning), the President’s and the Leader’s Conference Committee, but they must apply to the speech, any representative at the conference may sit Conference Committee at least 48 hours in advance. on the platform, subject to space availability. If you wish to sit on the platform you should approach the Anyone who is entitled and wishes to speak must Platform Steward at the Stewards’ Table before the complete a speaker’s card to speak in the debate. beginning of the session and he / she will show you Cards can be obtained from the Steward overseeing where to sit. the block of seats in which you are sitting or from the www.libdems.org.uk 3 Information Information desk from Saturday afternoon. It is Interventions important that you supply all the information requested on the card and make sure that you There will be interventions during debates F22 and Information complete all the sections legibly. F28. This procedure offers representatives the opportunity to make concise (one-minute) speeches Please hand the completed card to a steward in the from the floor during the debate on the motion. auditorium before the beginning of the morning or Eligibility to make an intervention is exactly the afternoon in which the relevant debate occurs. If this same as for those wishing to make a speech.