Agenda & Directory for the Liberal Democrats Spring Conference York 15Ð17 March 2024 Plaintext version Welcome to the Conference Agenda & Directory for the Liberal Democrat Spring 2024 Conference. Conference venue York Barbican, Paragon Street, York YO10 4AH Conference hotels Novotel York Centre, Fishergate, York YO10 4FD Official fringe venue Hilton York, 1 Tower Street, York YO1 9WD Further information, registration and conference publications (including plain text and clear print versions) are available at: www.libdems.org.uk/conference Contents Welcome to Conference from Ed Davey, Mark Pack and Nick da Costa 4 Conference at a glance 9 Agenda: Agenda index & timetable 10 Friday 15 March 12 Saturday 16 March 13 Sunday 17 March 38 Information Agenda information 43 Conference information 48 Conference hotel plans 55 Conference venue plan 56 Exhibition: List of exhibitors 57 Directory of exhibitors 58 Fringe & training: 66 Friday fringe 70 Saturday fringe & training 78 Standing Orders 87 Federal Party 99 Map of York 100 libdems.org.uk/conference @LibDems @LibDemConf facebook.com/LibDems ISBN 978-1-915375-20-9 Published and promoted by Mike Dixon on behalf of the Liberal Democrats, 1 Vincent Square, London, SW1P 2PN. Printed by Park Communications Ltd, Alpine Way, London E6 6LA. Design and layout by Mike Cooper, mike@mikecoopermcc.co.uk. Photographs (c) Liberal Democrats unless stated. Welcome to Conference from Sir Ed Davey MP It brings me so much pleasure to welcome you to our Spring Conference 2024. Spring Conferences are always exciting. As the days are getting brighter, we have the chance to come together, to debate, to make new friends and catch up with old ones. Our Spring Conference this year brings with it an extra special buzz...The General Election year is finally here! This might even be our last chance to get together before it. Before this country finally has a chance to bring an end to the chaos and shambles that the Conservatives have served us for over a decade. The Conservatives plunged our country into a cost-of-living crisis, then wanted our applause when they tried (and failed) to fix it. They wasted hundreds of millions of pounds on their heartless and impractical Rwanda scheme instead of investing in our aching NHS. And they continue to ruin our precious natural environment with their negligence. We will not let them get away with this carelessness. Every day we are showing people just how much the Liberal Democrats care. And that's why more and more voters are turning to us. We have started this year with a bang. The canvassing operation that kickstarted in January has smashed records. And we will not give up until the job is done. Until the Conservatives are out of government. As we know, this is just the first step in bringing about the big changes our country needs. We have always been the party with big ideas. In York, we will get together and debate these to make change happen and to deliver a fair deal. Let's make the most of this weekend together. Have a great conference! Ed Davey MP, Leader of the Liberal Democrats Welcome to Conference from Mark Pack My very first federal party conference was a spring conference just before a general election, when the party was buoyed by by-election wins and getting back on track after some very difficult years. Sound familiar? That was 1992, this is 2024, and there's a crucial respect in which we need to break the parallels this year: we need to make sure that this time we play our full part in removing the Conservatives from power in Westminster. We've had more by-election wins, have recovered further and face a more unpopular Conservative Party now than in 1992. So we can look forward to the election with optimism, tempered by the knowledge of just how many doorsteps and letterboxes we need to visit. There are two other big tasks for this year alongside winning our target seats in the general election. We need to continue to broaden and strengthen our grassroots recovery and our local powerbases with progress in this May's local elections. We also need to make full use of the opportunities of a general election to build up our organisational strength outside our target seats - directing many of those efforts to our targets, but leaving all local parties stronger as a result. Our conference in York is an important part of achieving all those tasks. It's where we can refine our policies, be trained, get inspired, exchange ideas, secure positive media coverage - and get the boost from catching up with our friends across the party. Whether you're coming in person, or joining online, I hope you enjoy conference, and make good use of it to boost your campaigning. Please don't hesitate to grab me for any questions you have, or drop me an email on president@libdems.org.uk Mark Pack, President of the Liberal Democrats Welcome to Conference from Nick da Costa Dear Friends, We are absolutely delighted to be back at York for our 2024 Spring Conference. Quite a lot has happened since our last Conference in Bournemouth, and the Federal Conference Committee has selected a really interesting agenda for our Spring Conference. I recommend you all to take a look at our exciting fringe offering and also the exhibition. We are so grateful for all the party bodies and external organisations who engage with our party and our members at our Conferences. This could be the last Conference before the next election, and I'd highly recommend taking a look at the brilliant selection of training sessions available - this is a great opportunity for you to brush up your skills in campaigning, being an agent, and helping us win more Councillors and more MPs! I hope you take full advantage of your time at Conference, and if you need any help over the weekend please reach out to myself or other members of the FCC! Looking forward to seeing you all. Best wishes Nick da Costa, Chair, Federal Conference Committee Conference at a glance At conference, the party debates policy and party business in the Auditorium. The Agenda section on pages 12-42 covers what goes on in the main Auditorium - debates on policy and party business. You'll see a timetable for the debates on pages 10-11, then each agenda item is listed, including the motion that is to be debated. There is also a description of how debates are conducted, and how you can participate, on pages 43-48. Standing orders, on pages 87-98, are the rules that govern the policy and party business that is debated in the Auditorium, relating to how motions and amendments are chosen for debate, how the sessions are conducted and more. There is a useful glossary to help understand some of the terms used. General information to help you make the most of conference can be found on pages 48-56, including plans of the conference venues. During lunch breaks and in the evening, the Fringe programme provides an opportunity to explore different policy aspects in more detail, usually through a panel discussion involving experts and parliamentarians. Alongside the Auditorium and Fringe sessions, the party also runs an extensive Training programme. Fringe and training sessions are detailed on pages 66-86. Throughout conference you can also visit the exhibition, where a range of party, commercial and voluntary organisations have stands, which are listed on pages 57-63. Agenda index and timetable Friday 15 March 15.00-17.00 Consultative session: Science and Technology # 12 18.30-19.30 Conference Rally Saturday 16 March 09.00-09.10 F1 Opening of Conference 13 09.10-09.25 F2 Report: Federal Conference Committee 13 F3 Report: Federal Policy Committee 13 09.25-10.10 F4 Policy motion: Sport for the People 14 10.10-10.55 F5 Policy motion: Boosting Cancer Survival 16 10.55-11.10 F6 Speech: Helen Morgan MP 19 11.10-12.25 F7 Policy motion: Liberal Values in a Dangerous World 19 12.25-12.35 F8 Budget response: Sarah Olney MP 23 12.35-12.50 F9 Constitutional amendment: Federal Appeals Panel 23 12.50-14.10 Lunch break and fringe 13.00-14.00 Consultative session: Future of Work # 28 14.10-14.55 F10 Question and Answer session: Ed Davey MP 28 14.55-15.45 F11 Policy motion: Are You Drinking What We're Drinking? 28 15.45-16.00 F12 Speech: Layla Moran MP 31 16.00-16.45 F13 Policy motion: Tackling Persistent Absence 32 16.45-17.30 F14 Policy motion: 40 New Hospitals 34 17.30-18.00 F15 Reports: Parliamentary Parties 37 Sunday 17 March 09.00-09.45 F16 Emergency motion 38 09.45-10.25 F17 Report: Federal Board 38 F18 Report: Campaign for Gender Balance 38 F19 Report: Federal Communications and Elections Committee 39 F20 Report: Federal International Relations Committee 39 F21 Report: Federal Council 39 10.25-10.40 F22 Speech: Alistair Carmichael MP 39 10.40-11.25 F23 Policy motion: The Funding Crisis in Local Government 39 11.25-11.45 F24 Party awards 41 11.45-13.00 F25 Speech: Ed Davey MP, Leader of the Liberal Democrats 42 13.00 Close of Conference All conference sessions take place in the auditorium in the York Barbican, except the consultative sessions, marked in the index # - see the relevant page of the Agenda. Friday 15 March 15.00-17.00 Consultative session Science and Technology Policy Working Group Novotel York Centre, Fishergate Suite. Chair: Dr Jonathan Everett. Consultative sessions provide a less formal mechanism than the full-scale conference debates for conference representatives and other Party members to participate in the Party's policy- and decision-making process. Each session examines a particular topic and hears contributions from Party members and in some cases outside speakers. The session will be organised by the relevant Working Group. The conclusions of the session will be taken into account by the group when drawing up their final recommendations Saturday 16 March 09.00 Party business Chair: Cara Jenkinson (Vice Chair, FCC). Aide: Cllr Jon Ball (Vice Chair, FCC). Hall Aide: Fraser Graham. F1 Opening of Conference by Dr Mark Pack, President of the Liberal Democrats @markpack F2 Federal Conference Committee Report: questions and accountability Mover: Cllr Nick da Costa (Chair, Federal Conference Committee). The report sessions are the chance for party members to hear how the party is being run and to put questions directly to the movers of reports. The deadline for questions for F2 and F3 is 13.00 Monday 4 March. Questions selected will be published in Conference Extra and Saturday's Conference Daily. These questions will be guaranteed an answer, either in the session or in writing thereafter. Questions may also be submitted up until 08.50 Saturday 16 March; such questions are only taken at the discretion of the chair. See pages 46-47 for further information. F3 Federal Policy Committee Report: questions and accountability Mover: Cllr Lucy Nethsingha (Vice Chair, Federal Policy Committee). See notes to F2. 09.25 Policy motion Chair: Eleanor Kelly. Aide: Cllr Shaffaq Mohammed. Hall Aide: Cllr Darryl Smalley. F4 Sport for the People 12 members Mover: Tim Farron MP. Summation: Jess Brown-Fuller. Conference notes that: i) Watching sport is one the nation's favourite pastimes - 31 million people watched England men's football team in the Euro 2020 final, over 17 million watched Sir Andy Murray win Wimbledon and the same number watched the England Lionesses win Euro 2022. ii) The Lionesses' win at the UEFA Euro 2022 Final and their journey to the final of the FIFA World Cup earlier this year has fuelled interest in women's sport in particular. iii) In 2022, the average viewing time per person for women's sports more than doubled and the number of people watching domestic women's sports has grown to 33 million. iv) Football remains the most popular sport in the United Kingdom, deeply rooted in our country's culture and tradition, attracting millions of passionate fans and players. v) Not a single English Premier League football game in the 2023-24 season will be shown live on free-to-air television, while ticket prices have continued to soar in a cost-of-living crisis, pricing out fans from watching the team they support. vi) Watching football is becoming increasingly expensive to watch on television as English Premier League rights are shared between multiple providers. vii) A new deal, signed in December 2023, will see English Premier League rights shared between two subscription providers from the 2025-26 season through to 2029; in Scotland Premiership football is available exclusively through Sky Sports. viii) A small number of sporting events such as the FIFA men's and women's World Cups are protected in law under Ofcom's 'free-to-air' list. ix) However, many 'crown jewels' of British sports such as the entirety of the men's Ashes and the vast majority of the women's Ashes are not protected and no longer on free-to-air TV - while others such as the Six Nations are now under threat. Conference believes that: A. Watching sport as a nation helps unite people, creates a sense of belonging and fosters national pride. B. Key national sporting events - the 'crown jewels' of sport - should be available to all television viewers, including those who cannot afford the extra cost of subscription television, especially in a cost-of-living crisis. C. It is right that the FIFA Women's World Cup Finals and the Women's European Football Championship Finals have been added to the list of sports available to all viewers. D. It is a scandal that no English Premier League matches are available on free-to-air TV. E. The Government has missed an open goal by failing to protect more of the treasured sporting events which bring people together. Conference calls on the Government to: 1. Expand the list of sporting fixtures which must have live coverage made available to free-to-air channels to include: a) At least 10 Premier League matches and 10 Scottish Premiership matches every season. b) At least 20 games from the English Football League and 10 from the Scottish Championship. c) The men's and women's Six Nations. d) The Ryder Cup and the Solheim Cup. e) The England men's Ashes Test at Lord's, and the England women's Ashes fixture at Lord's. f) At least one cricket test match and one day international per summer. g) The entirety of the Wimbledon Championships. 2. Recognise the growing popularity of women's sports and ensure that the list of women's sporting fixtures made available to free-to-air channels mirrors men's. 3. Review opportunities to televise more disability sports. 4. Continue to protect key national sporting events such as the Summer and Winter Olympic and Paralympic games. Applicability: Federal. Mover: 7 minutes; summation 4 minutes; all other speakers: 3 minutes. For eligibility and procedure for speaking in this debate, see pages 44-45. The deadline for amendments to this motion is 13.00 Monday 4 March; see page 47. Those selected for debate will be printed in Conference Extra and Saturday's Conference Daily. The deadline for requests for separate votes is 09.00 Thursday 14 March; see page 44. 10.10 Policy motion Chair: Professor Belinda Brooks-Gordon. Aide: Cllr Thom Campion. Hall Aide: Jennie Rigg. F5 Boosting Cancer Survival 10 members Mover: Daisy Cooper MP (Spokesperson for Health and Social Care). Summation: Max Wilkinson. Concerns notes with concern that: A. One in two of us will get cancer in our lifetime. B. By 2040, the number of new cases of cancer is estimated to increase by a fifth, the equivalent of half a million new cases being diagnosed each year. C. Cancer targets for diagnosis and starting treatment have not been met since 2015. D. Tens of thousands of patients in 2023 waited longer than the NHS target of 62 days to start cancer treatment. E. The current Conservative Government broke its promise on a ten-year cancer plan that would have made a real difference to patients. F. Every four-week delay to starting cancer treatment is associated with a 10% decrease in survival. G. The majority of cancer research in the UK is funded by the charity sector and the challenge of tackling cancer requires more sustainable funding. H. The UK ranks one of the lowest globally - between 14th and 27th out of 29 countries - for five-year survival for the less survivable cancers. I. The Conservative Government has slashed spending on public health grants, that support programmes and initiatives that support people's health and prevent illness, by around a fifth or œ800m since 2015. J. Nearly one in 10 cancer cases and 33,000 deaths are associated with deprivation and inequality. Conference notes with optimism that: I. Twice as many people survive cancer today compared to the 1970s, and in the last 10 years cancer mortality has fallen by 10% and is predicted to fall another 6% by 2040. II. More than a million lives have been saved from cancer across the UK since the 1980s due to the progress made in prevention, diagnosis and treatment. III. Since the launch of the NHS HPV vaccination programme in 2008, around 450 cancers and 17,200 pre-cancers have been prevented and the programme is considered to be one of the most successful in the world. Conference believes that: a) Cancer should be a top priority for any Government. b) Far too many patients have been let down and forgotten by the Conservative Government, which has run local health services into the ground. c) All cancer patients in the UK should be confident that they will receive the best treatment for them quickly and won't experience negative outcomes associated with delays. d) Patients should not have to travel unreasonable distances to access lifesaving treatment and such distances should have no bearing on clinical decisions about treatment. e) The UK should be a global leader in cancer research and outcomes. Conference re-affirms our commitment progressively to restore the Public Health Grant to at least 2015 levels, with a proportion of these funds to be set aside for local communities experiencing the worst health inequalities to co-design, co-deliver, and co-produce plans on how the money should be spent. Conference calls on the Government to: 1. Implement a legal right to start the most suitable treatment within two months. 2. Introduce a new Cancer Research Act that requires the Government to coordinate and ensure funding for research into cancers with the lowest survival rates, including lung, liver, brain, pancreatic and some childhood cancers. 3. Boost access to radiotherapy by investing in 200 new radiotherapy machines. 4. Halve the time for new tests, treatments and innovations to reach patients by expanding MHRA capacity. 5. Ensure that all cancer patients navigating treatment have a dedicated clinical nurse specialist they can contact directly throughout their treatment and monitoring. 6. Save the National Cancer Research Institute which plays a vital role in coordinating cancer research. 7. Recruit 3,400 more cancer nurses to boost capacity and provide high quality care to patients. 8. Publish a ten-year cancer plan with an overall goal of improving survival. 9. Plug the œ1bn gap in cancer research funding over the next decade. 10. Ensure that patients and their families are given information about charities, patient support groups and financial support at every key stage. 11. Provide cancer patients and families of children with cancer with appropriate support to assist them through the treatment and aftercare process. 12. Develop targeted action plans to address inequalities in access to and speed of cancer treatment. Applicability: England only. Mover: 7 minutes; summation 4 minutes; all other speakers: 3 minutes. For eligibility and procedure for speaking in this debate, see pages 44-45. The deadline for amendments to this motion is 13.00 Monday 4 March; see page 47. Those selected for debate will be printed in Conference Extra and Saturday's Conference Daily. The deadline for requests for separate votes is 09.00 Thursday 14 March; see page 44. 10.55 Speech Chair: Alison Jenner. Aide: Cllr Darryl Smalley. F6 Helen Morgan MP (Spokesperson for Levelling Up, Housing, Communities and Local Government) @helenmorganMP 11.10 Policy motion Chair: Cllr Nick da Costa (Chair, FCC). Aide: Cllr Hannah Kitching. Hall Aide: Lucas North. F7 Liberal Values in a Dangerous World (International Security Policy Paper) Federal Policy Committee Mover: Richard Foord MP (Spokesperson for Defence). Summation: Dr Christine Cheng (Chair of the Policy Working Group). Conference believes that the UK needs a new international security strategy, with key objectives of: I. Keeping the UK safe, free and secure, by working closely with NATO and European allies and promoting peace globally. II. Tackling the global rise of authoritarianism, particularly the regimes in China and Russia, by promoting liberal, democratic values. III. Supporting the world's vulnerable through international cooperation. Conference further believes that achieving and sustaining these objectives must be grounded in our liberal values, especially: A. A vigilant and prepared approach to defence, with armed forces that are well-trained and well-equipped. B. Upholding human rights, democracy and liberal principles, at home and abroad, for example through the ECHR. C. Internationalism and tackling shared issues together for the common good. D. Tackling poverty and inequality wherever we find them. E. Mutually beneficial global trade. F. Environmentalism and a sustainable future for all peoples. Conference deplores that the Conservative government have made both the UK and the world less safe and secure, through a series of policy failures and broken promises, including: i) Cuts in troops, ships, aircraft and equipment, despite heightened global tension. ii) Consistent failures of defence procurement, with budget overruns and insufficient equipment. iii) Undermining the UK's development superpower status by cutting the international development budget and abolishing the Department for International Development. iv) Trashing the UK's diplomatic and moral credibility by antagonising our allies and threatening to break international law. v) Allowing dirty money linked to autocratic regimes, particularly Russia, to infect our politics and our economy. vi) Attacking Britain's globally respected institutions like the BBC and our universities, undermining our soft power globally. Conference therefore endorses policy paper 157, Liberal Values in a Dangerous World, in particular its policies to: 1. Restore the UK's diplomatic credibility by: a) Consistently supporting democracies and human rights at home and abroad, particularly supporting Ukraine, Hong Kong and Taiwan against aggression. b) Standing up for international law and speaking out when it is violated. c) Standing against authoritarianism globally, particularly against aggressive actions from the Russian and Chinese governments. d) Investing in the skills and training of the diplomatic service. e) Working collaboratively through multilateralism and with our sister parties abroad to promote peace and security. 2. Reclaim the UK's development superpower status by: a) Restoring the international development budget to 0.7% of national income and restoring an independent department for development. b) Supporting the UN's Sustainable Development Goals and encouraging partner countries to support this framework for human security and human development. c) Working on the basis of equality and partnership with the Global South to counter global authoritarianism, particularly the challenge posed by China's 'Belt and Road' Initiative, and advocate for liberal, democratic values. d) Adopting a fair and humane approach to the challenge of global refugees and asylum seekers. 3. Support our armed forces to defend our freedoms, interests, and allies by: a) Meeting all of our NATO commitments on defence spending and cooperation at a minimum. b) Reversing the Conservatives' cut to the army. c) Ensuring the UK armed forces have the right training, equipment, and policies to defend Britain and our overseas territories. e) Prioritising interoperability with NATO allies and other strategic partners. f) Tackling the recruitment and retention crisis in the armed forces by securing a fair deal for the armed forces community, including by: i) Improving the standard of MoD housing, including by reviewing the contract with maintenance contractors. ii) Accepting the recommendations of the Atherton report on women in the armed forces. iii) Strengthening the Armed Forces Covenant by placing a legal duty on the Defence Secretary and government departments to give due regard to the Armed Forces Covenant. 4. Tackle the longstanding problems in defence procurement by: a) Replacing the current system with a more flexible approach of continuous reviews of security threats and evolution of defence plans. b) Ensuring that defence procurement is part of a comprehensive Industrial Strategy, to secure a reliable long-term pipeline of equipment procurements. c) Making defence capital spending allocations more flexible and focused on meeting required in-service dates. d) Investing in recruiting, training and retaining staff at the MoD with specialist skills and reducing its dependency and expenditure on external consultants. 5. Work collaboratively with our democratic European partners and promote security in Europe by: a) Working hand-in-glove with NATO countries to support Ukraine during the war and, one day, to rebuild the country. b) Signing a comprehensive security treaty with the European Union. c) Collaborating with European and NATO partners on development of new defence technologies, equipment, systems and training, including via the Northern Group. d) Prioritising interoperability with NATO allies and other strategic partners, so that we can support each other during peace and war. 6. Tackle organised crime, terrorism and keep our security services accountable by: a) Properly resourcing the National Crime Agency and Serious Fraud Office, and strengthening economic crime legislation to remove loopholes. b) Working with Europol and Eurojust to develop and implement a joint strategy for dealing with cross-border threats, with the closest possible cooperation on shared priorities. c) Developing a national cybersecurity and digital infrastructure strategy, through investing in skills and training and developing a UK Chips Act. d) Ensuring that the Intelligence and Security Committee has teeth and is independent from government interference. 7. Promote the UK's security and global standing with our cultural and soft power by: a) Protecting and defending the BBC, Channel 4, BBC Alba and S4C as independent, publicly-owned, public service broadcasters. b) Properly funding the impartial BBC World Service from the Foreign Office Budget and restoring its global reach. c) Promoting and defending Britain's universities and think tanks, so that our values and image can be promoted around the world. Applicability: Federal. Mover and summation: 16 minutes combined; movers and summation of any amendments: 4 minutes; all other speakers: 3 minutes. For eligibility and procedure for speaking in this debate, see pages 44-45. The deadline for amendments to this motion is 13.00 Monday 4 March; see page 47. Those selected for debate will be printed in Conference Extra and Saturday's Conference Daily. The deadline for requests for separate votes is 09.00 Thursday 14 March; see page 44. In addition to speeches from the platform, voting members will be able to make concise (maximum one-minute) interventions from the floor during the debate on the motion. See pages 43 and 45 for further information. 12.25 Budget response Chair: Cllr Shaffaq Mohammed. Aide: Alison Rouse. F8 Sarah Olney MP (Spokesperson for the Treasury and Business) @Sarahjolney1 12.35 Constitutional amendment Chair: Cllr Darryl Smalley. Aide: Professor Belinda Brooks-Gordon. Hall Aide: Chris Maines. F9 Federal Appeals Panel Federal Board Mover: Jeremy Hargreaves (Vice Chair, Federal Board). Summation: Dr Mark Pack (President of the Liberal Democrats). Conference notes that: 1. The Federal Appeals Panel (FAP) has experienced difficulties for a number of years due to not being consistently at full strength. 2. Following a review, the Federal Audit and Scrutiny Committee (FASC) recommended changes to the rules about who can be a member of the FAP in order to: a) Better foster and preserve relevant expertise, including through how people join the panel. b) Make it easier to ensure the FAP is at full strength. c) Make it easier to assemble suitable panels for specific cases. Conference therefore agrees to change Article 22.1 of the Federal Constitution by: i) Deleting 'There shall be a Federal Appeals Panel, which shall consist of 18 members elected as follows' and inserting 'There shall be a Federal Appeals Panel, which shall consist of 18 members appointed as follows'. ii) Deleting 'elected' and inserting 'appointed' in 22.1A and 22.1B. Conference also agrees to change Article 22.2 of the Federal Constitution by: I. Deleting 'Each member of the Panel shall hold office for five years, and shall be eligible for re-appointment provided that no person shall be entitled to hold office for more than ten years in aggregate' and inserting 'Each member of the Panel shall hold office for five years, and shall be eligible for re-appointment provided that no person shall be entitled to hold office for more than ten years out of twelve in aggregate'. II. Deleting 'No person shall be eligible for appointment if (and any member shall forthwith vacate office upon becoming) an MP, MEP or prospective parliamentary candidate (save that the Chief Whip may be a federal appointee) or a member of the Federal Board or the Federal Policy Committee' and inserting 'No person shall be eligible for appointment if (and any member shall forthwith vacate office upon becoming) an MP (save that the Chief Whip may be a federal appointee) or a member of the Federal Board'. Conference further agrees to change Article 22.4(B) by deleting 'and at least one shall be a Federal appointee' from the end of 'at least three members shall be appointed to hear any other case .... of whom at least one shall be an appointee of the State Party of which the applicant is a member and at least one shall be a Federal appointee;'. Conference also notes that following the Board filling various party posts during 2023, it reviewed the processes for doing so and concluded that providing more time to fill posts after the start of each Board term would better ensure that a skilled, diverse set of appointments and elections are made; it also concluded that having different posts with similar names can be confusing. Conference therefore agrees to delete Article 8.5 of the Federal Constitution and insert new 8.5 as follows: A. The term of office for each Committee of the Federal Party shall be three years. All elections to Federal Committees by party members and other Federal Committees shall be governed by this term of office. B. The first meeting of each Federal Committee shall take place no later than three months after the declaration of the results in the triennial election. C. The term of office shall commence from the first meeting of that Committee following a triennial election, save that the Board may decide that the term for those party members which the Board elects to other committees may start up to four months after the first meeting of the Committee, and for those previously elected to continue in post until that date. Conference also agrees to change Article 12.2 B and 16.3 B (iii) of the Federal Constitution by deleting 'Treasurer' and inserting 'Federal Treasurer'. Conference further agrees to change Article 20.5 of the Federal Constitution by deleting 'The Treasurer, who shall be responsible for fund-raising, shall be elected by the Federal Board at its first meeting in every term and shall serve for a term of three years' and inserting 'The Federal Treasurer, who shall be responsible for fund-raising, shall be elected by the Federal Board and shall serve for a term of three years'. The current Federal Party constitution is available at www.libdems.org.uk/constitution. The existing text of the relevant parts of the articles amended above are as follows: ARTICLE 8: Committees of the Federal Party 8.5 The term of office for each Committee of the Federal Party shall last for three years. All elections to Federal Committees by party members and other Federal Committees shall be governed by this term of office. It shall commence from the first meeting of that Committee following a triennial election. The first meeting of that Committee shall take place no later than three months after the declaration of the results in the triennial election. ARTICLE 12: The Federal Finance and Resources Committee 12.2: It shall consist of: ... B. The following shall also be invited to attend meetings of the committee, but shall not have the right to vote: ... iii. The Treasurer ... ARTICLE 16: The Federal Audit and Scrutiny Committee 16.3: It shall comprise: ... B. following shall also be invited to attend meetings of the committee, but shall not have the right to vote: ... iii. The Treasurer ... ARTICLE 22: Resolution of Conflicts 22.1 There shall be a Federal Appeals Panel, which shall consist of 18 members elected as follows: A. Nine elected by the Federal Board subject to confirmation by the Federal Conference. Each name shall be presented individually to Conference for confirmation. If any name is rejected by Conference, that name may not be re-presented to Conference for confirmation until at least eighteen months have elapsed; and B. Three elected by each State Party according to its internal procedures. The Chair of the Federal Appeals Panel shall be elected by the Panel from amongst the members elected to it by the Federal Board. The Chair upon ceasing to be a member of the Panel shall also cease to be Chair of the Panel but if re-appointed as a member of the Panel shall be eligible for re-election as the Chair. ... 22.2 Each member of the Panel shall hold office for five years, and shall be eligible for re-appointment provided that no person shall be entitled to hold office for more than ten years in aggregate. No person shall be eligible for appointment if (and any member shall forthwith vacate office upon becoming) an MP, MEP or prospective parliamentary candidate (save that the Chief Whip may be a federal appointee) or a member of the Federal Board or the Federal Policy Committee. The body making the original appointment may terminate the appointment because the appointee is no longer able to carry out their duties as a member of the Panel on account of ill health or for other good cause. Any casual vacancy on the Panel may be filled by the body making the original appointment for the residue of the term of that appointment. ... 22.4 The members of the Panel to hear a particular case shall be selected by the Chair, or by a person authorised by the Chair to carry out this task, who shall if appropriate consult with the applicant, subject to the following provisos: ... B. at least three members shall be appointed to hear any other case (and an applicant may refuse to proceed unless at least three members are present), of whom at least one shall be an appointee of the State Party of which the applicant is a member and at least one shall be a Federal appointee; ... Applicability: Federal. Mover: 5 minutes; all other speakers: 3 minutes. For eligibility and procedure for speaking in this debate, see pages 44-45. The deadline for amendments to this motion is 13.00 Monday 4 March; see page 47. Those selected for debate will be printed in Conference Extra and Saturday's Conference Daily. The deadline for requests for separate votes is 09.00 Thursday 14 March; see page 44. Constitutional amendments require a two-thirds majority to pass. 12.50 Lunch break and fringe See pages 57-63 for the exhibition and pages 66-86 for our fringe programme. 13.00-14.00 Consultative session Future of Work Policy Working Group York Hilton, Micklegate Room. Chair: Vinous Ali. Consultative sessions provide a less formal mechanism than the full-scale conference debates for conference representatives and other Party members to participate in the Party's policy- and decision-making process. Each session examines a particular topic and hears contributions from Party members and in some cases outside speakers. The session will be organised by the relevant Working Group. The conclusions of the session will be taken into account by the group when drawing up their final recommendations. 14.10 Question and answer session Chair: Cara Jenkinson (Vice Chair, FCC). Aide: Jennie Rigg. Hall Aide: Dr Sam Barratt. F10 Sir Ed Davey MP, Leader of the Liberal Democrats Members may put questions on any topic to the Leader of the Liberal Democrats. Concise questions (maximum 25 words) may be submitted via the website until 13.00, Monday 4 March. Questions may also be submitted on a form collected from and returned to the Speakers' Table in the auditorium by 12.50 on Saturday 16 March. See page 46. 14.55 Policy motion Chair: Dr Sam Barratt. Aide: Cllr Simon McGrath. Hall Aide: Alison Jenner. F11 Are You Drinking What We're Drinking? 10 members Mover: Josh Babarinde. Summation: Tim Farron MP (Spokesperson for Environment and Rural Affairs). Conference notes that: i) Sewage dumping remains a major problem affecting Britain's lakes, rivers and coastal areas. ii) In the last three years, sewage has been dumped by England's water companies over a million times lasting over 7.5 million hours. iii) Water company executives in England, Wales and Scotland have paid themselves œ76 million over the last three years including œ42 million in bonuses, benefits and incentives. iv) The problem is not limited to England, with sewage dumping also a problem in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. v) Water companies lose millions of litres of water every day through leaks. Conference believes that: I. The Government and regulators have failed to hold the water companies to account for their failures, while also failing to encourage the right investment from water companies. II. Local authorities need far more powers to hold water companies accountable and need to work closely with them to prevent discharges and leaks. III. Citizens should be able to hold water companies accountable directly. IV. No-one should be in water poverty. V. The UK has significantly fewer designated bathing sites than other countries in Europe. Conference reaffirms calls for: A. Meaningful targets and deadlines to be set for water companies to end sewage discharges. B. The introduction of a Sewage Tax on water companies profits to fund the cleanup of waterways. C. The abolition of Ofwat and its replacement with a new 'Coastal, Rivers and Lakes Authority', taking on relevant powers from the Environment Agency and working with Natural Resources Wales. D. The addition of local environmental groups onto water companies' boards. E. The transformation of water companies into public benefit companies, so that particular economic and environmental policy objectives must be considered explicitly in the running of the companies. Conference therefore supports the following policies on the water industry, taken from the spokesperson's paper Are You Drinking What We're Drinking?: 1. Strengthening the powers of the new 'Coastal, Rivers and Lakes Authority' by: a) Ending self-monitoring by water companies of rivers, lakes and coastlines and increasing monitoring by the regulator. b) Issuing fines to the top executives of water companies and initiating prosecutions. c) Ensuring that water companies can make the right investments with a 25-year investment plan, including innovative options, such as nature based solutions. d) Closely regulating the ownership of water companies. e) Revoking water company licences in extreme circumstances. 2. Increasing the powers of local authorities to hold water companies accountable by: a) Creating new water boards. b) Establishing my catchment partnerships between the water companies and local authorities. c) New planning powers to require sustainable drainage systems are installed and existing properties don't make the sewage crisis worse. 3. Ensuring citizens and the environment are protected by: a) Increasing monitoring by ensuring that new storm overflow monitors measure volume and percentage of sewage, particularly in sensitive areas such as SSSIs and designating bathing waters. b) Extending the Freedom of Information Act to cover water companies. c) Establishing a new 'Sewage Illness Victim Compensation Scheme'. d) Permitting citizens as well as charities and other groups to take water companies to court. e) Forcing the water company to fund local environmental reporters. 4. Adding consumer representatives to water company boards and make water bills show exactly where money is spent. 5. Trialling the creation of new not-for-profit mutual debt free companies to take over water company assets, particularly in sensitive areas, allowing them to raise the required capital to make investments. 6. Creating a new water social tariff, aiming to eliminate water poverty by the end of the next parliament. 7. Ensuring that energy retrofitting programmes also includes measures to improve water resilience and cut bills. 8. Aiming to increase the number of designated bathing water sites to 1,500 by 2030. 9. Setting legally binding targets to prevent sewage dumping into bathing waters and highly sensitive nature sites by 2030. Applicability: England; except C. (Iines 31-33) and 1. (lines 43-53), which are England and Wales. Mover: 7 minutes; summation 4 minutes; all other speakers: 3 minutes. For eligibility and procedure for speaking in this debate, see pages 44-45. The deadline for amendments to this motion is 13.00 Monday 4 March; see page 47. Those selected for debate will be printed in Conference Extra and Saturday's Conference Daily. The deadline for requests for separate votes is 09.00 Thursday 14 March; see page 44. 15.45 Speech Chair: Alison Rouse. Aide: Chris Maines. F12 Layla Moran MP (Spokesperson for International Affairs) @LaylaMoran 16.00 Policy motion Chair: Cllr Hannah Kitching. Aide: Dr Sam Barratt. Hall Aide: Cara Jenkinson (Vice Chair, FCC). F13 Tackling Persistent Absence 10 members Mover: Munira Wilson MP (Spokesperson for Education and Families). Summation: Z”e Franklin. Conference believes that: I. Every child can achieve great things - they deserve the best possible start in life and the opportunity to flourish, no matter what their background. II. Liberal Democrats believe that education is the best investment we can make in our children's potential and our country's future. III. The Conservatives have consistently let down children and parents, neglected schools and colleges, and failed to grasp the scale of the pandemic's damage to children's learning and mental health. IV. The current level of persistent absence, driven in part by the pandemic, is a national crisis which is doing untold harm to children's education and well-being as well as impacting their future life chances. V. Persistent absence is a very complex issue and a multi-faceted approach is needed to tackle the problem. Conference notes that: a) One in five children are now persistently absent from school, missing 10% or more of their classes. b) Pupils who are eligible for free school meals are twice as likely to be persistently absent from school that those who are ineligible. c) NHS Data shows school absence rates are higher in children with a probable mental health disorder. d) The rate of persistent absence in special schools is significantly higher. e) Currently it is impossible to determine how many children have disappeared from the school roll as there is no register of children not in school. Conference believes that: i) The costs associated with going to school such as transport, school uniform and lunch, as well as not having suitable costumes or clothing for themed and non-uniform days affect children's attendance. ii) There is a growing crisis in mental health support for young people, a quarter of a million young people have been denied NHS support in the last year and the lack of any concrete mental health workforce planning means waiting lists in much of the country are longer than two years. iii) The demand and expectations for SEND support exceed the current funding and capacity available, and the situation will continue to deteriorate rapidly unless substantial changes are made. iv) It is critical that the welfare and education of every child who is not in school can be monitored. v) In order to drive up attendance at school we need to make the classroom a place where children want to be. Conference notes with concern that: A. A third of school-age children in England (900,000) living in poverty miss out on free school meals. B. When funding for mental health support teams ends in 2024, only half of secondary schools and a quarter of primary schools will have a team in place. C. Only half of children with complex special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) receive an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan within the 20-week limit, and 96% of SEND Tribunal cases are decided in the parents' favour. Conference therefore calls on the Government to: 1. Enact legislation from the 'Schools Bill' that was abandoned by the Government, to place a duty on local authorities to maintain a register of children who are not in school. 2. Introduce a commitment that permanently excluded pupils must be placed with a registered provider. 3. Give clear guidance to parents on when their child should be off of school due to illness, as the pandemic has made parents unsure if it is appropriate to send their child to school if they have a cough or cold. 4. Roll out a programme of education welfare officers and attendance hubs across England and train more teachers to be able to undertake home visits to work with families to understand and remove the underlying barriers to school attendance. 5. Introduce a commitment to provide pupils with an extracurricular offer within schools, including things like sports, music, drama, and art, drawing from best practice in the youth sector, so that school becomes a place that pupils want to go. 6. Provide a dedicated mental health professional in every school, so every child and every parent has someone they can turn to for help. 7. Expand Free School Meals to all children on universal credit. 8. Tackle the crisis in SEND funding by: a) Giving local authorities extra funding to halve the amount that schools pay towards the cost of a child's EHC plan. b) Establishing a National Body for SEND to fund support for children with high needs. Applicability: England only. Mover: 7 minutes; summation 4 minutes; all other speakers: 3 minutes. For eligibility and procedure for speaking in this debate, see pages 44-45. The deadline for amendments to this motion is 13.00 Monday 4 March; see page 47. Those selected for debate will be printed in Conference Extra and Saturday's Conference Daily. The deadline for requests for separate votes is 09.00 Thursday 14 March; see page 44. 16.45 Policy motion Chair: Paul McGarry. Aide: Duncan Brack. Hall Aide: Alison Rouse. F14 40 New Hospitals - The Government's Broken Promise 10 members Mover: Daisy Cooper MP (Spokesperson for Health and Social Care). Summation: Josh Babarinde. Conference notes that: I. The Government has broken their 2019 manifesto pledge to build "40 new hospitals by 2030" according to the National Audit Office (NAO), and delays to the programme have only been made worse by the Government's failure to address Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) in hospitals. II. Many of the projects that make up the Government's New Hospital Programme are not new hospitals but renovations or expansions of existing sites, and several projects' planning and approval commenced long before the announcement of the programme undermining the pledge itself. III. It is a national scandal that patients are being treated in hospitals with roofs and floors at risk of collapse, as well as in other life-expired buildings. IV. The NHS estate is deteriorating and now has an œ11.6bn backlog of maintenance, almost half of which relates to high or significant risk repairs. V. The Government's New Hospitals Programme (NHP) reset in May 2023 has delayed the completion date of eight hospitals to after 2030. VI. The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) concluded that they have no confidence that the government will achieve their latest target of 32 new hospitals by 2030. VII. Those hospitals being built based on the Hospital 2.0 design are very likely to be too small for future patient demand. VIII. The final standardised design for Hospital 2.0 is not expected to be completed until May 2024. IX. Only ten out of the 40 projects have received full planning permission and several projects have no planning permission at all. Conference believes that: i) It is scandalous that the Conservatives pledged to build 40 new hospitals in full knowledge that many of the projects were not hospitals and were not new. ii) Patients and staff deserve the dignity of safe, modern and clean hospitals. iii) This Government's commitment to eradicate RAAC from the NHS estate by 2035 is not quick enough, putting patients and staff at risk of harm and hospitals at risk of closure. iv) The Government has not adequately accounted for the increase in construction costs due to inflation and the impact these costs will have on the success of the NHP. Conference notes with concern that: A. NHS patients and staff cannot use affected buildings unless safety measures are installed and RAAC replaced. B. The Government has pilfered capital spend budgets to plug Conservative cuts to frontline spending which has contributed to the NHS repairs backlog which is more than œ11.6bn. C. The Government has not allocated enough funding to ensure all the hospitals in the NHP will be built. D. The Government's NHP is behind schedule and will not be able to help many hospital buildings which are in urgent need of repair. E. The Government neglected to include five hospitals they knew to have RAAC in the NHP announced in October 2020 and they were only added to the programme in May 2023. Conference calls on the Government to: 1. Urgently release the funds that they have already committed, so that construction can start as soon as possible. 2. Refresh the 10-year major capital programme to give long-term certainty to delivering new or replaced hospital buildings. 3. Review outdated government finance rules which prevent NHS Trusts from investing the funds they've raised into their buildings. 4. Take action to fix crumbling hospitals and replace RAAC by: a) Providing urgent clarity over where RAAC has been found in hospitals and set up a national risk register. b) Bringing forward their commitment to eradicate RAAC by 2035 and review whether the existing œ685 million fund up to 2024-25 is sufficient. c) Bringing construction forward on replacements for the seven entirely RAAC hospitals before the end of 2025 where possible. d) Amending their Minimum Viable Product version of Hospital 2.0 to ensure future hospitals are not too small and set out how these future hospitals meet the total required hospital capacity nationally and by region. 5. Publish a plan to recruit and retain a skilled workforce to carry out the NHP. 6. Work with relevant NHS organisations to create a package of support and advice for hospitals that are in a poor condition but are not a top priority to be fixed, to help address the additional problems affecting patients and staff. Applicability: England only. Mover: 7 minutes; summation 4 minutes; all other speakers: 3 minutes. For eligibility and procedure for speaking in this debate, see pages 44-45. The deadline for amendments to this motion is 13.00 Monday 4 March; see page 47. Those selected for debate will be printed in Conference Extra and Saturday's Conference Daily. The deadline for requests for separate votes is 09.00 Thursday 14 March; see page 44. 17.30 Party business Chair: Chris Maines. Aide: Alison Jenner. Hall Aide: Cllr Shaffaq Mohammed. F15 Reports of the Parliamentary Parties Movers: Wendy Chamberlain MP (Chief Whip of the Commons Parliamentary Party) and Lord Newby (Leader of the Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords). The deadline for questions for F15 is 13.00 Monday 4 March. Questions selected will be published in Conference Extra and Saturday's Conference Daily. These questions will be guaranteed an answer, either in the session or in writing thereafter. Questions may also be submitted up until 16.30 Saturday 16 March; such questions are only taken at the discretion of the chair. See pages 46-47 for further information. 18.00 Close of session See pages 57-63 for the exhibition and pages 66-86 for our fringe programme. Sunday 17 March 09.00 Emergency motions or topical issue discussions F16 Emergency motion or topical issue discussion Chair: Duncan Brack. Aide: Lucas North. Hall Aide: Cllr Thom Campion. This slot has been reserved for the debate of an emergency motion and / or discussion of a topical issue. The deadline for emergency motions and for suggestions for topical issues is 13.00 Monday 4 March. The motions or topics selected for debate or proposed for the ballot will be printed in Conference Extra and Sunday's Conference Daily. See pages 46 and 47. 09.45 Party business Chair: Cllr Jon Ball (Vice Chair, FCC). Aide: Eleanor Kelly. Hall Aide: Professor Belinda Brooks-Gordon. F17 Federal Board Report: questions and accountability Mover: Dr Mark Pack (President of the Liberal Democrats). The report sessions are the chance for party members to hear how the party is being run and to put questions directly to the Party President and other movers of reports. The deadline for questions for F17-F21 is 13.00 Monday 4 March. Questions selected will be published in Conference Extra and Sunday's Conference Daily. These questions will be guaranteed an answer, either in the session or in writing thereafter. Questions may also be submitted up until 09.00 Sunday 17 March; such questions are only taken at the discretion of the chair. See pages 46-47 for further information. F18 Campaign for Gender Balance Report: questions and accountability Mover: Cllr Julia Cambridge (Vice Chair, Campaign for Gender Balance). See notes to F17. F19 Federal Campaigns and Election Committee Report: questions and accountability Mover: Baroness Pinnock (Chair, Federal Communication and Election Committee). See notes to F17. F20 Federal International Relations Committee Report: questions and accountability Mover: David Chalmers (Chair, Federal International Relations Committee). See notes to F17. F21 Federal Council Report: questions and accountability Mover: Antony Hook (Chair, Federal Council). See notes to F17. 10.25 Speech Chair: Cllr Simon McGrath. Aide: Paul McGarry. F22 Alistair Carmichael MP (Spokesperson for Home Affairs) @amcarmichaelMP 10.40 Policy motion Chair: Jennie Rigg. Aide: Fraser Graham. Hall Aide: Paul McGarry. F23 The Funding Crisis in Local Government ALDC Mover: Cllr Joe Harris. Summation: Cllr Bill Revans. Conference notes: A. That the Local Government Association (LGA) estimates that councils in England have a funding gap of œ4 billion over the next two years. B. One in five English local authorities are in danger of issuing a Section 114 notice this year or next. C. Half of English councils are not confident that they have the money to fulfil their legal duties next year. D. Concern about funding for local authorities is cross-party. Conference recognises similar pressures and concerns faced by councils in Scotland and Wales and calls on the Scottish and Welsh Governments to work with their councils to take action. Conference further notes that: i) The National Audit Office estimates that between 2010/2011 and 2021/2022 the real spending power of English councils was reduced by 29%. ii) The 2023 Autumn Spending Statement failed to address the needs of local authorities and the people they serve. iii) The older age population is increasing faster than the general population and an ageing population is increasing the complexity of the care required - the Health Foundation suggests that œ14 billion may be needed by 2030/31 to fund Adult Social Care alone. iv) The number of looked after children is 80,000 and rising. v) Many councils in England are struggling to meet the demand for SEND support already. vi) Councils are under increasing pressure on costs, in particular to meet inflation and rising staff costs, including the National Living Wage. Conference believes that: a) Local authorities play a vital role in delivering local services. b) The current funding arrangements are unable to meet the needs of local authorities. c) Most councils have reached the limits of what can be achieved by efficiency savings; further cuts can only come from core services highly valued by the communities councils serve - these are non-statutory and include leisure centres, many libraries, bus routes and the arts, among others. d) If properly funded, local government can play a key role in tackling climate change and protecting our environment. e) The Government's levelling-up funding is an inefficient way to support local initiatives and undermines local decision-making and democracy. Conference resolves to: 1. Support the LGA's 'Make It Local' campaign, which outlines how local government is key to delivering solutions to the biggest issues for the public. 2. Argue for the next Government to put in place proper long term funding of local government and, as a matter of urgency, to close the œ4 billion funding gap. 3. Support policies to build a consensus on long-term funding of social care. Applicability: England only. Mover: 7 minutes; summation 4 minutes; all other speakers: 3 minutes. For eligibility and procedure for speaking in this debate, see pages 44-45. The deadline for amendments to this motion is 13.00 Monday 4 March; see page 47. Those selected for debate will be printed in Conference Extra and Sunday's Conference Daily. The deadline for requests for separate votes is 09.00 Saturday 16 March; see page 44. 11.25 Party business Chair: Cllr Nick da Costa (Chair, FCC). Aide: Cara Jenkinson (Vice Chair, FCC). Hall Aide: Cllr Jon Ball (Vice Chair, FCC). F24 Party Awards As it's a Westminster general election year, some of the awards have been revised to reflect the particular importance of canvassing and delivery during 2024: The Leader's Award Awarded to someone who has shown exemplary dedication to canvassing voters. The Bertha Bowness Fischer Award Awarded to a local party for the excellence of its local delivery network. The Albert Ingham Award Awarded to an agent or campaign manager for a recent campaign that through its excellence, fastidiousness, tenacity or novelty is a model for others. The Laura Grimond Award Awarded to recognise the unsung work behind the scenes by someone whose contributions enable our frontline campaigns to go out and win. 11.45 Speech Chair: Cllr Nick da Costa (Chair, FCC). Aide: Cara Jenkinson (Vice Chair, FCC). Hall Aide: Cllr Jon Ball (Vice Chair, FCC). F25 Sir Ed Davey MP, Leader of the Liberal Democrats @edwardjdavey 13.00 Close of conference Agenda information Debates and votes at conference Debates on policy and business motions are at the heart of federal conference. It is through them that the party sets its policy and future direction. Unlike in other parties, Liberal Democrat members are sovereign, and what they decide really matters. The structure of debate on policy and business motions: Proposer of the motion speaks V Proposers of any amendments speak in turn V Speakers called on all sides of the debate with the chair seeking to ensure balance V Summators of amendments speak in turn V The summator of the motion speaks V The chair takes votes for and against the amendments and separate votes (if any) in turn V A vote will be taken on the motion as a whole Interventions: concise (one minute) speeches made from the intervention microphone(s) on the floor of the auditorium, during debates where it is indicated in the Agenda. Amendments: all motions except emergency motions are open to amendment; amendments accepted will be published in Conference Daily. Voting: decisions on most motions and all amendments and separate votes are by simple majority of those voting (2/3 majority for constitutional amendments). To vote, voting members must show their voting badge whilst seated on the ground floor of the auditorium. Separate votes: a vote to delete or retain the specified words or section of of a motion or amendment. A request for a separate vote may be submitted by any party member by: l 09.00 Thursday 14 March for debates scheduled for Saturday 16 March; or by: l 09.00 Saturday 16 March for debates scheduled for Sunday 17 March. The request for a separate vote should be submitted using the online form at: www.libdems.org.uk/conference_submissions or in writing to the Speakers' Table in the auditorium. Counted vote: the chair of the session may decide that a vote needs to be counted. Any voting member may request a count from the floor; if fifty voting members stand and show their voting cards, a count will be taken. Communications with the chair and aide: the chair and aide team can be contacted at conference - solely for formal communication on procedural motions and points of order, via the Speakers Desk or via the link: www.libdems.org.uk/procedural-motions Speaking and voting at conference Eligibility to speak and vote All party members are entitled to speak and vote in conference debates, providing they are attending conference as a party member (and not for example an exhibitor or observer). Party members fulfilling these criteria are known as 'voting members'. Length of speeches The length of speeches is shown against each motion in the Agenda. There are three lights on the speaker's rostrum and visible either side of the stage. The green light comes on at the beginning of the speech. The amber light comes on 60 seconds before the end of the allowed time (20 seconds before the end of an intervention). The red light comes on when all the time is used up, and the speaker must stop immediately. Applying to speak To make a speech in a debate you must: l complete a speaker's card, collected from and returned to the Speakers' Table at the front of the auditorium, an auditorium steward or the Information Desk; or l submit an electronic speaker's card, from 11 March up to one hour before the start of the debate, online at www.libdems.org.uk/speakers-card Completing a speaker's card When completing a speaker's card, remember: 1 Submit your card well in advance. The chair and aide team for the debate will meet well in advance to plan the debate - sometimes the previous day. 2 Fill in your card completely. Complete the back of the card as well as the front. These sections are needed for the chair and aide to balance the debate, so they can call people with relevant experience and avoid a string of people making the same point. 3 Make sure it's readable! Don't fill every square centimetre of the card and write legibly - the easier you make it for the chair and aide to read the card the more likely you will be called. Interventions To speak during interventions, voting members should complete an intervention form, collected from and returned to a steward in the auditorium. Speakers will be chosen by the chair of the session by random. Other conference sessions Emergency motions Emergency motions are debated and voted on and make formal party policy like other motions, but refer to a substantial development since the deadline for submission of motions. There is a slot for emergency motions at F16 on Sunday 17 March. The motions for selection by ballot will be printed in Conference Extra. The emergency motions ballot will be held electronically. Members of conference will receive a ballot by email at 17.00 on Friday 15 March, and should complete it online by 13.00 on Saturday 16 March. Topical issue discussions The FCC may decide to use part of this slot for topical issue discussions. This will allow members and spokespeople to discuss and comment on a political issue live at the time of conference; they do not make party policy. Party members may submit suggested topics for a discussion, which will be considered by officers of the FCC and FPC. If a topical issue discussion is selected, it will be published in the relevant Conference Daily. Question & answer sessions Any voting member may submit a concise question (maximum 25 words) on any subject for the Leader's Q&A (F10). Questions will be selected by the chair and the questioner will be able to ask their question via the interventions microphone. Questions may be submitted by 13.00 Monday 4 March using the online form at: www.libdems.org.uk/conference_submissions Questions may also be submitted on a form collected from and returned to the Speakers' Table in the auditorium by 12.50 Saturday 16 March. Reports The reports of Federal Committees and Parliamentary Parties are printed in the separate reports document. Any voting member may submit concise questions on these reports. Questions may be submitted by 13.00 on 4 March using the online form at: www.libdems.org.uk/conference_submissions Questions received by the deadline above will be published in Conference Extra and are guaranteed a reply, in the session or in writing thereafter. Questions may also be submitted using the same online form until one hour before the start of the relevant session, but will only be called if time allows and at the discretion of the chair of the session. Submitting amendments, emergency motions, topical issues and appeals Amendments and emergency motions Amendments and emergency motions must be: l signed by 10 party members; or l submitted by one or more of: a local party, state party, regional party in England, Federal Specified Associated Organisation or Federal Party Committee. And must be submitted by 13.00 on 4 March online at: www.libdems.org.uk/conference_submissions Submitters should include: l For amendments - a short explanation of the intended effect of the amendment. l For emergency motions - a short explanation of its emergency nature. Topical issues Suggestions for topical issues may be submitted by any party member by 13.00 on 4 March online at: www.libdems.org.uk/conference_submissions The title of the issue should be no more than ten words, and should not include an expression of opinion; please include full contact details of the submitter and up to 100 words explanatory background. Drafting advice Submitters are encouraged to use our drafting advice service: draft amendments and emergency motions should be submitted by 13.00 on 19 February online at: www.libdems.org.uk/conference_submissions Appeals If you wish to appeal the FCC's decision not to select your emergency motion or amendment, follow these instructions. The appeal should come from the email address of the original contact for the motion and should be no longer than one side of A4. It should explain why you are appealing and any new information the FCC was unaware of when it made its decision. The email should also contain a contact name and telephone number. Appeals should be emailed by 09.00 on 14 March to: appeals@libdems.org.uk Conference information If you have any questions on-site, please ask a steward or go to the Information Desk in the main foyer of York Barbican. Be aware that flash photography is frequently used in the auditorium. Please ensure that all mobile phones are on silent before entering the auditorium. Please note that access to York Barbican is only possible with a valid conference pass. Accessibility If you need assistance at the venue, please contact the Information Desk where our stewards will be on hand to help. If you need assistance or information in advance, please visit our website: www.libdems.org.uk/conference/accessibility-1 or contact the Conference Office on: conferences@libdems.org.uk Auditorium facilities l A wheelchair ramp at the back of the stage; the chair of the session will ensure wheelchair users are called in plenty of time to access the stage. l An Infrared hard of hearing system, which can be linked to hearing aids through use of venue packs. l Sign language interpretation during all auditorium sessions; a number of seats are reserved for attendees using this service, at the front of the auditorium to the left of the stage. l Reserved seats at the front of the auditorium for those who would benefit from being closer to the stage due to a visual or other impairment. Mobility aids The Liberal Democrats have a limited number of complimentary electric scooters available for use around the conference venue - please note that they need to be returned each evening for charging. To request the use of an electric scooter please email the conference team: conferences@libdems.org.uk Conference Access Fund We have established a Conference Access Fund to improve accessibility for members attending conference. The fund consists of a contribution from the conference budget as well as donations from party members. Contributions made by members are ring-fenced; where applicable, unused donations will be carried over to the next conference. For details see: www.libdems.org.uk/access-fund Accommodation Accommodation can be booked via our website: www.libdems.org.uk/conference ATM Please note there is no ATM facility inside the venue, although there is one next door in the nearby Co-op store which is free to use. Venue bars and catering outlets are unable to provide cashback. Cloakroom York Barbican does not have a cloakroom; however rails will be available for attendees to leave coats at their own risk. Please do not leave bags unattended at any point within the venue. Please note that under no circumstances will any large bags or suitcases be allowed into York Barbican. Coffee, tea, water - refills As part of our green policy: l Please bring your own water bottle. Free refills will be available from the bars in the York Barbican Foyer. l Please bring your own reusable coffee cups for use within the Barbican (they must be clean and in good condition). Conference Extra and Daily Conference Extra is published ahead of conference and Conference Daily each day at conference, containing updates to the agenda including changes to timings, amendments, topical issues, emergency motions and questions to reports, available at: www.libdems.org.uk/conference_papers Limited hard copies of Conference Daily will be available each morning from the Information Desk. Be green - Go paperless! Distribution of literature Distribution of literature is not allowed inside or directly outside York Barbican. Excessive distribution of promotional literature is not in line with the party's environmental policies. Any persons attempting to bring a large number of fliers into the conference centre may be prohibited from entering and a dilapidation charge will be levied against any organisation or individual responsible for 'fly-posting'. Federal Board helpdesk The FB helpdesk is situated by the Information Desk. Members of the Federal Board will be available to have strategic conversations with members at the following times: Saturday 16 March 11.30-12.30 and 15.00-16.00 Federal Conference Committee helpdesk Members of the FCC will be available to give advice at the Information Desk at the following times: Saturday 16 March 11.30-12.30 and 15.00-16.00 First Aid In the event of needing First Aid, please speak to a conference steward or go to the Information Desk or First Aid Room in the York Barbican. Information Desk The Information Desk is located in the main foyer of York Barbican and is open as follows: Friday 15 March 16.30-18.30 Saturday 16 March 08.30-18.30 Sunday 17 March 08.30-13.30 You can contact the Information Desk on 15-17 March by email: conferenceinformation@libdems.org.uk Internet access Free wifi is available at all our official venues: York Barbican Network name: Barbican Free Wi-Fi No password required Novotel York Centre Network name: Novotel Please insert your email address and click 'Connection' in yellow Hilton York Network name: Hilton Honors Please click on 'I have a Promotional Code' and insert 'March2024' Left luggage On Sunday 17 March please store your luggage at your hotel after checkout. Alternatively, there is a secure, complimentary luggage service in operation at the Novotel in Meeting Rooms 5 & 6. There will be a charitable box if you wish to donate to one of the hotel's chosen charities. Live stream The conference will be streamed live at: libdems.org.uk/conference-live in case you miss any sessions or want to watch again! Lost Property Any lost property will be handed into the Information Desk in the Barbican Foyer. Member welfare Health Assured is an independent health and wellbeing provider that can offer wellbeing resources as well as a 24/7 365 helpline. All Liberal Democrat members have access to the Health Assured Support Helpline at 0800 028 0199. Members should feel free to use this service as needed. For more information visit: www.libdems.org.uk/conference/welfare Q&A sessions There will be a series of Q&A sessions during conference where you can ask questions of our spokespeople. All sessions take place in York Barbican, Lendal Room. See our official documentation for details. Quiet room Unfortunately due to venue restrictions we are unable to provide a quiet room at this event. Apologies for any inconvenience this may cause. Recycling facilities Recycling facilities are available throughout the York Barbican. Please make use of the collection bins. The Barbican sends zero waste to landfill and reuses its waste to make electricity. Refreshments For a range of hot food options, snacks and beverages, head to the Fishergate Bar & Cafe in York Barbican. If you're in a rush - sandwiches and savoury snacks are available in the exhibition area. The Novotel and Hilton also have a variety of options available. Registration on-site On-site registration is located in the Box Office of York Barbican and is open at the following times: Friday 15 March 16.30-18.30 Saturday 16 March 08.30-17.30 Sunday 17 March 08.45-11.00 At busy times you may experience queues at on-site registration and we strongly advise all those wishing to attend conference to pre-register via: www.libdems.org.uk/conference Security and safety Access to York Barbican is possible only with a valid conference pass worn with the official lanyard. Conference photo passes must be worn visibly at all times within the secure zone. Anyone found in the secure area without a valid pass will be escorted from the venue. All attendees will be subject to compulsory bag searches and handheld metal detectors outside the entrance. Please do not bring any sharp objects with you (including knitting needles, crochet needles etc) as these are prohibited. To ensure you can access the venue as quickly as possible please only bring essential items with you into the conference venue. Please allow time for queuing during key times - particularly after lunch and ahead of popular events. Under no circumstances will any large bags or suitcases be allowed into the secure zone. Any bag left unattended will be brought to the attention of the police and may be removed and/or destroyed. Transport and travel York Barbican is approximately 20 minutes walk (1 mile) from York train station, 4 minutes (0.2 miles) from the Novotel and 8 minutes (0.4 miles) from the Hilton. Local taxi: If you need to book a local taxi in York, please contact: l Streamline Taxis, tel: 01904 656565 or www.streamlinetaxisyork.co.uk or l Fleetways, tel: 01904 365365 or www.fleetways.co.uk Parking The nearest car park is Q park on Kent Street (YO10 4AH), just behind York Barbican. Parking needs to be pre-booked online to receive discounted rates at www.q-park.co.uk/en-gb/cities/york/barbican-theatre (please note that prebooking and 'reserving' a space doesn't guarantee you a space). Other nearby car parks are: l Peel Street (78 spaces) - YO1 9PZ - 5 min walk. l St Georges Field (150 spaces) - YO10 4FH - 5 min walk. l Castle Car Park (317 spaces) - YO1 9SA - 8 min walk. The printed Agenda & Directory contains plans of the conference venues - the York Barbican, Novotel York Centre and Hilton York. The exhibition The exhibition is located on the ground floor of the York Barbican (see plan on page 56) and will be open at the following times: Friday 15 March 16.30-18.15 Saturday 16 March 09.00-18.00 Sunday 17 March 09.00-13.00 Exhibitors listed by stand number 1 LGBT+ Liberal Democrats 2 Prater Raines 2B The Liberal Democrats in England 3 Young Liberals 4 Liberal Democrat History Group 5 Rights-Liberties-Justice / Liberal Democrat Lawyers Association 6 Liberal Democrat Education Association 7 National Education Union 8 Social Liberal Forum 9 Liberal Democrat Campaign for Race Equality 10 Liberal Democrat Christian Forum 11 Liberal Democrat Friends of Palestine 12 LibSTEMM (formerly ALDES) 13 Humanist and Secularist Liberal Democrats 14 Liberal Democrat Disability Association 15 Action for Land Tax and Economic Reform (ALTER) 16&17 Election Workshop 18 Liberal Democrats for Seekers of Sanctuary 19 Liberal Democrat Friends of Kashmir 20 National Liberal Club 21 Liberator Magazine 22 Liberal Software 23&24 Association of Liberal Democrat Councillors 25 Liberal Democrat Women 26 Green Liberal Democrats 27 Liberal Democrats Abroad 28&29 RISO / SHARP 30 Liberal Democrat Friends of Ukraine and Liberal Democrat Friends of the Armed Forces 32 League Against Cruel Sports 33 Whittington Moor Limited / The Delivery Group 34 Liberal Democrats for Electoral Reform LD Image Lib Dem Image Directory of Exhibitors ALDC - Association of Liberal Democrat Councillors and LGA Liberal Democrats ALDC and LGA Liberal Democrats provide advice, training and resources for local campaigners and councillors. Visit the stand to get updates on local government, campaigning and much more. www.aldc.org www.local.gov.uk/lga-lib-dem-group Stand 23 & 24 ALTER ALTER seeks to build support for Land Value Taxation amongst Liberal Democrats; and to promote and campaign for this policy as a more sustainable and just resource-based economic system. www.libdemsalter.org.uk Stand 15 Election Workshop Established by Liberal Democrats for Liberal Democrats to help YOU win elections. Specialists in election print and direct mail. Design free online with ALDC Artworker. DEMONSTRATIONS AT OUR EXHIBITION STALL. www.electionworkshop.co.uk Stand 16 & 17 Green Liberal Democrats Green Liberal Democrats work to improve awareness of environmental issues and to embed these issues into all Liberal Democrat social and economic policies in a distinctive and electable way. www.greenlibdems.org.uk https://twitter.com/GreenLibDems Stand 26 Humanist & Secularist Liberal Democrats For Liberal Democrats who believe the state should treat everyone equally whatever their religion or beliefs. Recent campaigns cover humanist weddings, discrimination by schools, assisted dying and CofE disestablishment. www.hsld.org.uk Stand 13 League Against Cruel Sports The ban on hunting with dogs is weak and failing to protect animals from cruelty. We're calling for the law to be strengthened. It's time for change. www.league.org.uk Stand 32 LGBT+ Lib Dems We exist to represent the party to the LGBT+ community, to ensure that the party's policies address their needs, and to support LGBT+ candidates and party members. https://lgbt.libdems.org.uk Stand 1 Liberal Democrat Campaign for Race Equality (LDCRE) LDCRE aims to build and safeguard a fair, free and open society and to fight against prejudice and discrimination based on race, colour or religion within the party and society. www.ldcre.org.uk Stand 9 Liberal Democrat Christian Forum We are a Christian voice in the Party and a voice of liberal democracy among Christians. We support Christians of all backgrounds to engage positively and constructively in politics. www.ldcf.org.uk Stand 10 Liberal Democrat Disability Association The LDDA, working to raise awareness and understanding of disability both through the Liberal Democrats, and the rest of society. www.disabilitylibdems.org.uk Stand 14 Liberal Democrat Education Association The Liberal Democrat Education Association aims to improve education through: publishing articles; running conferences; generating new ideas; promoting Lib Dem education policies and providing advice to Liberal Democrats in power. www.ldea.org.uk Stand 6 Liberal Democrat Friends of Kashmir Liberal Democrats Friends of Kashmir was formed to promote closer links between the Party and the UK Kashmir community, and to be a source of information on Kashmir. Stand 19 Liberal Democrat Friends of Palestine LDFP fights for the rights of the Palestinian People, for immediate recognition of Palestine as a State, and for the human rights of Palestinians as defined in international law. www.ldfp.org.uk Stand 11 Liberal Democrat Friends of Ukraine and Liberal Democrat Friends of the Armed Forces LDFOAF seeks Armed Forces Champions to promote our support for armed forces, veterans and dependants. LDFOU advocates support for Ukraine's war effort, humanitarian aid and help for refugees from Ukraine Stand 30 Liberal Democrat History Group The past illuminates the present. Subscribe to the 'Journal of Liberal History'. New booklet: 'What Have the Liberals Ever Done for Us?', the greatest achievements of Liberal governments and MPs. www.liberalhistory.org.uk Stand 4 Liberal Democrat Image Visit the party's official supplier of campaign materials and merchandise. Find all the latest products and save money on postage. Visit our website www.libdemimage.co.uk and find us on Facebook. www.libdemimage.co.uk Lib Dem Image Liberal Democrat Women Lib Dem Women works to support and amplify women's voices in politics, and to push for policies that will help all women across Britain. www.libdemwomen.org.uk Stand 25 Liberal Democrats Abroad Over 3.5 million Britons abroad can now register to vote in the UK. LibDems Abroad can help you roll out the welcome mat for them at the next General Election. www.libdemsabroad.org Stand 27 Liberal Democrats for Electoral Reform LDER is engaging with the wider party to get both the policy and strategy right, and is working with reformers outside the party to get PR implemented at all levels. www.lder.org Stand 34 Liberal Democrats for Seekers of Sanctuary (LD4SOS) LD4SOS believe in standing up for those who seek sanctuary in our country and treating them with compassion, humanity and respect. We work to influence Party policy. www.ld4sos.org.uk Stand 18 Liberal Democrats in England The Liberal Democrats in England: a federation of the eleven Regional Parties, plus the English Young Liberals. We support Regions so they can support their local parties even more effectively. www.englishlibdems.org Stand 2B Liberator Magazine Liberator is free to read online and is packed with thought provoking articles from writers across the party. And with RB read news you won't read anywhere else. www.liberatormagazine.org.uk Stand 21 Liberal Software A group of volunteer coders, designers and managers using our skills to help the party. www.liberalsoftware.org Stand 22 LibSTEMM (formerly ALDES) Liberal Democrats in STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medicine) aims to bridge the gap between scientists and politicians; putting evidence based policies at the heart of our party. www.libstemm.uk Stand 12 National Education Union The National Education Union brings together more than 450,000 teachers, support staff and leaders, to form the largest education union in Europe. Visit the NEU's stand to find why it is time to invest in education and our children's futures. www.neu.org.uk Stand 7 National Liberal Club Founded in 1882, the National Liberal Club, located in the heart of Whitehall, is an open, welcoming, diverse and unique Private Members' Club. www.nlc.org.uk Stand 20 Prater Raines Ltd The Liberal Democrats' development partner for Lighthouse and Fleet, making the Party's online campaigning shipshape for the future. Meet the team for Fleet demonstrations and advice. www.praterraines.co.uk Stand 2 Rights-Liberties-Justice (Liberal Democrat Lawyers Association) The home for Liberal Democrats interested in rights, liberties and justice issues; don't need to be a lawyer to join but share our passion for justice and rule of law. www.rights-liberties-justice.uk Stand 5 RISO / SHARP Sharp is proud to be the largest reseller of RISO equipment nationally. RISO printers are a favourite with political parties due to their high volume output with various finishing options. For more info contact Daniel.Bridgeman@sharp.eu www.riso.co.uk Stand 28 & 29 Social Liberal Forum The Social Liberal Forum campaigns for a Citizens' Britain, one characterised by a massive transfer of power from remote and unaccountable corporations and state institutions to people and their communities. www.socialliberal.net Stand 8 Whittington Moor Ltd and The Delivery Group Whittington Moor Limited - providing all your mailed print needs either into the postage stream or for door drops. The Delivery Group - supporting the Liberal Democrats mailing campaigns for maximum impact. www.wmpw.co.uk www.thedeliverygroup.co.uk Stand 33 Young Liberals We provide a platform for young people and students to have their voices heard and act as a radical pressure group within the Liberal Democrats. www.youngliberals.uk Stand 3 Fringe and Training guide What is fringe The 'fringe' is the term used for the many individual events, hosted by businesses/commercial organisations, charities, think tanks, party bodies, NGOs and trade bodies, etc. They take place around the main conference and o?er the opportunity to hear from expert guest speakers on a huge range of topics. Events taking place can include seminars, debates, workshops and receptions. Official fringe venues Fringe events are held in the official fringe venues: York Barbican, Paragon Street, York YO10 4AH Novotel York Centre, Fishergate, York YO10 4FD Hilton York, 1 Tower Street, York YO1 9WD Locations of venues are shown on the map of York City Centre on page 100; plans of the venues are on pages 55 and 56. Fringe meeting access All fringe events listed in the official fringe venues are wheelchair-accessible. If you experience any access difficulties, please let the Information Desk know or make a comment on your online feedback. If you have any concerns or compliments about a fringe event at conference, please contact the event organiser during or at the end of the session. Key to fringe listings Hearing loop Refreshments provided By invitation only Friday 15th March Fringe Friday afternoon 15.00-17.00 Federal Policy Committee Science and Technology Policy Consultation The session will be chaired by Dr Jonathan Everett, the Chair of the Policy Working Group. This is an opportunity for members to make their input into the deliberations of the Policy Working Group. Novotel York Centre, Fishergate Suite Fringe Friday early evening 18.30-19.30 Conference Rally It's the conference weekend's big curtain raiser, with current MPs, future MPs and special guests from across the party taking to the stage to kickstart the campaign to smash the blue and celebrate the party's success over the last year. In the last Spring Conference rally before the general election, this exciting and inspirational show will leave you feeling fired up and ready to take on what comes next. York Barbican, Auditorium Fringe Friday mid evening 20.15-21.30 LGBT+ Lib Dems Board Games Social (alcohol-free) An evening fringe for anyone who wants to do something social but doesn't fancy going straight to the bar. Come with friends or meet new people. LGBT+ Lib Dems will have a wide range of games from childhood favourites to modern classics. NOTE: this is an alcohol-free social space. Please do not bring alcohol into the room. Novotel York Centre, Meeting Room 1 & 2 Liberal Democrats For Electoral Reform Why Don't People Vote? Join Wendy Chamberlain MP; Eastbourne PPC Josh Babarinde; and Tom Brake, Director, Unlock Democracy, and Make Votes Matter; for a discussion on why millions don't vote at election time; and why low turnout gets ignored as a warning for our democracy. Registration obstacles, Conservative voter suppression, a skewed electoral system - which causes most damage; and what are the liberal remedies? Novotel York Centre, Meeting Room 3 Liberal Democrat History Group Greening Liberalism: the history of Liberal and Lib Dem environmental thinking How and when did environmental policy become important to British political parties, and to the Liberal Party, SDP and Liberal Democrats in particular? Speakers: Neil Carter (York University) and Baroness Parminter. Chair: Keith Melton (Green Lib Dems). Novotel York Centre, Meeting Room 4 Liberal Democrat Education Association An apple a day: Mental health in education Following Munira Wilson's Bill to put a mental health practitioner in every school, we give education its own health check regarding mental health. Speakers will talk about mental health of educators, students, and problems addressing this health crisis in education. Novotel York Centre, Meeting Room 5 Green Liberal Democrats, LibSTEMM (formerly ALDES) and ALDTU Just transition for workers This panel will bring together guests and experts to discuss a just transition for workers in jobs threatened by a net zero world, such as aviation, and exploring decarbonisation of these industries. Guests from Safe Landing. Novotel York Centre, Meeting Room 6 LGA Lib Dem Group / ALDC Drinks reception and Council Group of the Year awards All friends of Local Government welcome! Includes the Council Group of the Year Awards. Speakers: Cllr Joe Harris Leader, LGA Lib Dems; Ed Davey MP, Leader; and Cllr Prue Bray, Chair of ALDC. Novotel York Centre, Riverside Room Fringe Friday late evening 22.15-23.30 Liberal Democrats Conference Quiz Come along and watch as Alastair Carmichael MP delivers an entertaining night of questions and laughter. Tickets can be purchased (by members only) when registering to attend conference. Additional tickets sold on the door are subject to availability. Novotel York Centre, Fishergate Suite Saturday 16th March Fringe Saturday morning 08.00-09.00 Education Policy Institute and Magic Breakfast The best possible start: wider service investment to improve every child's opportunities This is a private roundtable - entry by invitation only. Novotel York Centre, Meeting Room 4 Quiet Reflection New Beginnings Using meditation, quiet contemplation of a reading and group discussion we will explore the theme of New Beginnings. The facilitator Jane Reed has over 40 years of meditation experience and has been involved with the Liberal Democrats since 2015. Novotel York Centre, Meeting Room 5 Fringe Saturday lunchtime 13.00-14.00 LibSTEMM - Liberal Democrats in Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths and Medicine (Formerly ALDES) Energy Security Panel Join us for an exciting panel event on the future of UK energy security, renewable power and how we can meet the needs of the UK while keeping to our climate obligations. Novotel York Centre, Meeting Room 1 & 2 Liberal Democrat Women How do we stop failing pregnant women and their babies? Despite healthcare advancements, significant gaps exist in access to quality maternal care, resulting in persistent inequalities across ethnicities and more economically deprived communities. How can the UK reduce these inequalities and improve maternal care for all? Is data the answer? Novotel York Centre, Meeting Room 3 Education Policy Institute and the National Education Union Investing in the future: education at the heart of future funding plans How can we reverse school underfunding and invest in every child's potential? Join us to discuss the opportunities, meaningful investment in education present and how to ensure fair funding distribution to reach those most in need. Munira Wilson MP invited. Novotel York Centre, Meeting Room 4 LGA Lib Dem Group / ALDC Tackling crime and anti-social behaviour In the run up to the Police and Crime Commissioner elections this May, what are Lib Dems doing at a local level to create safer communities? Speakers include Cllr Heather Kidd, LGA Lib Dem Group (chair); Cllr Paul Kohler, LB Merton; and Alistair Carmichael MP, Home Affairs Spokesperson (invited). Novotel York Centre, Meeting Room 5 Liberal Democrats Friends of Hong Kong Promoting Fairness in Trade and Consuming Behaviour - Empowering Citizens In the cost of living crisis, cost certainly is a concern. But is reliance on the Chinese supply chain affecting the well-being incentivising more countries further sliding into autocracy? Join an outside expert panel discussing A Fair Deal on Trade. Novotel York Centre, Meeting Room 6 Social Liberal Forum How Britain Fails to Keep and Grow New Innovative Businesses Treasury spokesperson Sarah Olney MP and business journalist Chris Blackhurst, former Independent Editor. Home-grown businesses with great potential are sold across the world. Why can't we support world-beating firms? The SLF Olney series: Putting leaves on the Magic Money Tree. Novotel York Centre, Riverside Room Age UK How can we make the health and care system work for older women? Older women are at greater risk of poverty, exclusion and ill health. Join Age UK and speakers to discuss how we can ensure that the health and care needs of older women are not overlooked. Hilton York, Bootham Room Federal Policy Committee Future of Work Policy Consultation The session will be chaired by Vinous Ali, the Chair of the Policy Working Group. This is an opportunity for members to make their input into the deliberations of the Policy Working Group. Hilton York, Micklegate Room Lib Dem HQ and Liberal Software Technology for the General Election Introduced by Mark Pack and Baroness Pinnock. Hear the inside story of how HQ staff and volunteers are building software to help us win more seats in the general election. Speakers are Fred Fisher and Mary Regnier-Wilson. Lunch provided. Hilton York, Walmgate Room Liberal Democrats for Seekers of Sanctuary (LD4SOS) Seekers of Sanctuary in Today's World - A Liberal Democrat response. A discussion on issues faced by Seekers of Sanctuary in today's Britain. Dr Ruvi Ziegler and invited guests consider the impact of recent legislation and what should be essential elements for the Liberal Democrats on asylum in the General Election. Hilton York, Minster Suite Fringe Saturday early evening 18.15-19.15 Lib Dem Campaign for Race Equality Ceasefire What Ceasefire A party wide thought provoking debate on the Israel - Hamas conflict. What does an Immediate Bilateral Ceasefire look like? High profile panel to give some answers. Novotel York Centre, Meeting Room 1 & 2 Liberal Democrat Friends of Palestine Is the two-state solution now inevitable? Our guest speakers will discuss the prospects for lasting peace. Novotel York Centre, Meeting Room 3 LGA Lib Dem Group / ALDC Taking the battle to Labour How are Liberal Democrats challenging Labour in councils across the country? Speakers include: Cllr Joe Harris, LGA Lib Dem Group, Cllr Amanda Hopgood, Leader, Durham, Cllr Mike Ross, Leader, Hull, Cllr Carl Cashman, Liverpool, Cllr Victor Chamberlain, Southwark. Novotel York Centre, Meeting Room 5 LibDem HQ Tech Team What's next? Our new website and email system is being widely used. So what now? What annoys you most about our systems? What more do you need? What can we fix or improve to help you win at the GE? Novotel York Centre, Meeting Room 6 Whittington Moor Limited and The Delivery Group A presentation by Whittington Moor Limited and The Delivery Group outlining ways Constituencies can maximise their election campaigns leaflet coverage and achieve best costs and service for print and postage. Following the presentation there will be a Question and Answer session. www.wmpw.co.uk www.thedeliverygroup.co.uk Novotel York Centre, Riverside Room SOCIAL LIBERAL FORUM IMMIGRATION and the GENERAL ELECTION: SELL-OUT OR PRINCIPLED STAND? In association with the John Stuart Mill Institute. Join an open discussion about immigration to the UK. How do we maintain a liberal, rational and principled approach to immigration during an election year? The choices for the Liberal Democrats. Chair: Dr Alan Butt Philip, JSMI Convenor. Hilton York, Bootham Room LGBT+ Lib Dems What can we do for LGBT+ Youth? People under 24 are identifying as LGBT+ in increasing numbers, according to recent census results. However, LGBT+ youth also report high levels of discrimination, whether it's in public, in education, at work, or in the home. In the worst cases, this puts them at risk of self-harm and violent crime. How can we make a safer and better environment for LGBT+ children, teens, and young adults? We speak to educators, parents of LGBT+ kids, and others to help us understand and improve outcomes for LGBT+ young people. Hilton York, Micklegate Room Green Liberal Democrats Flooding and Sewage In the wake of the hottest year on record flooding is becoming increasingly common. In the UK flooding has destroyed homes and businesses, and unleashed sewage pollution from illegal dumping. How can we stop this destroying our environment? Hilton York, Walmgate Room Fringe Saturday mid evening 19.45-21.00 Liberal Democrat European Group (LDEG) Europe's Defence With the increasing threat from Russia and a second Trump Presidency looking more likely, how do we structure Europe's defence? With Richard Foord MP and Christine Cheng. Novotel York Centre, Meeting Room 3 Liberal Democrat Education Association Getting them through the doors: persistent absence in schools Over a fifth of school-goers missed over 10% of school in 2022-23. Currently the hot topic in education amongst school staff and parents, we discuss the origins and impacts of the recent upward trend of children not being in school. Novotel York Centre, Meeting Room 5 LibSTEMM - Liberal Democrats in Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths and Medicine (Formerly ALDES) LibSTEMM Launch Event Join us as we launch LibSTEMM - the home of Science and Technology within the Liberal Democrats. Formerly known as ALDES, LibSTEMM aims to bridge the gap between scientists and politicians; putting evidence-based policies at the heart of our party. Novotel York Centre, Riverside Room Transport for the North How the Lib Dems will 'Transform the North' TfN is England's first statutory sub-national Transport Body. We were formed to transform the transport system across the North of England by bringing political and business leaders together. With looming local and General Elections, our fringe will discuss how we will #TransformTheNorth. https://transportforthenorth.com https://twitter.com/Transport4North Hilton York, Micklegate Room Fringe Saturday late evening 21.30-23.00 Glee Club Note: this event starts at 22.00 and runs until late Join us for the ultimate end-of conference celebration! Pick up your copy of the Liberator Songbook and come 'raise the roof'! Novotel York Centre, Fishergate Suite Startup Coalition and techUK Startup Coalition and techUK's Digital Liberal Democrat Reception Join the Startup Coalition and techUK as we toast to the UK's digital technology sector. Expect drinks, special guests and a celebration of what makes the UK's tech ecosystem so special. www.startupcoalition.io www.techuk.org https://twitter.com/StartupCltn https://twitter.com/techUK Novotel York Centre, Meeting Room 5 Liberal Democrat Friends of Whisky Whisky Tasting with Alistair Carmichael MP Note: this event starts at 22.00 A unique opportunity to taste, discuss and learn a bit about malt Whisky in a friendly and relaxed environment. Tickets œ40 (numbers limited). Book tickets by contacting libdemfow@gmail.com Hilton York, Bootham and Micklegate Rooms Training & Skills Programme Welcome to our Spring Conference 2024 training programme! Our training at Conference is open to all members, whether you're brand new or you've been with us for many years! With these sessions we hope you can learn new skills, brush up on existing skills or even learn how to take on new roles in the party. We will see a General Election in the next 12 months and whatever your role is in the party we hope these sessions will help you look towards that. As with previous years we have created streams so if you want to focus your training in particular areas you can. But of course you can just turn up to any session you like. The streams we have created this conference are: Party Roles - Learn or develop the skills to take on different party roles. Tech - How to use our Tech systems and run digital campaigning. Candidates - How to become a candidate or develop your skills as one. Campaigning - For those looking to develop their campaigning skills. Training & Skills Saturday morning 09.30-10.45 Creating a winning plan for the General Election - Development & Start-Up This session is for anyone in a Development or Start Up seat. Campaign planning is more than just which leaflets you deliver each month. When's best to be building your delivery network, and when should you be using that killer attack message on our opponents? Learn from our campaigning experts on how best to plan your year-round campaign. LDHQ Campaigns & Elections Team Hilton York, Micklegate Room CAMPAIGNING ALDC Artworker Come and see the simplest way to produce great looking leaflets without the hassle. ALDC Hilton York, Bootham Room CAMPAIGNING Knowing which doors to knock on Whether you've been knocking on doors for years, or never tried before, what are we trying to achieve, which are the best techniques to use, and how do we make sure the data we collect is reliable? LDHQ Campaigns & Elections Team Hilton York, Walmgate Room CAMPAIGNING Help us build the electricity grid of the future Come and play cards with politicians, activists, and experts. In partnership with the founder of the innovative Megawatt game, designed to inspire curiosity about sustainable energy, Liberal Democrats in STEMM and the Green Liberal Democrats invite you to join us in both playing the game, and discussing the broader subject of the electricity grid of the future. And how this impacts policy and politics. Green Lib Dems and Lib Dems in STEMM Hilton York, Minster Room Introduction to Fleet We've got a brand new web platform that'll make it a doddle to run great online campaigns, raise money and win elections. Join us at this session to find out how it works. Tech Team Novotel York Centre, Meeting Room 1&2 TECH Being a large area Agent This year, on the same day as the local elections there will be Police and Crime Commissioner elections also. This means Agents could be covering areas larger than they have before. Come along and find out what you need to know about being an Agent over a large area. LDHQ Compliance Team Novotel York Centre, Meeting Room 3 PARTY ROLES Fundraising to Win Fundraising is a cornerstone of campaign success. Learn how to develop your team and create a plan to raise the money you need to win. LDHQ Fundraising team Novotel York Centre, Meeting Room 4 CAMPAIGNING How to survive Conference Get all the inside knowledge on how to survive conference. Designed for first-timers, but old hands might find some new knowledge too; all welcome. FCC Novotel York Centre, Meeting Room 5 Speaking in public Open to Women and those who identify as a Woman. Making a speech at conference or in public can seem daunting but here is the help and advice you need. We will explain how to craft your message and deliver it in style to make a big impact on your audience. Campaign for Gender Balance Novotel York Centre, Meeting Room 6 CANDIDATES Training & Skills Saturday late morning 11.00-12.15 Creating a winning plan for the General Election - Moving Forward This session is for anyone in a Moving Forward seat. Campaign planning is more than just which leaflets you deliver each month. When's best to be building your delivery network, and when should you be using that killer attack message on our opponents? Learn from our campaigning experts on how best to plan your year-round campaign. LDHQ Campaigns & Elections Team Hilton York, Micklegate Room CAMPAIGNING Recruiting and working with volunteers How to build your team and keep them on board. ALDC Hilton York, Bootham Room CAMPAIGNING Taking the fight to your main opposition Every seat needs messages designed to win the votes of their main opposition voters. Find out how our experts do this, and why winning this switch vote needs to become a priority for all campaigns. LDHQ Campaigns & Elections Team Hilton York, Walmgate Room CAMPAIGNING How to write a good Focus article We look at what it is that makes a focus article engaging, interesting and vote-winning. ALDC Hilton York, Minster Room CAMPAIGNING Introduction to Targeted Email We've got a brand new web platform that'll make it a doddle to run great online campaigns, raise money and win elections. Join us at this session to find out how it works. Tech Team Novotel York Centre, Meeting Room 1&2 TECH Election Agent Drop in Come along to meet with the Compliance team to ask any questions you might have about being an agent. LDHQ Compliance Team Novotel York Centre, Meeting Room 3 PARTY ROLES Fundraising to Win Fundraising is a cornerstone of campaign success. Learn how to develop your team and create a plan to raise the money you need to win. LDHQ Fundraising team Novotel York Centre, Meeting Room 4 CAMPAIGNING How to write a Conference Motion Writing a conference motion is a skill. Learn from seasoned experts on the best way to write conference motion. FCC Novotel Meeting Room 5 Winning the Youth Vote Young voters are a large and crucial part of our electorate, especially in the upcoming General Election. Come along to this session to find out why the Youth vote matters, what issues they are concerned about and how to stop other Parties winning their support first! Young Liberals Novotel York Centre, Meeting Room 6 CAMPAIGNING Training & Skills Saturday afternoon 14.30-15.45 Creating a winning plan for the General Election - Development & Start-Up This session is for anyone in a Development or Start Up seat. Campaign planning is more than just which leaflets you deliver each month. When's best to be building your delivery network, and when should you be using that killer attack message on our opponents? Learn from our campaigning experts on how best to plan your year-round campaign. LDHQ Campaigns & Elections Team Hilton York, Micklegate Room CAMPAIGNING Using email during a local election Email is a great (and practically free!) way to contact your electorate. Learn how to plan and deliver your email campaign with the newest party tools. ALDC Hilton York, Bootham Room CAMPAIGNING Making sure you win the Tactical Argument One of the crucial elements in getting over the winning line in an election is winning the tactical argument and getting the support of Squeeze voters. Come along to find out what is squeeze and the tactical argument and how can we use it to win? LDHQ Campaigns & Elections Team Hilton York, Walmgate Room CAMPAIGNING Campaigning against Crime An interactive panel discussion on tackling crime in our local campaigning and on how we are tackling the problem in areas we run. ALDC Hilton York, Minster Room CAMPAIGNING Digital in Depth : Winning Online Find out how to make the most of social media as a top tool in your campaigning arsenal with Digital In Depth: Winning Online. This is an intermediate session, aimed at people who are comfortable with using Facebook. Tech Team Novotel York Centre, Meeting Room 1&2 TECH Best practice for Treasurers Local Party Treasurers are an important and essential role. Come along to hear from the Compliance Team their top tips to help you in this. LDHQ Compliance Team Novotel York Centre, Meeting Room 3 PARTY ROLES Fundraising Drop in No campaign or Local Party can be run without any money. Come along to meet with our experts to ask any questions you may have on Fundraising. LDHQ Fundraising Team Novotel York Centre, Meeting Room 4 Embedding Diversity into your Local Party What are protected characteristics and how do they affect my local work? (Refreshments provided.) LDHQ Diversity Team Novotel York Centre, Meeting Room 5 PARTY ROLES Leadership for Women in Politics Open to Women and those who identify as a Woman. So much of politics requires strong leadership which many women can struggle with. Come along to this session to learn how to improve your leadership skills. Campaign for Gender Balance Novotel York Centre, Meeting Room 6 CANDIDATES Training & Skills Saturday late afternoon 16.00-17.15 Creating a winning plan for the General Election - Moving Forward This session is for anyone in a Moving Forward seat. Campaign planning is more than just which leaflets you deliver each month. When's best to be building your delivery network, and when should you be using that killer attack message on our opponents? Learn from our campaigning experts on how best to plan your year-round campaign. LDHQ Campaigns & Elections Team Hilton York, Micklegate Room CAMPAIGNING Welcoming overseas voters to your general election campaign Over 3.5 million Britons living overseas can now register to vote at the next election, and they will do so in every constituency in the UK! Join LibDems Abroad to hear how they can help you roll out the welcome mat to bring them into your campaign at the next General Election. Lib Dems Abroad Hilton York, Bootham Room Winning your Council seat Holding onto your Council seat can be a tough campaign no matter what your experience. In this session the LDHQ Campaigns and Election team will help you with the planning needed to run a winning campaign. LDHQ Campaigns & Elections Team Hilton York, Walmgate Room CAMPAIGNING Making the most of the General Election for non-target seats In this session we will be covering timings, realistic goals and campaign tactics. ALDC Hilton York, Minster Room CAMPAIGNING Introduction to Connect Join us to learn the basics of how Connect works, what you can use it for, and how to do some basic tasks as well as make sure you comply with the law. This session is ideal for people just starting out using Connect. Tech Team Novotel York Centre, Meeting Room 1&2 TECH Treasurer Drop in Come along to meet with the Compliance Team to ask any questions you might have about being a Treasurer. LDHQ Compliance Team Novotel York Centre, Meeting Room 3 PARTY ROLES Recruiting Young Members The MPs, Councillors, and campaign masterminds of the future are probably in your local area right now. This Young Liberals session will give you the best tips on reaching out to young people and making them valued members of your team. Young Liberals Novotel York Centre, Meeting Room 4 CAMPAIGNING EDI Race and Disabilities Strategy Come along to learn how you can be implementing our Race and Disabilities strategy locally. (Refreshments provided.) LDHQ Diversity Team and LDCRE Novotel York Centre, Meeting Room 5 PARTY ROLES Coping with the Politics / Life balance Open to Women and those who identify as a Woman. Whether it's a campaign, selection or trying to juggle everything you are doing, life can become stressful. In this session we share top tips on how to achieve a Politics /Life balance that works for you. Campaign for Gender Balance Novotel York Centre, Meeting Room 6 CANDIDATES Standing Orders Glossary of terms Business motion A proposal to conduct the affairs of the Party in a particular way or to express an opinion on the way affairs have been conducted. Business amendment A proposal to change a business motion. Any such proposal should be significant, should be within the scope of the original motion and must not be a direct negative. Committee Throughout these standing orders, Committee means the Federal Conference Committee unless otherwise qualified. Constitutional amendment A proposal to change the constitution of the Party. Secondary constitutional amendment An amendment to a constitutional amendment. This must not introduce new material. Consultative session A meeting where selected areas of policy or strategy are considered in greater depth than is possible in full debates. Day visitor Someone who has paid the appropriate day visitor fee. Day visitors are not entitled to speak or vote in full sessions of conference. Emergency motion A proposal which derives from a significant recent development which occurred after the deadline for submission of motions. Emergency motions must be brief (maximum 500 words). Emergency amendment An amendment to a motion which relates to a specific event which occurred after the deadline for the submission of amendments. It must be brief and uncontentious. Full session Any part of the conference agenda during which debates, topical issue discussions or discussion of business, including formal reports, takes place. This specifically excludes formal speeches such as those by the Leader or Party Officers. Point of order A suggestion to the chair of a debate that the conduct of the debate, as laid down in the standing orders, has not been followed correctly. Policy motion A proposal to adopt a new policy or reaffirm an existing one. This includes motions accompanying policy papers. Policy amendment A proposal to change a policy motion. Any proposal should be of significant importance, should be within the scope of the original motion and must not be a direct negative. Policy paper A paper prepared by the Federal Policy Committee and submitted to conference for debate under the terms of Article 7.4 of the Federal Party constitution. Procedural motion A proposal that the conduct of a debate should be changed in a specific way. Procedural motions are: Move to next business A proposal that the conference should cease to consider an item of business and immediately move to the next item on the agenda. Reference back A proposal to refer a motion or amendment to a named body of the Party for further consideration. Request for a count A request to the chair that a specific vote be counted and recorded rather than decided on the chair's assessment of a show of voting cards. Separate vote A request to the chair of a debate that a part or parts of a motion or amendment should be voted on separately. Suspension of standing orders A proposal to relax specific standing orders for a stated purpose. Special conference An additional meeting of the conference requisitioned by the Federal Board, Federal Policy Committee, conference itself or 2% of party members, in not fewer than 10% of local parties under the provisions of Article 6.3 of the Federal constitution. Standing order amendment A proposal to change these standing orders. Secondary standing order amendment An amendment to a standing order amendment. This must not introduce new material. Topical issue discussion A discussion on a policy issue of significant and topical relevance, conducted without a vote. Voting member A member attending conference who has satisfied the requirements for attendance and has paid the registration fee presently in force for party members as agreed by FCC, and who is not a day visitor [or observer]. Standing Orders for a conference held remotely A. In the event that the Federal Board determines it is impossible to hold a conference under the normal rules, and instead summons a special meeting of the conference to be held remotely, or the Committee otherwise directs that a conference shall be conducted remotely, these Standing Orders shall apply. B. A remote conference shall be conducted in accordance with the Standing Orders that apply to a conference not conducted remotely ('the original Standing Orders'), save that: i) All references in the original Standing Orders to votes, whether by ballot, show of hands or show of voting cards, shall instead be conducted via an online poll or alternative secure method of online voting, designated by the Committee; similarly all references to speakers cards shall be taken to mean electronic speakers' cards. ii) Any communications with the chair must be made via an online channel designated by the Committee for that purpose and advertised to voting members prior to the commencement of a debate. iii) In original Standing Order 6.2, the reference to the Chief Steward shall also include lead moderators designated by the Chief Steward. iv) Original Standing Order 8.7 shall apply save that the Committee may set a deadline in respect of any given full session for the receipt of electronic speakers' cards; the chair shall have discretion to accept electronic speakers' cards after the deadline. v) Original Standing Orders 9.1, 9.2, 11.5 and Procedural motion 3 (Request for a Count) in the Glossary of Terms, shall not apply; instead, voting members shall, when appropriate, be directed by the chair to vote using the online voting tool made available to them. Standing Order 2.3 shall not apply. vi) In original Standing Order 10.1, any voting member may signal to the chair via the designated online channel that they are moving a point of order, in lieu of rising in their place. vii) As, by necessity, all votes shall be counted votes, Standing Order 11.5 shall not apply; instead the chair shall ensure the result of the counted vote is publicised to members, via the appropriate online channel. Standing Orders for the Federal Conference 1. The Conference Agenda 1.1 What is on the agenda The agenda for each meeting of conference, other than a special conference, shall include time for: a) One or more consultative sessions; save that the Committee may decide not to hold any consultative sessions at a spring conference; b) A business session or sessions for the consideration of reports from the Parliamentary Parties as listed in Article 6.5 of the Federal Party's Constitution, the Federal Board, the Federal Policy Committee, Federal Communications and Elections Committee, Federal International Relations Committee, Federal Council, and the Federal Conference Committee together with, when appropriate, reports from any other body the Committee considers appropriate, accounts, the annual report, a motion accompanying the proposed strategy of the party, business motions, constitutional amendments and standing order amendments; c) Policy motions (including motions accompanying policy papers); d) Emergency motions; e) Topical issue discussions; f) Any other business which the Committee thinks appropriate. The time to be allocated to each type of business and the order of that business shall be decided by the Committee provided that conference may decide not to take any particular item on the agenda. 1.2 Conference or council of state parties In addition, time before or after any meeting may be agreed with the relevant state party for a meeting of the conference or council of that party. 1.3 Right to submit agenda items a) Reports to conference may be submitted only by the bodies listed in paragraph 1.1(b). b) Business motions (including amendments and emergency business motions and amendments), constitutional amendments and secondary constitutional amendments, standing order amendments and secondary standing order amendments may be submitted by the Federal Board, Federal Policy Committee, Federal Council, Federal Conference Committee, state parties, regional parties in England, local parties, Affiliated Organisations and 10 party members. c) Motions accompanying policy papers may only be submitted by the Federal Policy Committee. d) Policy motions (including amendments, emergency policy motions and amendments) may be submitted by the Federal Policy Committee, state parties, regional parties in England, local parties, Affiliated Organisations and 10 party members. e) The Parliamentary Party in the House of Commons may submit a motion relating to supporting a government containing members of the other parties, in accordance with Article 24 of the constitution. f) Proposals for topical issue discussions may be submitted by any party member. 1.4 How motions and amendments are submitted All motions and amendments must be submitted to the Committee. They must identify a person authorised to agree to their being composited or redrafted. The detail of methods of submission will be notified for each conference via the party website. 1.5 The deadlines by which motions, amendments, reports and questions to reports must be submitted The Committee shall specify: a) The closing date for the receipt of policy motions (including motions accompanying policy papers), business motions, constitutional amendments and amendments to standing orders, which shall be at least eight weeks before the start of conference. b) The closing date for the receipt of amendments to motions published in the Agenda and emergency motions, which shall be at least two days before the start of conference. c) The closing date for the submission of written reports from the bodies listed in paragraph 1.1(b), which will be set so as to enable their distribution with the Agenda. Any supplementary report submitted later than this deadline may only be tabled at conference with the permission of the Committee. d) The closing date for the submission of questions to any of the reports listed in the Agenda, which shall be the same as the deadline for emergency motions. Questions submitted by this deadline are guaranteed to be asked. e) Notwithstanding 1.5 (d), questions may always be submitted to any of the reports listed in the Agenda, by the end of the preceding morning (for report sessions taking place in the afternoon) or afternoon (for report sessions taking place in the morning). Any questions submitted by this deadline will only be taken at the discretion of the chair. f) The closing date for proposals for topical issue discussions, which shall be at least two days before the start of conference. 1.6 Notification of deadlines All dates specified under Standing Order 1.5 shall be publicised to party members and bodies entitled to submit motions. Publication in the party newspaper/magazine and website may be treated as notice for this purpose. 1.7 Later deadlines in special circumstances In special circumstances the Committee may specify later dates than those indicated above. In particular, where developments which, in the opinion of the Committee, are of great importance have taken place after the closing date for emergency motions and questions to reports, the Committee may make time available for an additional emergency motion or for a statement to be made on behalf of the Party or for additional questions to be submitted to reports. 2. Consultative Sessions 2.1 The subjects for consultative sessions The subjects for debate at consultative sessions shall be chosen by the Committee on the advice of the Federal Policy Committee and, where appropriate, the Federal Board, and published in the Agenda. Two or more such sessions may be held simultaneously. 2.2 Speaking at consultative sessions Any member of the Party may be called to speak at a consultative session and, with the approval of the chair, non-members with relevant expertise may also be called. 2.3 Voting at consultative sessions At the discretion of the chair a vote by show of hands may be taken to indicate the weight of opinion among members present on any issue that has been debated. 3. The Agenda 3.1 The shortlisting of motions The Committee shall draw up the Agenda and shall decide which of the motions duly submitted shall be included in it. The Committee may allocate time for one or more policy or business motions to be selected by ballot. Copies of motions not selected shall be available for inspection and will be supplied to any party member on payment of a copying charge and postage. 3.2 Motions for the amendment of the constitution or standing orders Save as detailed below in Standing Order 4.3, all proposed amendments to the constitution or standing orders must be selected for debate. 3.3 Balance between State and Federal policy debates The Committee shall, in drawing up the Agenda, have due regard to the balance of State and Federal policy debates and in particular shall as far as possible organise the agenda so that all matters which relate solely to one or more state parties but not all State Parties or the Federal Party shall be considered at either the beginning or the end of the conference. 4. Selection of Motions and Amendments 4.1 Compositing or otherwise altering motions In drawing up the Agenda the Committee shall seek to reflect the range of views in the Party as indicated by the motions and amendments submitted. The Committee may: a) Treat any severable part of a motion or amendment as a separate motion or amendment. b) Redraft a motion or amendment so as to improve expression, remove inaccuracy or superfluity or take account of new developments. c) Composite similar motions or amendments. 4.2 Selection of amendments The Committee shall decide which of the amendments duly submitted to each motion shall be selected. No amendment shall be selected if, in the opinion of the Committee it is insubstantial, outside the scope of the motion, or tantamount to a direct negative of the motion. 4.3 Motions for the amendment of the constitution or standing orders The Committee may refuse to select a motion for amendment of the constitution or standing orders if, in their opinion, it is: a) Similar in effect to another motion which has been selected for debate or ballot at the same meeting of conference. b) Similar in effect to a motion that has been rejected at either of the last two meetings of conference. c) In the case of amendments to the constitution, incomplete in that it leaves unamended some other part of the constitution which contradicts the meaning of the amendment. d) In the case of amendments to standing orders, incomplete in that it leaves unamended some other part of standing orders which contradicts the meaning of the amendment. e) Ambiguous. 4.4 Emergency motions The Committee may reject an emergency motion if: a) It is similar in effect to another motion that has been selected for debate or ballot. b) It is similar in effect to a subject chosen for a topical issue discussion. c) It is unclear as to its meaning or intent or is, in the opinion of the Committee, too poorly drafted to provide a sensible basis for debate. d) It falls outside the definition of emergency motions. No amendment shall be taken to any motion selected under this Standing Order. 4.5 Ballots for emergency motions All emergency motions, except those rejected under Standing Order 4.4, must be placed either on the agenda for debate or in a ballot for selection by Conference. The Committee may hold separate ballots to select which of a range of emergency policy motions and which of a range of emergency business motions to debate. If one or more ballots is held the Committee shall circulate the text of all balloted motions to the voting members as soon as practicable and shall specify a closing time for the ballot. Following the counting of any ballots the Committee shall decide how many motions shall be debated in the time available. 4.6 Emergency amendments The Committee shall have complete discretion whether to select emergency amendments for debate. 4.7 Topical issue discussions The choice of subjects for topical issue discussions shall be made by the Officers of the Committee in consultation with the Officers of the Federal Policy Committee. In choosing the subjects, the Officers shall have regard to the significance and topicality of the subjects proposed and whether they are likely to provoke a lively discussion. 5. Special Meetings 5.1 Timetabling of special meetings The Committee shall, as soon as practicable after the requisitioning of a special meeting of the conference, fix a date for the meeting, draw up the Agenda and, if appropriate, specify a date for the submission of amendments. The meeting shall deal only with the business stated in the notice of requisition save that the Committee may allow time for emergency motions and for business which is formal or, in its opinion, uncontentious. 5.2 Preferred timescales for special meetings In setting dates for the submission of motions and amendments and giving notice thereof and of the conference itself the Committee shall endeavour to follow the timescales laid down elsewhere in these standing orders but, where this is not practicable, the Committee shall set such dates as it sees fit. 6. Appeals 6.1 Appeals against rejection of motions The Committee shall provide written reasoning to the nominee of the proposers for the rejection of any motion or amendment. The proposers may appeal, in writing, to the next meeting of the Committee. Any such appeal shall provide reasons why, in the opinion of the proposers, the expressed reasons for rejection are not valid. If the appeal is allowed, the motion or amendment shall be treated as an emergency motion or amendment according to the stage of the agenda-setting process at which the appeal has been allowed. 6.2 Appeals against exclusion from conference Any person excluded from conference by a decision of the Chief Steward shall have the right of appeal to the Committee at the next of its regular meetings. The exclusion shall remain in force pending the appeal. 7. The Chair 7.1 Who chairs conference The President, if present, shall normally take the chair at the formal opening and closing of conference and when the Party Leader is making a formal speech from the platform. At all other sessions the chair shall be appointed by the Committee. Normally no person shall chair more than one session at any meeting. 7.2 The chair's aide The Committee may appoint an aide or aides to assist the chair of each session. 8. Conduct of Debate 8.1 Variation in the order of business The Committee may propose to the conference a variation in the order of business as set out in the Agenda. Such variation shall be put to the vote and shall take effect if approved by a majority of those voting. 8.2 Withdrawal of motions and amendments Once the Committee has included a motion or amendment, or part of a motion or amendment, in the Agenda, may not be withdrawn except by leave of conference. A request to withdraw a motion may be submitted to conference either by the movers of the motion or the Committee 8.3 The order of debate The Committee shall direct the order of debate. Generally, however, a motion will be moved and immediately thereafter the amendments and options will be moved in the order directed by the Committee. There will then be a general debate. The movers of amendments and options (or their nominees) shall have the right of reply in the same order (except that where an amendment or option has not been opposed during the debate, the chair of the session shall have the right to direct that its movers shall not exercise their right of reply), after which the mover of the motion (or the mover's nominee) shall have the right of reply. Votes shall then be taken on the amendments and options in the order in which they have been moved and, finally, on the substantive motion. The Committee may direct that part of any motion or amendment or groups or amendments may be the subject of a separate debate. 8.4 Topical issue discussions The Committee shall direct the order of the discussion. Normally the proposer of the subject shall speak first, and a representative of the Federal Policy Committee shall speak last. 8.5 Who may speak All voting members may speak at a full session of conference. Additionally, the Committee may invite any person to address the conference as a guest. Neither such provision shall prejudice the right of the chair of a session to select speakers. 8.6 The special rights of the Federal Committees Provided that the Federal Policy Committee is not proposing the motion or any of the amendments to be taken in a debate on a policy motion or on motions relating to the policy-making processes of the Party it shall have the right to nominate a person to report its views on the subject before the conference. The Federal Board shall have similar rights on business motions or motions to amend the constitution, as shall the Federal Conference Committee on motions relating to the proceeding and procedures of the conference and to amend standing orders. Such a person shall be called to speak for the same length of time as the person replying on behalf of the mover of the motion. 8.7 The selection of speakers Voting members wishing to speak in any debate shall submit a speaker's card, prior to the commencement of the debate in which they wish to speak, stating whether they wish to speak for or against an amendment, the motion or part of the motion. The chair shall be responsible for the choice of the speakers and shall attempt to provide a balanced debate between the different viewpoints in the conference, but may announce a departure from this rule if there is an overwhelming preponderance of members wishing to speak on the same side. The chair shall have the discretion to accept speakers' cards after the start of the debate. Save as provided for in these standing orders, no person may speak more than once in any debate. 8.8 The length of speeches The Committee shall set out in the Agenda time limits for speeches. 9. Voting at Conference 9.1 The method of voting Voting cards shall be issued at each meeting to voting members. (The Committee may direct that voting on any issue be by ballot.) Subject thereto all votes at full sessions shall be taken by show of voting cards and by voting members voting securely online. 9.2 Counting of votes A vote by show of voting cards shall be counted: a) If the Committee has so directed. b) If the chair so directs. c) As the result of a procedural motion under Standing Order 11.5 below. A recount will only be held if the chair is not satisfied that the first count was accurate. 9.3 Separate votes A separate vote may be taken on a part of a motion or amendment: a) On the direction of the Committee. b) At the discretion of the chair. c) As a result of a procedural motion under Standing Order 11.4 below. 10. Points of Order 10.1 Making a point of order Any voting member may rise on a point of order which shall be taken immediately except that, during a vote, no point of order shall be taken that does not refer to the conduct of the vote. The chair's decision on all points of order shall be final. 11. Procedural Motions 11.1 Next business a) A voting member may, during any full conference session, submit, in writing, a request that conference move to next business, giving the reasons to do so. The submission shall not exceed 75 words. b) The chair may either take the request immediately upon receipt, or at the end of any speech currently being made. If more than one request is received the chair shall decide which to take. No more than one request may be taken in respect to any motion or report. c) When the request is to be taken, the chair shall read the statement of reasons and ask conference whether it wishes to consider the request to move to next business. If conference decides, by a simple majority of those voting, to do so, the person who made the request may speak. The chair may allow other speakers. All speeches under this standing order shall be limited to two minutes. If conference decides not to debate the proposal, it falls. d) The proposal shall require a two-thirds majority of those voting being to be passed. If it is carried the current agenda item shall be abandoned without any further debate or vote and, at the discretion of the chair, either the next agenda item shall be taken or there shall be an adjournment until the time at which the next agenda item was due to be taken. 11.2 Reference back (moved by a voting member) a) A voting member, who has not already spoken in the debate, may, at any time before the chair has asked the first speaker in reply to stand by, submit, in writing, a request to refer back the motion under debate. The submission shall state to whom the motion is to be referred and shall include a statement of the reasons, including reasons why voting against the motion would not achieve a similar result, not exceeding 75 words. b) The chair may take the request to refer back at whatever stage of the debate they consider appropriate. If more than one request is received, the chair shall decide which to take. No more than one request may be taken with respect to any motion. c) When the request is to be taken, the chair shall read the statement of reasons and ask conference whether it wishes to consider the request to refer. If conference decides, by a simple majority of those voting, to do so, the person who made the request may speak and the mover of the substantive motion, or their nominee, may reply. The chair may allow other speakers. All speeches under this standing order shall be limited to two minutes. If conference decides not to debate the reference back, it falls. d) The reference back shall require a simple majority of those voting to be passed. If it is carried the current agenda item shall be abandoned without any further debate or vote and, at the discretion of the chair, either the next agenda item shall be taken or there shall be an adjournment until the time at which the next agenda item was due to be taken. e) If the substantive motion is referred to the Federal Board, the Federal Policy Committee or the Federal Conference Committee that body shall, in its report to the next meeting of the conference, state what action it has taken on the reference. 11.3 Reference back (moved by the Federal Policy Committee) a) The Federal Policy Committee may, at any time before the beginning of the debate on a motion, submit, in writing, a request to refer that motion to the next meeting of the conference. The chair shall announce the existence of such a request at the start of the debate. b) The chair may take the request to refer back at whatever stage of the debate they consider appropriate. A nominee of the Federal Policy Committee will speak and the mover of the substantive motion, or their nominee, may reply. The chair shall have discretion whether to allow other speakers on the request. c) The reference back shall require a simple majority of those voting to be passed. If it is carried the current agenda item shall be abandoned without any further debate or vote and, at the discretion of the chair, either the next agenda item shall be taken or there shall be an adjournment until the time at which the next agenda item was due to be taken. d) If passed, the Federal Policy Committee shall, before the next meeting of the conference, circulate its reasons for acting under this section and its comments on the motion and any amendments thereto accepted for debate. 11.4 Separate vote A voting member of conference may request that the chair take a separate vote on a part of a motion or amendment provided that such a request is in writing and received by the commencement of the first conference session on the day before the debate is scheduled. If the debate is scheduled for the first day of conference, the request must be received in writing no later than 48 hours before the opening of conference. The Committee shall have complete discretion whether to take a separate vote. In exceptional circumstances, the Chair of the debate shall have discretion to accept a request for a separate vote if it is received in writing after this deadline. 11.5 Counted vote Any voting member may ask for a counted vote, which shall be taken if the request is supported by 50 members rising in their places and showing their voting cards. 11.6 Suspension of standing orders a) A voting conference member may, during any full conference session, move a motion for the suspension of standing orders. The mover shall submit the motion together with a written statement of its purpose, not exceeding 75 words, to the chair, who shall read them to the meeting. Such a motion may contain no more than one proposed change to the agenda or conduct of debate. The chair may either take the request immediately upon receipt, or at the end of the speech currently being made. b) No motion to suspend standing orders may suspend any requirement of the constitution, nor any part of these standing orders which govern: i) The rights of, or timetable for, submission of motions and amendments. ii) Consultative sessions. iii) Procedural motions for next business or suspension of standing orders. c) No motion to suspend standing orders to introduce a motion or amendment on to the agenda can be taken unless the motion or amendment has been submitted to the Committee in accordance with the published timetable and, where a right of appeal against non-selection exists, the right has been exercised. d) The chair shall read the statement of purpose and, if the suspension is allowable in the terms of this standing order, ask the conference whether it wishes to debate the request for suspension. If the conference decides not to debate the request, it falls. If the conference decides, by a majority of those present and voting, to hear the request the mover may speak and a representative of the Committee may reply. The chair shall have the discretion to allow other speakers. All speeches on the motion to suspend standing orders will be limited to two minutes. e) A motion to suspend standing orders shall only be carried if supported by at least two-thirds of the conference members voting. If the procedural motion is carried all standing orders shall remain in force except only for the purposes set out in the motion. 11.7 No procedural motions during votes No procedural motion can be moved during a vote. 12. Reports 12.1 Which reports are tabled The business session or sessions of the conference must include consideration of reports from the bodies listed in Standing Order 1.1(b). 12.2 Submission and selection of questions A voting member may submit questions to any report tabled for consideration, by the deadlines set under Standing Orders 1.5 (d) and (e). The Committee shall publish in advance of the report session all the questions submitted under Standing Order 1.5 (d) which are in order, compositing similar questions where appropriate. Questions to the Federal Board report may include questions about the work of the Federal Audit and Scrutiny Committee and the work of the Federal People Development Committee 12.3 Whether questions are in order or not A question shall be ruled out of order if it asks the body submitting the report about issues which are outside its duties and responsibilities. If the question could be answered by another body reporting to the same conference, the Committee may transfer the question to that body. 12.4 How questions and supplementary questions are put and answered After the report is moved, the mover, or their nominee, shall answer the questions in turn. After each question has been answered, the voting member who submitted the question will be given the opportunity to put a supplementary question, speaking for a maximum of 1 minute, and the mover, or their nominee, will be given an opportunity to respond. The chair shall determine the time given to the mover in moving the report and replying to questions. The chair shall also determine how many of the published questions, and how many of the questions submitted under Standing Order 1.5 (e), can be taken. After the conference the Committee shall publish the answers to all questions submitted under Standing Orders 1.5 (d) and (e) which are in order, and to all supplementary questions asked. 12.5 Approval or rejection of reports from Federal Party committees or sub-committees Any report tabled by a Federal Party committee or sub-committee must be submitted for approval by the conference and must be voted upon accordingly. A voting member may move the rejection of any part of the report or of the report as a whole. A voting member wishing to move a rejection shall submit a speaker's card prior to the commencement of the consideration of the report, stating the section(s) which they wish to have rejected. All moves to reject a report must be debated (except that the chair shall have discretion to choose between moves to reject the same part of the report), at the conclusion of the question session. The person who made the request shall speak and the mover of the report, or their nominee, shall reply. The chair may allow other speakers, and shall determine the time given to all speakers. 12.6 Receipt of reports from other bodies Any report tabled by a body other than a Federal Party committee or sub-committee must be submitted for receipt by the conference and must be voted upon accordingly. A voting member may move not to receive the report, by submitting a speaker's card prior to the commencement of the consideration of the report. A move not to receive a report must be debated (except that the chair shall have discretion to choose between more than one move not to receive the same report), at the conclusion of the question session. The person who made the request shall speak and the mover of the report, or their nominee, shall reply. The chair may allow other speakers, and shall determine the time given to all speakers. 13. Amendment of Standing Orders 13.1 Amendment of standing orders These standing orders may be amended by a two-thirds majority of members of conference voting on a motion duly submitted and selected in accordance with standing orders. Subject to any amendment they shall remain in force from meeting to meeting. 14. The Chair and Vice Chairs of the Committee 14.1 Chair and Vice Chairs At its first meeting after a new election the Committee shall elect a Chair, who must be a member of the Committee directly elected by party members, and at least one Vice Chair, who must be members of the Committee either directly elected by party members or elected by one of the State Parties. The Federal Party The Federal Party is responsible for the Party's overall strategy, overall preparations for Parliamentary Elections; the overall presentation, image and media relations of the Party; and our international relationships. It has the following committee structure: Federal Conference Federal Policy Committee (FPC) Federal Board Federal Conference Committee (FCC) Finance & Resources Committee (FFRC) Communications & Elections Committee (FCEC) People & Development Committee (FPDC) International Relations Committee (FIRC) Audit & Scrutiny Committee (FASC) The roles of each Committee are outlined in Articles 9 through 16 of the Federal Constitution. The Committees have the following Chairs: l Federal Board: Dr Mark Pack, Party President l Federal Conference Committee: Cllr Nick da Costa l Federal Policy Committee: Sir Ed Davey MP l Federal Finance and Resources Committee: Mike Cox, Registered Treasurer l Federal Communications and Elections Committee: Kath Pinnock l Federal People and Development Committee: Claire Hudson l Federal International Relations Committee: David Chalmers l Federal Audit and Scrutiny Committee: Dave Radcliffe Details of all the Committees, their functions and members can be found on the Party website at: www.libdems.org.uk/committees_organisations