Autumn Conference Conference Extra Birmingham 17th – 21st September 2011 Plain text version This plain text document contains the text from the published Conference Extra. Photographs, graphics, advertisements and complex page layouts have been omitted. Note that page number cross references refer to the page numbers in the published Conference Extra, and are not applicable to this plain text version. Published by The Conference Office, Liberal Democrats, 8–10 George Street, London, SW1P 3AE. Design and layout by Mike Cooper, mike@mikecoopermcc.co.uk Updates to the Conference Agenda and Directory, information from the Conference Committee, amendments, emergency motions and questions to reports. Please read in conjunction with the Conference Agenda and Conference Directory. Contents Directory extra: Conference information 3 Exhibitors by stand number 6 Exhibition plans 7 Directory of exhibitors 8 Conference sponsors 9 Fringe guide 11 Agenda: Conference timetable update 16 Saturday 17th September 17 Sunday 18th September 23 Monday 19th September 27 Tuesday 20th September 36 Wednesday 21st September 40 Make sure you pick up a copy of Conference Daily from the Information Desk as you enter The ICC each morning. It will be vital to your understanding of the day’s business. Conference Extra and other conference documents are available in plain text, large/clear print and as pdf files – ask at the Information Desk in The ICC in Birmingham or go to www.libdems.org.uk/autumnconferencepapers Conference Information Please pay particular attention to this information about security and safety, registration and left luggage at this year’s autumn conference. Conference Bar Please note that non-residents will be able to purchase drinks at the Hyatt bar until 3am. After 3am any orders at the bar are chargeable to a room only. Left Luggage A left luggage facility will be available on Wednesday 21st September from 08.00 – 17.00, at House of Sport, Broad Street (across the road from The ICC – see map of Birmingham city centre in the Conference Directory). - All luggage is left at owners risk. - Any luggage not collected by 17.00 may be destroyed. - There will be a charge of £1 per item. Do not bring large bags or luggage to The ICC on Wednesday morning – either leave them at your hotel or use the left luggage facility. Registration It’s not too late to register! If you are planning to attend conference please register online as soon as possible. Online registration will remain open until 14.00 on Wednesday, and even registering online a day in advance will speed up the on-site process considerably for you. For more information and to register go to www.libdems.org.uk/conference. Please note that the Conference Team will be in Birmingham for set-up from Thursday, and if you need to contact the Conference Office you will need to do so by email to conferences@libdems.org.uk. Onsite registration is available to representatives who have yet to register or need to query or change their current registration. For opening times see Conference Directory – this year onsite registration will also be open from 15.00 to 21.00 on Friday. Please note that onsite registration may take several hours to complete, and due to police checks access to The ICC cannot be guaranteed for a specific time. Security And Safety The safety of the people who live in, work in and visit Birmingham is West Midlands Police’s top priority. The Liberal Democrat Party has received and accepted advice from West Midlands Police regarding security measures for the autumn conference 2011. These measures have been agreed and put in place to ensure, as fully as possible, the safety of everyone attending the conference, as well as the residents and employees surrounding the venue. All those attending conference must have a photo pass issued by the Party in order to gain access to the conference venue. Conference photo passes must be worn visibly at all times within The ICC. Anyone found in the secure area without a valid pass will be escorted from the building. Everyone will be subject to an ‘airport type’ search process at the entry point. This will include metal detecting archways and x-ray searches of bags. Anyone wishing to bring small items into the venue will be able to pass them through the entry point x-ray machines. The maximum size is 640mm (W) x 430mm (H). Packages too large will be subject to physical search by security staff. Boxes and packages should be left unsealed wherever possible. Under no circumstances will any large bags or suitcases be allowed into The ICC. Any bag left unattended will be brought to the attention of the police and may be removed and / or destroyed. In order to ensure your process through the new security measures is as quick as possible please only bring essential items with you into the centre. West Midlands Police thanks you for your patience and co-operation. These search processes are in place to ensure and maintain the safety and security of the Liberal Democrat 2011 autumn conference. Exhibitors Listed By Stand Number Stand Exhibitor 100 Age UK 101 Total Politics and Biteback Publishing 102 Prater Raines Ltd 103 BUAV 104/105 Association of Liberal Democrat Councillors 106 Liberal Democrats in England 107 EARS 200/201 Health Hotel 202 The Countryside Alliance Foundation 203 unionlearn 204 TUC 205 LGA Liberal Democrats 207/208 NASUWT 209 CentreForum 210 Humanist & Secularist Liberal Democrats 211 ALTER 212 The Howard League for Penal Reform 300 Harmsworth Printing Ltd 300a West Midlands Liberal Democrats 301 PCA (Parliamentary Candidates Association) 302 Agents and Organisers Association 307 Airport Operators Association (AOA) 308 Politico Internet 309 The Accord Coalition 310 Prospects Services Ltd 314 Falkland Islands Government 315 Liberator 316 Liberal International (British Group) 402 RISO UK Ltd 403 LGBT Liberal Democrats (DELGA) 405 Liberal Democrat European Group 406 National Union of Teachers 408 Guide Dogs 410 Liberal Democrat Education Association 411 Ethnic Minority Liberal Democrats (EMLD) 412 Campaign for Gender Balance B1 Asda L1 Liberal Democrat Image M1/M2 Marketing Birmingham M3 Digital UK M3a RNIB M4 York Potash Project – Sirius Minerals M5 Lloyds Banking Group M6 E.ON M7 Holyrood Magazine R1 BBC R2 British Red Cross R3 Nuclear Industry Association R4 NewcastleGateshead R7 Tobacco Retailers Alliance R7a Liberal Democrat Friends of Israel R7c Green Liberal Democrats R8 Royal Mail Group R10 Carillion Energy Services R11 RSA R12 Federation of Small Businesses R13 pteg R14 Parkinson’s UK R15 UKIE R17/R20 Sky News R18 Charities Aid Foundation R19 MS Society R21 Liberal Democrat History Group R22 Liberal Democrat Friends of Palestine R23 DAGGER R24 Women Liberal Democrats R25 Liberal Democrat Christian Forum R26 Liberal Democrat Christmas Draw R27 ALDES R28 ALDTU R29 Liberal Democrat Disability Association R34 Liberal Youth R35 Youth Zone Directory Of Exhibitors The following exhibitors are additional to those listed in the Conference Directory. Stand 101 Total Politics and Biteback Publishing Total Politics is a magazine dedicated to all things political. Our goal is to be unremittingly positive about politics. Biteback is a major publisher, publishing books on politics and current affairs. Stand M7 Holyrood Magazine Scotland’s award winning current affairs magazine is, according to IPOS Mori, the most widely read publication amongst Scotland’s political representatives with almost 63% saying it is essential reading. Contact Mandy Rhodes, the editor, on 07968 049267. Conference Sponsors Asda Visit the Asda stand to sample our locally-sourced products, meet our small suppliers and find out how our stores are supporting the communities they serve. your.asda.com Bloomberg Tradebook Europe Ltd Bloomberg Tradebook Europe is Bloomberg’s agency broker that partners with the buy-side and sell-side to provide high-quality liquidity, market insight and customised solutions based on innovative technologies. We offer trading solutions for equities, futures, options, and foreign exchange (FX) so that clients can actively manage complex trading strategies across more than 100 global exchanges. By providing direct access to independent research analysts and commission management services, Bloomberg Tradebook Europe provides clients with numerous ways to find and implement smart trading ideas. Bloomberg Tradebook Europe is available on the Bloomberg Professional service. CentreForum CentreForum is the liberal think tank. It provides an independent, free-thinking forum for new ideas and progressive debate. The National Trust The National Trust protects the special places, forever, for everyone. Not just the places we own, but everyday places people enjoy on a daily basis. SITA UK SITA UK is a recycling and resource management company. We deliver solutions to 12 million residents and over 42,000 business customers, to help everyone reduce the impact of their waste on the environment. Headquartered in Maidenhead, we operate in over 300 locations throughout the UK, and employ over 5,500 people. Tesco Tesco is an international retailer with over 490,000 employees in 14 markets. The Group’s core purpose is to create value for customers to earn their lifetime loyalty. Which? Which?, the largest independent consumer body in the UK, has produced a special guide to Birmingham for all Liberal Democrat party conference attendees – it’s free of charge and available around The ICC. Fringe Saturday 17th September Saturday Lunchtime 13.00 – 14.00 The following is a correction to the listing in the Conference Directory: Localis Having a Mayor? The right answer for city leadership? Lord Shipley; Stephen Gilbert MP; Dave Hodgson, Mayor of Bedford; Cllr Gerald Vernon Jackson, LGA Group Leader. Mint Hotel, The Gallery (Meeting Room 1 & 2) Refreshments Fringe Sunday 18th September Sunday Early Evening 18.15 – 19.30 The following event is additional to those listed in the Conference Directory: MOAT Are we still in it together? Delivering cohesive welfare and housing reform strategies Speakers: David Brindle, The Guardian (Chair); Stephen Gilbert MP; Brian Johnson, Chief Executive, Moat; Roy O’Shaughnessy, Chief Executive, Careers Development Group. The ICC, Dods Marquee 2 Refreshments Fringe Monday 19th September Monday Lunchtime 13.00 – 14.00 The following event is additional to those listed in the Conference Directory: Fujitsu Broadband: Is 100% coverage possible? Speakers: Simon Blagden, Associate Director, Fujitsu UK; Cllr Heather Kidd, LGA’s Economy and Transport Policy Board; Paul Waugh, Politics Home. The ICC, Dods Marquee 1 Refreshments Monday Mid Evening 20.00 – 21.15 The following event has been cancelled: Holocaust Educational Trust Examining British responses to genocide following the Holocaust Hyatt Regency, Soprano Fringe Tuesday 20th September Tuesday Early Evening 18.15 – 19.30 The following event is additional to those listed in the Conference Directory: Go Ahead / Siemens Building a Sustainable Future for Transport Confirmed Speakers: Norman Baker MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Transport; David Brown, CEO, GoAhead; Gordon Wakeford, Managing Director, Siemens Mobility. The ICC, Dods Marquee 2 Refreshments Conference Timetable Update Federal Conference Committee has agreed the following revised timings for the conference sessions on Monday morning: 09.30 F22 a Emergency Motion: Phone Hacking F22 b Emergency Motion (to be selected by ballot) 10.40 F23 Speech by Edward Davey MP, Minister for Employment Relations, Consumer and Postal Affairs 11.00 F24 Facing the Future (Policy Development Agenda Policy Paper) 12.20 F25 Speech by Rt Hon Dr Vincent Cable MP, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills Otherwise, the timings for conference sessions are as shown in the Conference Agenda. However, please see Conference Daily for final timings of sessions, and note that timings are approximate only; some items of business may occur earlier than indicated. Saturday 17th September F2 Report of the Federal Conference Committee Q1. Submitted by Gareth Epps The agenda for this Federal Conference features a record number of speeches and non-debate items. Compared to the Conference at the same stage of the last Parliament, almost two hours’ debating time has been taken away. a) Why? b) What role in FCC’s deliberations on the balance of the agenda did the need for policy development as part of the Mid-Term Review play? Q2. Submitted by Leonora Brace Disabled members of the party who are also conference representatives face specific problems relating to their disability in coming to conference that other members of the party don’t. Some require part or full time care at conference. Why is there currently no pass category for carers and is this a reasonable adjustment the party could make in the future so that they don’t deter disabled party members or disabled conference representatives for SAOs or local parties? Q3. Submitted by Andrew Hudson How many people were arrested in the vicinity of the Spring Federal Conference at Sheffield? Q4. Submitted by James King a) Have the police recommended that the FCC bar anyone from attending this conference? b) If so, how many? c) In how many cases, if any, did the FCC overrule them? d) How many of those prevented from attending conference, if any, are voting representatives? e) Without breaching individuals’ privacy or the necessities of security, could the FCC give us a rough idea of why these individuals were thought to be a security risk? Q5. Submitted by Peter Tyzack a) Some while ago I raised the question of the procedure of debating amendments to motions. I pointed out the inconsistency with the practise elsewhere, particularly in local councils, where commonly the procedure is to deal with any amendments at the start of each debate, and then to debate the resulting substantive motion. I was promised this would be looked at. b) Please advise when we might expect to see a conference agenda which includes a proposed amendment to standing orders, so that conference may decide how to deal with this apparent anomaly. c) Why do we not have reports to Conference from the Membership Dept and from the Campaigns Dept? It would seem to me that as significant parts of the organisation they should be expected to report to us each year about their ‘progress’. Q6. Submitted by Gareth Epps a) What Equalities Impact Assessment was carried out by the Police on behalf of FCC, in order to provide evidence whether or not the accreditation process is discriminatory? Can its contents be summarised in reply to this question? b) How many party members who applied to attend conference have been refused accreditation: i) Due to the police refusing to accredit them because of some detail in their application? ii) For other reasons? Q7. Submitted by Jonathan Hunt The committee appears to have usurped the democratic process whereby delegates chose the emergency motions they wish to debate, and seemingly taken those powers to itself; while also reducing the amount of debating time with Tory-style speeches and stage-managed Q&A sessions. Can we have our conference back, please? Q8. Submitted by Hywel Morgan a) In previous years it has been the usual practice that Conference Representatives have been sent a report of the business transacted shortly after conference. No report appears to have been produced after spring conference 2011, why was this? b) Is Federal Conference Committee satisfied that the current party constitution and Conference standing orders provide sufficient powers to allow the operation of any enhanced security procedures necessary as a result of our being in government? c) At Liverpool conference, whilst there was security screening at the entrance to the conference hall, no security checks on admission whatsoever (ie. no bag or badge checks) were in place at the conference hotel just a few yards across the walkway. Did this arrangement result in any lapses in security? d) A number of questions tabled to reports at Spring conference have remained unanswered. What steps does Conference Committee take to ensure that party bodies provide answers to questions tabled and will they consider “naming and shaming” bodies who fail to do so in future? F3 Report of the Federal Policy Committee Q1. Submitted by Leonora Brace a) When government policy or Conservative party policy is different to Liberal Democrat party policy, how does the party’s parliamentarians and FPC find a way through this on controversial issues, as the Lib Dem voters in the General Election and party members don’t fully understand the difference between Lib Dem party policy and government policy when the Liberal Democrats are a party of government? b) It is sad the recommendations arising out of the Strategy, Positioning and Priorities motion have been delayed to the Spring conference; what reassurances can FPC give that these will be ready in time for the Spring conference and does FPC think that the party’s current arrangements are sufficiently democratic for a party of government rather than a party of opposition? Q2. Submitted by Adam Corlett It’s been reported that David Laws, Danny Alexander and others are working on the party’s tax strategy for this decade (“Tax 2020?”). How does this fit in with the FPC, the planned taxation consultation/policy papers mentioned in its report, and the democratic nature of the party on this most important issue? F4 Lords Elections by 2015 Amendment One Women Liberal Democrats, Glasgow North, Staffordshire Moorlands and 39 conference representatives After v) (line 13), insert: vi) That women continue to be egregiously under-represented at Westminster, with men constituting four fifths of parliamentarians. vii) The success of one-off zipping used by the party in 1999 in delivering sustained gender balance in the Liberal Democrat European Parliament group. After 4. (line 28), insert: With specific regard to gender balance, conference calls on Liberal Democrat parliamentarians to: i) Ensure the reformed House begins its mandate with in-built gender balance. ii) Pilot modern flexible working practices in the reformed House. iii) Ensure any further interim appointments mitigate, rather than perpetuate, the current gender imbalance. iv) If an appointed element is retained, press for a transparent skills and competency based approach to new appointments. Amendment Two Cheltenham After line 16, insert: Conference nevertheless expresses its disappointment at the Government’s proposals to include the possibility of up to 20% of members being appointed and not elected; and reaffirms its commitment to previous conference motions and its 2010 Manifesto pledge to ‘replace the House of Lords with a fully-elected second chamber’. In 4. (line 28), at end add: ‘(given that it is existing Liberal Democrat policy to have a 100% elected second chamber).’ Amendment Three 25 conference representatives After 4. (line 28), insert: Conference opposes, in the event of the retention of a small appointed element, any seats in Parliament being reserved for any group or individual on the basis of their beliefs, religious or otherwise. F6 Employment and Support Allowance and Work Capability Assessments Federal Conference Committee has accepted the following drafting amendment to the motion: In ii) (line 5), delete: ‘70%’, and insert: ‘39%’. Amendment One Glasgow North and 19 conference representatives After C. (line 25), insert: D. That vulnerable cases like this, where a welfare recipient’s income is threatened ,should qualify for free legal representation. Delete 2 (line 35) and insert: 2. Liberal Democrats in Government to oppose an arbitrary time limit on how long claimants can claim contributory ESA. In 3. (line 36), after ‘representation’ insert: ‘and expert advice, and for Government to reconsider the exclusion of welfare benefits casework such as this from the scope of legal aid. After 3. (line 36), add: 4. A presumption that ESA claimants with serious and uncontrollable life-threatening conditions should be allocated to the support group rather than the work related activity group. 5. A review of ATOS performance in delivering the Medical Services Agreement contract with DWP in respect of the quality of medical assessments. 6. Effective contract compliance for contractors carrying out ESA eligibility assessments to avoid poor performance, and a presumption that in future ESA eligibility will be carried out by the public sector or non-profit organisations. F7 Report of the Federal Executive Q1. Submitted by Leonora Brace a) Which section/s of the party will bear the costs of VAN licences and when will it be rolled out? Will it be replacing EARS or used alongside EARS? b) Will directly elected police commissioners be elected at the parliamentary constituency level, local authority area or just one for an entire police authority area? Q2. Submitted by Peter Tyzack Do I take it correctly, from the last sentence of the first paragraph on page 11 of the Reports booklet, that Tim Farron and Norman Lamb, and their vice-chairs, are not currently on speaking terms? Q3. Submitted by Andrew Hudson What steps did the working group take to ensure that SAO’s and AO’s were properly consulted and what steps were taken to ensure that they were adequately informed of the information that the working group required to be submitted? Q4. Submitted by Hywel Morgan Does the party’s target for a 2015 General Election remain to double our MPs from 2007 (ie to 126)? Q5. Submitted by Hywel Morgan What discussions have FE had about achieving this target, what obstacles to achieving this target have been identified and what proposals have been discussed to overcome them? Q6. Submitted by Hywel Morgan What recommendations of the Bones report (Party Reform Commission) are still to be implemented and what discussions have FE had about plans for implementing any still outstanding? Q7. Submitted by Hywel Morgan What target is aimed for in responding to emails and other correspondence sent to Nick Clegg as leader of the Party. Is this target being met? Q8. Submitted by Lorna Dupré The Membership Data Online system has failed to provide local and regional parties with up-to-date membership information for a large part of 2011. Why has it not been possible to take swifter action to remedy this, using volunteer effort from one or more of the many IT experts in the party if necessary, and what is being done to ensure that Membership Data Online can be relied upon in future? Q9. Submitted by Suzanne Fletcher The report on page 12 gives the welcome news that “CCC believe that the Party needs to rapidly improve its communications”. This is to be applauded, and thank you. I would like more information though on just what is going to happen, and when. I spoke in the Strategy debate at spring conference on the urgent need for better communications and said I would be back in Birmingham asking about actual progress. We need in simple format accessible to all members information on what have we achieved, what have we influenced and what have we tried to get, but not there yet. We need to be able to get answers to “is it true that ?” from allegations by constituents, the labour party and the media. We need to know who to contact and how for information. We need the website to distinguish in its searches between pre and post May 2010. We urgently need a MYTHBUSTER section of the website. Nobody disagreed in spring when I called for us to act out our new slogan “We keep in touch all rear round not just at sending out appeals time”. Can we have a timetabled response to the above points please ? Q10. Submitted by Susan Heinrich Why are the details missing regarding the minor compliance issue not made clear in this report when motion F30 provides more, if not complete, information on the matter? F8 Report of the Federal Finance and Administration Committee Q1. Submitted by Peter Tyzack Why is it that ‘membership recruitment’, ‘membership communications’ and ‘campaign management’ are included within the report on the finance and administration of the Party? Whilst these aspects of the party’s activities obviously have financial and administrative implications, surely the skills of recruitment, communication and campaigning are very different from those of accounting and administration. Q2. Submitted by Hywel Morgan a) The amount received from ministerial tithes is budgeted to fall by 25% (from £40,000 to £30,000) for 2012. Why is this? b) Which ministers are making ministerial tithes and how much are they contributing? c) The Bones report made an ‘urgent’ recommendation in 2008 that it be a condition of becoming an elected Liberal Democrat (at all levels) that you tithe to the party. Is the Chair of FFAC satisfied that all our MPs and MEPs have complied with this recommendation? What discussions has he had with the Whips of the relevant parliamentary parties about achieving full compliance with this recommendation? Q3. Submitted by Hywel Morgan Would the President be happy had his employer treated him in the way Campaigns Department staff were treated in May and June of 2011? Q4. Submitted by Hywel Morgan How many campaigns staff were employed by: i) The Federal Party. ii) The Federal Party jointly with regional parties. iii) Regional parties solely. In September 2010 and September 2011? Q5. Submitted by Hywel Morgan A series of redundancies in the Campaigns Department were announced to staff with little warning at the debrief meeting shortly after the local elections. In the weeks prior to that staff had almost certainly worked well over any contracted hours to get the best results possible for the party. Staff who applied for new positions then had to apply for these on a very short timescale at a time when most would have, very reasonably, been considering holidays or a break from work. When PriceWaterhouseCoopers reviewed human resources policy and practice what comments did they have any comments to make about whether this procedure represented either acceptable practice or best practice for dealing with employees? Sunday 18th September F9 Accreditation for Party Conference Amendment One 10 conference representatives Delete lines 13–15 and insert: Conference notes that: a) A full risk and threat assessment is carried out for each conference and that for this conference Home Office and police advice was that accreditation was necessary and that they could not guarantee the safety and security of those attending without such accreditation being in place. b) The system of accreditation agreed with the police means that the party has the final say over whether someone attends conference or is refused access. Delete 3. (lines 24–27) and insert: 3. The Federal Conference Committee to continue to negotiate security arrangement to ensure that conference provides a safe and secure environment for those attending conference and the host city whilst ensuring that the party has the final say over who attends conference. Amendment Two Greater Reading, Glasgow North and 12 conference representatives At end (after line 27), add: Conference rejects the current system of accreditation as it is discriminatory and has resulted in members being denied their constitutional right to attend Conference, and requests the Federal Conference Committee to refuse to operate it for future Conferences. F11 Report of the Diversity Engagement Group Q1. Submitted by Jonathan Hunt While welcoming training, mentoring and similar assistance for BME and other disadvantaged members, when will the group adopt other positive action measures (allowed under the law) including fast-tracking and remedies to reverse previous discrimination? Q2. Submitted by Leonora Brace How do we encourage more diversity among candidates at the local level when some councillors and activitists in the party prefer to pick people who are like themselves? F12 Reports of the Parliamentary Parties of the Liberal Democrats Questions to the Parliamentary Party in the House of Commons Q1. Submitted by Hywel Morgan The following questions were tabled at spring conference 2011 to which no answer has been received. Could the Chief Whip explain why these questions were not answered and inform conference by what date an answer will be provided? i) English Council received a report of the FE meeting of 25th October from their FE representative. It states that at this meeting Nick Clegg was asked: “if any MP who voted against the Coalition proposal on Tuition Fees would be penalised in any way, he [Nick] promised that they would not.” In light of this could the Chief Whip comment on why two PPSs subsequently resigned. Could the Chief Whip also confirm whether any pressure was brought to bear on those two individuals requiring them to resign? ii) Could the Chief Whip confirm whether all MPs made a contribution to the Party from their Parliamentary salaries as is required of local councillors? If not what steps are being taken to address this? Q2. Submitted by Mike Ward In the light of last year’s conference motion ‘Human rights and the war on terror’ that called for the Detainee Inquiry to show ‘demonstrable independence from the Intelligence Services’ and the recent withdrawal from the inquiry by 10 leading NGO’s, because of their belief that the inquiry as set up is sufficiently thorough, independent and subject to public inquiry to comply with international human rights standards, please explain the actions that the Parliamentary Party has taken, is taking and will take in future to secure changes in the protocol and terms of reference for the Inquiry. Q3. Submitted by Leonora Brace How do we ensure that Federal Party practices, policies and procedures comply with new legislation such as the provisions of the Equality Act 2010? Questions to the European Parliamentary Party Q1. Submitted by Hywel Morgan The Bones report (Party Reform Commission report) made an ‘urgent’ recommendation in 2008 that it be a condition of becoming an elected Liberal Democrat (at all levels) that you tithe to the party. Does the Whip believe that members of our European Parliamentary party are complying with the spirit of this recommendation? If not would he recommend any steps to achieve compliance? F15 Higher Education Fees for Part-Time Students Amendment One Liberal Youth Delete lines 26–27 and insert: Conference therefore calls on the Government to: A. Change the proposals, so that no student in higher education will have to repay their tuition fees before they have completed their degree. B. Ensure that the principle of equality between part-time and full-time students is reflected throughout the Higher Education white paper. F17 Education Credit Amendment One 16 conference representatives In 2. (line 28), at end add: ‘ – for example ensuring that housing policy recognises that poor and insecure housing impacts upon children’s attainment’. After b) (line 36), insert: c) All gypsy/traveller children. Amendment Two Plymouth After b) (line 36), insert: c) All children of serving members of the UK’s Armed Forces. There will be separate votes on D (line 15), on 7 a (lines 54–55) and on 7 b (line 56). F20 Protecting Individuals and Communities from Drug Harms Amendment One 10 conference representatives After E. (line 50), insert: F. Issues such as housing, family and youth support, mental health and tackling unemployment and high inequality should not be overlooked as means of both averting problematic drug use and supporting recovery. Amendment Two 17 conference representatives After 5. (line 68), add: 6. The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs to retain a majority of independent scientific and social scientific experts in its membership and no changes to drug laws be made without receiving its advice as per the 1971 Misuse of Drugs Act. Monday 19th September F21 Membership Subscriptions and Federal Levy Amendment One Western Counties, Devon & Cornwall and South East Regions In line 22, delete ‘44%’, and insert ‘37%’. F22 a Emergency Motion: Phone Hacking 13 conference representatives Conference believes that: a) While a free press is at the core of a liberal and democratic society, plays a crucial role in holding public figures and institutions to account, and is vital to healthy national debate; it must be subject to, and held accountable for the adherence to, high ethical and editorial standards. b) Significant media outlets should be owned only by those people and organisations who are fit and proper to do so, and that plurality of ownership is essential to ensuring a diverse media. c) Ethical and legitimate investigative journalism in the public interest needs to be protected from our existing chilling and punitive libel laws. d) There is an obvious tension between freedom of expression and personal privacy, with the key factor being the public interest, and final judgements regarding the validity of claims of public interest overriding personal privacy should be made by appropriate regulators and the courts and not by politicians or editors. Conference deplores: I. The illegal and intrusive behaviour of those journalists and private investigators who have been complicit in phone-hacking, especially where the bereaved or victims of crime have been targeted. II. The offering of illegal payments to police officers and the acceptance of those payments. III. The inappropriate and non-transparent relationships between the media and some politicians. IV. The gradual erosion of safeguards on media plurality and independence over the last thirty years, and the failure of previous governments, the police and the Press Complaints Commission to take effective action to address this. Conference notes: A. That the Liberal Democrats, alone of the major parties, have a long and proud history of standing up to vested interests in the media, including our call for a full judicial inquiry into phone-hacking in 2009 B. Our earlier calls for major reform of the Press Complaints Commission, and our work to improve the 2003 Communications Act on cross-media ownership. Conference therefore welcomes: i) The establishment of the Leveson Inquiry into the extent of unlawful or improper conduct in News International and other media organisations; the media’s relationship with the police and politicians; and the culture, practices and ethics of the press. ii) The investigations by the Culture, Media and Sport and Home Affairs Select Committees. iii) The changes recently made to the Ministerial Code which requires the quarterly disclosure of meetings with all newspaper and other media proprietors, editors and senior executives. Conference urges the Government to: 1) Insist on an overhaul of the PCC to establish a more effective press regulator, independent of editors and government, with powers to: a) Establish an ethical and editorial code and a “kitemark” which may be used by all organisations that abide by the code. b) Require all relevant media organisations to comply with the code and to include the need to adhere to the code in the contracts of all relevant staff. c) Investigate all alleged breaches of the code by relevant media organisations or their staff. d) Impose appropriate sanctions against proprietors, editors and journalists guilty of breaching the code; such as financial penalties that are large enough to act as a deterrent, and the power to ensure that apologies and retractions are given due prominence. 2) Strengthen rules on ‘fit and proper’ ownership, and ensure corporations as a whole are held to account and not just senior individuals within them. 3) Introduce custodial sentences, commensurate with the seriousness of the offence, for breaching section 55 of the Data Protection Act (unlawful obtaining of data). 4) Widen and strengthen the powers of relevant independent regulators to investigate and adjudicate on all circumstances (whether by acquisitions, mergers or gradual accretions of shares) where media plurality may be eroded. 5) Re-invigorate legitimate investigative journalism in the public interest by providing affordable and effective defence in defamation cases on matters of legitimate public interest, based on a requirement to issue a suitably prominent correction or retraction of untrue defamatory statements, made without malice or recklessness. 6) Support the existing law on privacy, as determined by our courts under the Human Rights Act, and respect the independence of the judiciary in their upholding of the balance, based on legitimate public interest, between the Article 8 right to privacy of individuals and the Article 10 right to free expression of the media. Applicability: Federal. F22 b Emergency Motion There will be a ballot to select one of the following motions to be debated in this time slot. Ballot papers will be published in Sunday’s Conference Daily, and should be returned to the ballot box in the auditorium of The ICC between 09.00 and 13.00 on Sunday 18th September. Emergency Motion 1: Pensions Glasgow North and 19 conference representatives Conference notes with concern the final report of the Workplace Retirement Income Commission announced on 1st August 2011 which concluded that millions of people face poverty in old age because they are falling through the cracks of private pension provision. Conference reaffirms: A. The fundamental Liberal Democrat principle that “none shall be enslaved by poverty”. B. The commitments in the Coalition Agreement to “safeguarding key benefits and pensions” and to “simplify rules and regulations relating to pensions to help invigorate occupational pensions encouraging companies to offer high quality pensions to all employees”. Conference notes: i) Lord Hutton’s statement that public service pensions are far from gold-plated; and that the average pension in payment is currently £7,800 a year, with women’s pensions about half that. ii) That about 2.4-million private sector employees are active in Defined Benefit (DB) schemes which are under threat, and even more are in Defined Contribution (DC) schemes of which many are destined not to provide an adequate pension. Conference believes that: a) There is now a major crisis in occupational pension provision and, while welcoming the introduction of NEST and the coalition proposals for reform of the state pension as important steps forward, acknowledges that neither of these proposals can in themselves solve this major crisis. b) The retreat of private sector employers from providing high quality pensions is the result of the failures of previous Labour and Conservative governments. Conference calls upon Liberal Democrats in Government to: 1. Reconsider the proposal to impose cuts in take-home pay on millions of public sector workers through increased pension contributions at the same time as reducing their pension benefits and increasing scheme retirement ages at a time of pay freezes, redundancies and spiralling cost of living; 2. Reject ideologically motivated proposals to allow private sector companies winning public sector contracts to lower their bids and increase profits by ending the privatised workforce’s pension scheme membership; 3. Act with urgency to protect private sector DB pension schemes including through reforming current rules and regulations; 4. Urgently clarify the law on trust-based collective DC schemes to allow the private sector to explore European models of provision of better quality, lower cost DC schemes; 5. Investigate and act in relation to pensions industry charges, fees, transparency and disclosure in order to enable pension schemes and their members to achieve better value for money. Applicability: Federal. Emergency Motion 2: Responding to the Riots Guildford, Glasgow North and 12 conference representatives Conference: I. Condemns the August riots as unjustified and outright criminality and understands and regrets the deep trauma caused to the residents and businesses affected, particularly the families of those who died. II. Appreciates with gratitude the effective nationally co-ordinated actions taken by police and emergency services who put themselves in harm’s way to protect lives and livelihoods. III. Notes the use of private networks and social media not only by those set on rioting, but, also in a more effective way, by those getting help to people at risk, and mobilising the clean-up operations. IV. Recognises that it was the threat of arrest and prosecution due to CCTV images and higher police concentration, rather than interventions by politicians, that brought the disturbances to an end. Conference notes with concern: A. The temporary loss of control by the forces of law and order to gangs of looters and arsonists, suggesting a shortage of deployable officers with appropriate training and equipment. B. The large number of lengthy custodial sentences and remands handed down by the courts which put much more pressure on our overcrowded prisons, when research clearly shows that prison is not an effective way of rehabilitating non-violent offenders or preventing re-offending. C. The proposal that social housing eviction be extended, beyond a sanction for causing a nuisance to other tenants and the immediate local community, to one for criminal behaviour generally; and that this would not only be unfair to innocent family members but would also discriminate against social housing tenants compared with private housing tenants or owner occupiers. Conference believes that: i) Sentencing is a matter for the courts, taking into account the crime, deterrence, and the impact on the defendant and their family, but not calls by the media or politicians for tougher sentences. ii) The way communities responded to the disturbances demonstrates that society is not broken, but that there are examples of a lack of respect for the law and rights of others to be found at the top and bottom of the socio-economic scale. iii) Additional powers to censor, restrict access to or close public social networking sites beyond existing arrangements are neither justified nor practical. iv) The reduction in the provision and funding of Youth and Connexions Services, especially at a time of high youth unemployment, and the increase in gang culture leaves young people more vulnerable to an antisocial way of life. v) The imposition of curfews and over-use of dispersals would be counterproductive and breed resentment among young people. vi) The removal of benefits from those involved in the disorder and their families will simply create more deprivation and encourage more criminality. vii) More needs to be understood about the causes of the riots, and also the actual impact on the communities concerned in order to ensure that government responses are based on evidence and not knee jerk reaction. Conference also reaffirms its policies outlined in policy paper 96, Free to be Young, and policy paper 99, Taking Responsibility, which would focus on effective ways of preventing young people from being drawn into gang culture and lead more productive lives. Conference supports the actions taken by the Deputy Prime Minister to: a) Establish a Grassroots Communities and Victims Panel to listen to the views of those affected by the riots. b) Implement a ‘riot payback scheme’ using restorative justice to make offenders build up their local communities and be confronted by those that their offending harmed, and calls for the inclusion of people released from imprisonment post-conviction to ensure that as many as possible do not re-offend. c) To undertake an urgent review of the causes of the riots, together with the implementation of the proposed programme of research and community liaison to identify lessons to be learned. Conference also calls for: 1. The imposition of custodial sentences only where no other sentence is justified but encourages, wherever justice permits, the use of non-custodial measures that allow the offender to carry out productive work, retain their livelihoods, homes and family ties, and thereby not be driven to future reliance on the state. 2. Recognition of the important work of the Probation Service in promoting rehabilitation, especially in the context of the cuts it faces. 3. The continued separation of politicians and police operational control and for there to be stronger checks and balances on any elected police commissioners by locally elected representatives than are currently set out in legislation. 4. A full inquiry into the riots following the publication of the findings of the Grassroots, Communities and Victims Panel in Spring 2012 should this be necessary. Applicability: England and Wales. Emergency Motion 3: The Detainee Inquiry Mole Valley Conference notes that: a) The motion passed at last year’s autumn conference called for the Detainee Inquiry to “ensure that both the public and torture victims, in respect of whom the complicity of the Government or the Intelligence Services is alleged, can have confidence in the inquiry’s thoroughness, impartiality and rigour in securing full accountability”. b) The Protocol for the inquiry, agreed between the Inquiry panel and the Government provides that all material provided to the inquiry that has not previously been in the public domain will be regarded as secret and not for publication unless a specific application for publication by the Inquiry panel is approved by the Government, that there will be no independent review of such Government decisions and that the final decision on disclosure will be made by the cabinet secretary. c) Alleged victims and their lawyers will not be granted special status under the protocol for the inquiry, be able to see secret information relating to their mistreatment, or cross-examine witnesses. d) There will be no power for the inquiry to compel witnesses to attend or require documents or other evidence to be produced. e) There will be no attempt made to obtain testimony from foreign witnesses. f) 10 relevant NGOs, including Amnesty International, have withdrawn from the Inquiry as it has currently been established stating that “the Inquiry simply will not be able to achieve its intended outcome of establishing the truth about the allegations that UK authorities were involved in the mistreatment of detainees held abroad.” Conference welcomes the focus by the Inquiry on Government policy and the recognition of the need to learn from past mistakes. However, whilst recognising that there will be some information that will have to remain secret in the public interest, conference believes that the list of potential reasons for non-publication of information is currently too broad. Conference reaffirms its belief that justice for the alleged victims and public confidence in the behaviour of the Intelligence Services both require the Inquiry to be independent, thorough and subject to public scrutiny to the maximum extent possible. Therefore, conference calls on the Government to revise the proposed protocol for the inquiry to 1. Allow the publication of all evidence and material provided to the inquiry unless it falls within clearly defined categories that are tightly drawn and provide for independent review of any decision not to publish. 2. Treat alleged victims as key participants in the inquiry and support them throughout the inquiry with appropriate legal representation at the expense of the inquiry 3. Give the inquiry the power to compel attendance of witnesses and provision of documents and other evidence with criminal penalties for non-compliance 4. Require the inquiry to seek all relevant evidence from parties overseas and to use all appropriate means to secure the participation of such parties. Irrespective of the outcome in respect of the Detainee Inquiry, conference commits the party to continue to campaign for a transparent, thorough and independent inquiry leading to prosecution of anyone found guilty of wrong-doing and compensation for victims should their claims be substantiated. Applicability: Federal. F24 Facing the Future (Policy Development Agenda Policy Paper) Federal Conference Committee has accepted the following drafting amendment to the motion: At end (line 52), add: In the light of the recent riots, Conference calls on the Federal Policy Committee to consider what additional policy development may be needed following the outcome of the Grassroots Communities and Victims Panel. Amendment One 16 conference representatives After A. (line 8), insert: B. Reducing Poverty. After viii) (line 33), insert: ix) Tackle poverty – in particular the scourge of child poverty. Delete q) (line 52) and insert: q) Mutualisation, Employee Ownership and Workplace Democracy. Amendment Two 12 conference representatives At end (line 52), add: Conference also calls for further work to develop proposals for a public distribution of government-owned shares in RBS and Lloyds Banking Group, in order to empower the public and give them something back in return for bailing out the two banks. F26 Tackling Violence Against Women Amendment One Glasgow North and 18 conference representatives Delete 1. (lines 41–43) and insert: 1. Seeking to prevent violence happening in the first place through work towards culture change, including: a) Using all means available to raise awareness of the issues including through the education of children in relationships and consent, and training of teachers. b) Tackling the projection of women as sex objects to children and adolescents by restricting sexualised images in newspapers and general circulation magazines to the same rules that apply to pre-watershed broadcast media. F28 Preparing the Ground: Stimulating Growth in the Digital Economy (Information Technology Policy Paper) Amendment One Glasgow North and 21 conference representatives After E. (line 9), insert: Conference notes that successive Governments have failed to recognise the critical significance of IT in maintaining security, democracy and a healthy economy, and that this lack of focus has resulted in patchy policy development, inefficient procurement and poor utilisation of the opportunities available. Delete 5 a) and 5 b) (lines 47–49) and insert: 5. Taking IT seriously by establishing a new Government Department, under Ministerial control, with responsibility for: a) National and international IT infrastructure. b) Security, including cyber-terrorism, data security and protection, citizen’s rights, Freedom of Information, and online privacy. c) Open standards and innovation. d) IT support services and Communications Technology policy for all government departments, agencies and, where practicable, organisations receiving government funding. e) Promoting business, supporting research and protecting copyright. f) E-democracy. In existing 5 b) (line 51), delete ‘office’ and insert ‘Department’. Amendment Two Greater Reading Delete 1 a), Option A, (line 12) and insert: a) Recognising the importance of and protecting the intellectual property rights of creators. Amendment Three Glasgow North and 46 conference representatives In 2 a) (line 28), after ‘speech’ insert: including: i) Additional protection in libel law for those merely hosting the content of others. ii) Amendment of section 127 of the 2003 Communications Act which is used to prosecute innocent users of social media for non-intentional remarks taken out of context and has a chilling effect on free expression. b) Oppose the granting of any additional powers for the police or the Government to restrict access to the internet or social media or to order its suspension. Amendment Four Hazel Grove At end (line 69), add: Accepting all the above, the conference nevertheless upholds the right of individuals particularly in their private or community lives to use long established methods of communication – the postal system, the telephone, books and papers traditionally printed and in particular: a) Applauds the decision not to abolish cheques. b) Encourages the Press Complaints Commission to issue guidelines to those placing articles or advertisements not to restrict responses to email addresses but also show telephone numbers and/or postal addresses. c) Encourages TV and radio channels to adopt similar guidelines. F30 Recognition of SAOs and AOs Amendment One Walthamstow Delete 6. (lines 50–55), and insert: 6. The current organisations with AO status remain the same until all AOs are contacted to request the relevant information and an investigation is carried out as to whether all AOs were consulted about the review. Tuesday 20th September F31 Standing Order Amendment: Emergency Motions Federal Conference Committee has accepted the following drafting amendment to the motion: In c) (line 5), delete ‘policy’. At end (line 8), add: Re-number following paragraphs accordingly. F33 Science Not Stigma: Ending the Blood Ban In light of the Government announcement on Thursday 8th September, the Federal Conference Committee has accepted an emergency drafting amendment from the movers, so the text of the motion therefore now reads: Conference notes that: a) Men who have had sex with men (MSM), even with a condom, are currently banned from donating blood in the UK for life. On 7th November 2011, this will change to a 12-month deferral period. b) Women who have sex with MSM individuals are currently prevented from giving blood for 12 months, effectively excluding long-term partners of men who have had sex with a man only once in their lifetime from donating. c) The UK currently suffers from low levels of blood stock, particularly for certain blood types. d) Heterosexual men and women who have had unprotected sex in a high-risk HIV country can give blood after one year. e) Nick Clegg and David Cameron both made comments prior to the election that the MSM blood ban should end. f) Blood donations are not all individually screened for HIV, unlike in other developed countries. Conference believes that: 1. The safety and well-being of those who require blood transfusions should always be paramount. 2. There is currently a high demand for certain blood types and the situation of low blood stock could be exacerbated by any future epidemics or pandemics, having catastrophic consequences for those who require blood transfusions. 3. The restrictions placed on the MSM group are inconsistent with the restrictions placed on other ‘high risk’ groups. 4. The criteria for being eligible to give blood should be based on the risk posed by the behavior of the individual, not their membership of a certain societal grouping. 5. Removing the outright ban will give way to between one and two million new donors, based on statistics suggesting that around 6% to 10% of the male population are gay or bisexual. 6. Each individual blood donation should be subject to the most sensitive forms of screening available to ensure risk of transfusion-transmitted infections are absolutely minimal. 7. A deferral on the MSM group is not sufficient in terms of increasing the number of donors, nor does it recognise or deal with the risk posed by the behaviour of each individual, regardless of sexual orientation. 8. The outright ban on men who have sex with other men from donating blood in the UK should be removed. Conference welcomes the recently announced lifting of the lifetime MSM blood ban, but expresses dismay that this does not go far enough to ensuring that both the blood bank is safe whilst allowing active MSM to donate blood responsibly. Conference calls for blood donations to be subject to the most thorough and advanced screening available to ensure minimal risk of transfusion-transmitted infections. Conference resolves to urge the government to end the outright ban on the MSM group from donating blood without introducing a deferral period; to end the twelve month deferral on female partners of that group; and subsequently to work with medical experts and organisations to ensure adequate criteria and restrictions are put in place that reflect the risk posed by the behaviour of each individual. F34 Adult Social Care Amendment One 27 conference representatives After D. (line 7), insert: E. Follows best practice in protecting older people from abuse. In 2 c) (line 26), after ‘framework’ insert ‘and to confer comparable rights to adults at risk of abuse as those afforded to children’. After 5. (line 45), add: 6. Take further action to highlight and prevent the growing problem of the abuse of older people, including: a) Steps to improve the inspection regime for care homes to monitor for abuse and take action when concerns are raised. b) Improved assistance for victims of abuse, whether it occurs in the home or in a care institution and greater protection for those who uncover or witness abuse. c) Support for a non-statutory EU-wide Code of Conduct for long term care, including a Charter of Rights for older people. d) Encourage the pro-active exchange of research and best practice in Britain and other EU member states on the prevalence of abuse and effective measures to prevent it. F38 A Green Stimulus for Economic Recovery Amendment One 23 conference representatives In line 2, after ‘sustainability on’ insert ‘broadening our energy and resource base and’. After 2. (line 26), insert: 3. Ensure that an increasing proportion of the country’s waste is used as a resource by extracting materials for reuse and that wherever possible these materials are reused within the UK. 4. Recognise the importance of the UK’s agricultural sector as a source of sustainable materials for manufacturing, and invest in diversifying the rural economy to increase both food and other outputs, especially those which can result in the long term sequestration of carbon. Amendment Two Glasgow North and 29 conference representatives After 5. (line 32), insert: 6. Consider further measures to stimulate investment in green infrastructure and technologies, through the Green Investment Bank and other investment and retail banks, including promoting green financial products such as green ISAs. Amendment Three Streatham and 18 conference representatives After 7. (line 37), add: 8. Introduce a windfall tax on operators of existing nuclear stations, recovering through taxation the profits they make solely as a result of the introduction of the carbon price floor from April 2013; the proceeds of the windfall tax to be used to help consumers, especially those in low-income households, adapt to higher energy prices, for example through investments in improving energy efficiency. F40 A New Purpose for Politics (Quality of Life Policy Paper) Federal Conference Committee has accepted the following drafting amendment to the motion: In E. (lines 30–31), delete ‘Personal, Health and Social Education (PHSE)’ and insert ‘Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE)’. Amendment One 11 conference representatives After 1 e) (line 43), insert: 2. The concept of sustainable development, through which social and economic needs are balanced, is an integral component of quality of life, and should be incorporated into all measures of quality of life and all other relevant government policies. Amendment Two Greater Reading, Glasgow North and 15 conference representatives After 9 c) (line 68), insert: 10. As there is an established link between debt and financial insecurity and diminished sense of well-being, and the cost in fees alone of debt advice to UK consumers is £250 million, the Government should therefore introduce a statutory debt management framework to ensure minimum standards, control of fees and specifically to prevent front-loading. Amendment Three Greater Reading, Glasgow North and 15 conference representatives After iv) (line 79), insert: v) Employers should be obliged to provide clear standard information to employees about advice providers such as ACAS, trade unions and Citizens’ Advice Bureaux, including the processes available up to, and including employment tribunals. vi) Resourcing of the Employment Tribunals should be protected to ensure fairness at work. F41 Community Politics Amendment One Greater Reading and 10 conference representatives After d) (line 30), insert: Conference further believes that community politics transfers power to people in a democratically accountable manner, and is not a simplistic transfer of power from national to local government, nor a transfer of power to unaccountable institutions inside or outside the private sector. Amendment Two Kingston, Richmond & Twickenham, Glasgow North and 18 conference representatives In 1. (line 33), delete ‘organise’ and insert ‘empower, enable and encourage’. After 2. (line 37), insert: 3. The principle of subsidiarity to be adopted by elected representatives at all levels of government, ensuring that decision-making is devolved to the lowest feasible, democratically accountable level. In 3. (line 38), delete ‘ensure dialogue with the communities they serve’ and insert: ‘listen and respond to the communities they serve by engaging with community groups and by seeking out those without advocates, and to ensure dialogue and personal contact’. Wednesday 21st September F44 The Arab Awakening Federal Conference Committee has accepted the following drafting amendment to the motion: In iii) (line 5), delete ‘the Libyan Interim National Council’s’ and insert ‘the Libyan National Transitional Council’s’. Amendment One 25 conference representatives After C. (line 17), insert: D. That religious freedoms and human rights for all are best protected by a liberal and secular democratic system, where the state is neutral on matters of religion. Amendment Two 10 conference representatives After 2. (line 30), insert: 3. The UK, EU and international community to continue their support for the fundamental human rights of both the Israeli and the Palestinian people, and to step up efforts to promote peaceful negotiation between Israel and the freely elected representatives of the Palestinian people which will lead to a comprehensive and final peace treaty between the two sides based on the legitimate entitlements of each in international law, including their right to live in peace and security. F 48 Topical Issue: The Progress of the NHS Reform Bill Introduced by Richard Kemp.