Reporting to Conference

Submitted by: Federal Conference Committee.
Mover: Duncan Brack.
Summation: Cllr Nick da Costa (Chair, Federal Conference Committee).

Conference believes that maintaining the accountability of federal committees to federal conference, through written reports, opportunities for members to question the committees and votes to accept or reject each report, is an essential element of party democracy.

Conference notes, however, that:

1. Report sessions in the auditorium can allow only a limited time for questions to each committee.
2. Many questions to committees, particularly those simply asking for information, do not necessarily have to be asked at conference.
3. The treatment of the reporting function in the constitution is incoherent and in places contradictory.

Conference therefore resolves to reform the system of reporting to conference, in order to:

1. Retain accountability to conference for those bodies which include a component directly elected by the party membership (Federal Board, Federal Conference Committee, Federal Council, Federal International Relations Committee, Federal Policy Committee and Vice President responsible for working with ethnic minorities), plus the parliamentary parties in the Commons and Lords.
2. Ensure that committees elected by and accountable to the Federal Board (Federal Audit and Scrutiny Committee, Federal Campaigns and Elections Committee, Federal Finance and Resources Committee, Federal People Development Committee, Joint States Candidates Committee), plus the Campaign for Gender Balance and the Racial Diversity Campaign, report through the Federal Board.
3. Allow for additional opportunities to put questions to all the bodies listed in paragraphs A and B away from the conference auditorium.
4. Increase the time available for debates on policy motions at spring conference.
5. Rationalise the treatment of reporting in the constitution.

Accordingly, Conference:

1. Agrees to adopt the amendments to the constitution and standing orders set out below.
2. Instructs the Federal Conference Committee to organise additional question–and–answer sessions, without the need for a formal report or vote, including for the two parliamentary parties at spring conference in the auditorium (in addition to their formal report to autumn conference) and for all committees and sub–committees, on a rolling basis, away from the auditorium (to allow for greater interaction with members).
3. Instructs the Federal Board to review and improve mechanisms to allow party members to interact with committees throughout the year outside conference.
4. Instructs the Federal Conference Committee to review the impacts of these changes after two years.

In Article 3.3, after ‘Federal People Development Committee....’ delete: ‘, notified to the Conference’

At start of Article 5.3, insert: ‘As part of its report to conference, ….’

Delete Article 6.5 and insert:

6.5 There shall be a business session or sessions at each Conference, to which the committees listed in Article 8.7 shall report. The business session at each autumn Conference shall additionally include reports from the Parliamentary Party in the House of Commons, the Parliamentary Party in the House of Lords and the Vice President responsible for working with ethnic minorities. The business session at the autumn meeting shall constitute the Annual General Meeting of the Party, before which the Annual Report and Accounts shall be laid as part of the report of the Federal Board. The Conference shall have the right to approve or reject each such report, or to refer it back with recommendations. Other reports may be circulated for information.

6.6 Business motions may be submitted to the Federal Conference by the Federal Board, the Federal Conference Committee or any other persons or bodies entitled to submit motions or amendments under Article 7.6.

Delete Article 8.7 and insert:

8.7 The Federal Board, the Federal Conference Committee and the Federal Policy Committee shall each table a written report at each meeting of the Conference. The Federal International Relations Committee and the Federal Council shall each table a written report at each autumn meeting of the Conference. Time will be given at the Conference to debate each report. All other Committees shall report to the Conference as part of the Federal Board’s report. In exceptional circumstances any Committee may request the Federal Conference Committee to permit it to submit a written report and allocate time to debate it.

In Article 9.6, delete first sentence and insert:

Following each election for the House of Commons, the Federal Board shall commission a report on the Party’s work in that election and shall report to the Party on the outcomes of that review as part of its report to the Conference.

In Article 9.17, after ‘8.5’ insert: ‘8.7,’

In Article 10.1, delete the last sentence and insert:

The FPC shall include its proposed programme of policy development in its report to the Conference.

In Article 20.1, delete the sentence: ‘ … The President shall report to the annual meeting of the Conference and may make reports to any other meetings of Conference. …’

In Standing Order 1.1, delete 1.1 b) and insert:

b) A business session or sessions for the consideration of reports from the bodies listed in Article 6.5 of the Constitution, together with, when appropriate, reports from, or question and answer sessions with, any other body the Committee considers appropriate, accounts and the annual report;

c) business motions, including a motion accompanying the proposed strategy of the party;

d) constitutional amendments and standing order amendments;

Applicability: Federal.

The existing text of the constitution can be found here.

The existing text of conference standing orders is printed at pages 107–125 of the Conference Agenda.

Mover: 5 minutes; all other speakers: 3 minutes. For eligibility and procedure for speaking in this debate, see pages 6-7 of the agenda. You can submit a speaker's card online here from Monday 15 September up to 10.35 Tuesday 23 September or in person.

The deadline for amendments to this motion is 13.00 Monday 8 September; you can submit amendments online here, see pages 9–10 of the agenda for more information. Those selected for debate will be printed in Conference Extra and Tuesday’s Conference Daily. The deadline for requests for separate votes is 09.00 Monday 22 September; you can request separate votes here, see page 5 of the agenda for more information.

Standing order amendments require a two-thirds majority to pass.