Conference Agenda - Plaintext Liberal Democrats Autumn Conference Bournemouth 20-23 September 2025 This plain text version of the Conference Agenda matches as closely as possible the text of the published Agenda. Motion line numbers match those in the printed Agenda. Welcome to the Liberal Democrat Autumn 2025 Conference Agenda. For features, general conference information, exhibition and fringe, see the separate Conference Directory. If you have any questions on-site, please ask a steward or go to the Information Desk in the Bournemouth International Centre. Further information, registration and conference publications are available at: www.libdems.org.uk/conference www.libdems.org.uk/conference X / Twitter: @LibDems Bluesky: @conference.libdems.org,uk #LDConf Instagram: @confbehindscenes Facebook: www.facebook.com/LibDems ISBN 978-1-915375-30-8 Published and promoted by Mike Dixon on behalf of the Liberal Democrats, 1 Vincent Square, London, SW1P 2PN. Design and layout by Frankie Roberts, frankie.roberts@libdems.org.uk. Photographs (c) Liberal Democrats unless stated. Conference at a glance The Agenda section on pages 15-106 of this Conference Agenda covers what goes on in the main auditorium - debates on policy and party business. You'll see a timetable for the debates on pages 11-14, 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 4-10. Standing orders, on pages 107-125, 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, and details of the Fringe and Training programme and the exhibition can be found in the Conference Directory. Conference venue Bournemouth International Centre, Exeter Road, Bournemouth BH2 5BH. Please note that the Bournemouth International Centre is within the secure zone and that access is only possible with a valid conference pass. Conference hotel Bournemouth Highcliff Marriott Hotel, 105 St. Michael's Road, W Cliff Road, Bournemouth BH2 5DU 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. (See page 9). Reference Back: a proposal to refer a motion or amendment to a named body of the Party for further consideration. (See page 9). Voting: decisions on most motions and all amendments and separate votes are by simple majority of those voting (2/3 majority for constitutional and standing order amendments). To vote, voting members must show their voting pass whilst Agenda Information cont. seated on the ground floor of the auditorium. Separate votes: a vote to delete or retain the specified words or section of a motion or amendment. A request for a separate vote may be submitted by any party member by: 09.00 Thursday 18 September for debates scheduled for Saturday 20 September; or by: 09.00 Saturday 20 September for debates scheduled for Sunday 21 September; or by: 09.00 Sunday 21 September for debates scheduled for Monday 22 September; or by: 09.00 Monday 22 September for debates scheduled for Tuesday 23 September. 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 attending in person 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: 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 submit an electronic speaker's card, from Monday 15 September 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 at 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. Emergency motions that are in order will either be placed on the agenda by the Federal Conference Committee (FCC), or included in a ballot for voting members to choose between. There is a slot for emergency motions at F41 on Tuesday 23 September. 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 19 September, and should complete it online by 17.00 on Saturday 20 September. 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 Conference Extra and the relevant Conference Daily. Question & answer sessions Question and answer sessions are timetabled for the Leader's Q&A (F26) and the ReformWatch panel (F36). Questions may be submitted by 13.00 Monday 8 September 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 11.20 Sunday 21 September (for the Leader's Q&A) and 11.20 on Monday 22 September (for the ReformWatch session) 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 Monday 8 September 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, Requests for a Reference Back, and Appeals Amendments, emergency motions and requests for a reference back Amendments, emergency motions and requests for a reference back must be: signed by 10 party members; or submitted by one or more of: a local party, state party, regional party in England, Affiliated Organisation or Federal Party Committee. And must be submitted by 13.00 Monday 8 September online at: www.libdems.org.uk/conference_submissions Submitters should include: For amendments - a short explanation of the intended effect of the amendment. For emergency motions - a short explanation of its emergency nature. For requests for a reference back - the details of the body to whom the motion is to be referred and a statement of the reasons for the reference back, including reasons why voting against the motion would not achieve a similar result, not exceeding 150 words. (In exceptional circumstances, the chair of the debate shall have discretion to accept a request for a reference back if it is received in writing after this deadline). Topical issues Suggestions for topical issues may be submitted by any party member by 13.00 Monday 8 September 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 Tuesday 26 August 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 Thursday 18 September to: appeals@libdems.org.uk Conference Extra and Conference Daily Conference Extra and Conference Daily are available at: www.libdems.org.uk/conference_papers and via the Conference App. Agenda Index and Timetable Saturday 20 September 09.00-09.10 F1 Opening of Conference 09.10-09.20 F2 Report: Federal Conference Committee 09.20-09.30 F3 Report: Federal Policy Committee 09.30-10.00 F4 Constitutional Amendment: Diversity Quotas 10.00-10.30 F5 Policy Motion: Backing Youth Work to Build Communities 10.30-10.45 F6 Speech: Jane Dodds MS 10.45-11.25 F7 Policy Motion: Policing Fit for the Future 11.25-12.05 F8 Policy Motion: Getting Emergency Care Back on Track 12.05-12.35 F9 Policy Motion: Freedom From Harm - Gambling as a Public Health Issue 12.35-12.50 F10 Speech: Lisa Smart MP 12.50-14.40 Lunch break and fringe 14.40-15.55 F11 Policy Motion: Opportunity for All (Opportunity and Skills Policy Paper) 15.55-16.25 F12 Policy Motion: Backing Hospitality for Growth and Jobs 16.25-16.55 F13 Policy Motion: Don't Nix Care: Protecting our Hospices 16.55-18.00 F14 Report: Federal Board F15 Report: Campaign for Gender Balance F16 Report: Federal Communications and Elections Committee F17 Report: Federal International Relations Committee F18 Report: Federal Council F19 Report: Federal Appeals Panel 18.30-19.30 Conference Rally Sunday 21 September 09.00-09.30 F20 Report: Parliamentary Parties 09.30-09.45 F21 Constitutional Amendment: Election of State Party Representatives 09.45-10.30 F22 Policy Motion: Connecting Communities - Building a Transport Network for the 21st Century 10.30-11.05 F23 Topical Issue 11.05-11.20 F24 Speech: Daisy Cooper MP 11.20-14.10 Lunch break and fringe 14.10-14.25 F25 Speech: Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP 14.25-15.15 F26 Question and Answer Session with Ed Davey MP, Leader of the Liberal Democrats 15.15-16.45 F27 Policy Motion: For People, For Planet (Climate Policy Paper) 16.45-17.15 F28 Constitutional Amendment: Federal Council Decision-Making 17.15-17.25 F29 Business Motion: Membership Subscription and Federal Levy 17.25-18.00 F30 Policy Motion: This Land is Your Land - Restoring Public Paths Through Nature Monday 22 September 09.00-09.45 F31 Policy Motion: Making the EU-UK Reset Count 09.45-11.05 F32 Policy Motion: Leading the Way (Policy Review) 11.05-11.20 F33 Speech: Victoria Collins MP 11.20-14.10 Lunch break and fringe 14.10-14.40 F34 Policy Motion: Protecting the Rights of Hong Kongers 14.40-14.55 F35 Speech: Calum Miller MP 14.55-15.40 F36 Question and Answer Session: ReformWatch 15.40-16.20 F37 Policy Motion: Ending Fleecehold and the Great Property Rip-Off 16.20-17.00 F38 Policy Motion: Improving Access to Justice 17.00-17.30 F39 Policy Motion: Never Again - Justice for Contaminated Blood Victims 17.30-18.00 F40 Policy Motion: Certainty for Ukrainian Children Living in the UK Tuesday 23 September 09.00-10.00 F41 Emergency Motions and/or Topical issue discussions 10.00-10.45 F42 Policy Motion: A New Hope for the Space Industry 10.45-11.15 F43 Policy Motion: Towards a Ceasefire and Political Resolution in Sudan 11.15-11.35 F44 Standing Order Amendment: Threshold for Submitting Amendments to the Constitution and Standing Orders 11.35-11.55 F45 Constitutional and Standing Order Amendments:Reporting to Conference 11.55-12.10 F46 Constitutional Amendment: Constitutional Tidying-Up 12.10-12.50 F47 Policy Motion: Defending Women's Rights Across the Globe 12.50-14.10 Lunch break and fringe 14.10-14.20 F48 Party Awards 14.20-15.30 F49 Speech: Ed Davey MP, Leader of the Liberal Democrats 15.30 Close of Conference Spring Conference Timetable, York 13-15 March 2026 Drafting advice deadline (motions) 13.00 Wed, 17 Dec 2025 Motions deadline 13.00 Wed, 7 Jan 2026 Drafting advice deadline (amendments, emergency motions) 13.00 Mon, 16 Feb 2026 Deadline for amendments to motions, emergency motions topical issues, questions to reports 13.00 Mon, 2 March 2026 Saturday 20 September 09.00 Party Business Chair: Cara Jenkinson (Vice Chair, FCC); Aide: Cllr Jon Ball (Vice Chair, FCC); Hall Aide: Eleanor Kelly. F1 Opening of Conference by Vikki Slade, Member of Parliament for Mid Dorset and North Poole, and Cllr Millie Earl, Leader of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council 09.10 Party Business Chair: Cara Jenkinson (Vice Chair, FCC); Aide: Cllr Jon Ball (Vice Chair, FCC); Hall Aide: Eleanor Kelly. F2 Federal Conference Committee Report Mover: Cllr Nick da Costa (Chair, Federal Conference Committee). The deadline for questions for F2 is 13.00 on Monday 8 September. 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 08.00 Saturday 20 September; such questions are only taken at the discretion of the chair. See page 8 for further information. F3 Federal Policy Committee Report Mover: Jeremy Hargreaves MBE (Vice Chair, Federal Policy Committee). See notes to F2. 09.30 Party Business Chair: Duncan Brack; Aide: Professor Belinda Brooks-Gordon; Hall Aide: Sam Barratt. F4 Constitutional amendment: Diversity Quotas 40 members. Mover: Zoe Hollowood. Summation: Juliet Line. 1 Conference notes that: 2 1. The Equality Act 2010 applies to political parties as private 3 associations. Moreover, equality is a fundamental value of our 4 party. 5 2. Section 101 of the Act says a party must not discriminate in how 6 its members are afforded access to a benefit, facility or service; 7 this includes e.g. when conducting elections to party 8 committees. 9 3. Candidates win elections by gaining the most votes. 10 Exceptionally, results can only be adjusted where this is lawful. 11 Under Section 158 of the Act any 'positive action' - e.g. to 12 change election results - must have an objective justification 13 based on a protected characteristic, such as sex, race or 14 disability. However, Article 2.5 of our Constitution does not 15 meet this requirement, as it uses arbitrary terms that are not 16 protected characteristics. 'Self-identification' is not recognised 17 in law. Returning males into vacancies expressly reserved for 18 females would be unlawful. 19 4. Article 2.7 in our Constitution states that where a party rule 20 appears to conflict with the Equality Act, the provisions of that 21 Act shall prevail. 22 5. The UK Supreme Court has recently concluded that the use of 23 'man', 'woman', and 'sex' under the Equality Act were 'always 24 intended' to refer only to 'biological sex'. It further stated that 25 any other interpretation would cause the Act to be incoherent 26 and impracticable to operate. 27 6. The Equalities and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has 28 stated that the Equality Act, as clarified by the Supreme Court, 29 has effect and is binding, and so organisations must, where 30 necessary, amend policies, criteria and practices as appropriate 31 and not wait for further guidance. 32 7. In our party, women are underrepresented on key governance 33 bodies. For example, the Federal Council (40 members) and 34 English Council (162 members) have approximately twice as 35 many men as women. Thus there is a statutory justification for 36 a positive action of maintaining a quota for women on our 37 internal committees. The 40 percent quota in Article 2.5 is 38 applied to six counts in five committees and up to 23 39 candidates among 60 committee places for three-year terms. 40 Conference therefore agrees to delete Article 2.5 and replace with: 41 Whenever this Constitution provides for the election by party 42 members to a Federal Committee, not less than 40% or, if 40% is 43 not a whole number, the whole number nearest to but not 44 exceeding 40% of those elected shall be men, and shall be women, 45 respectively. Applicability: Federal. Mover: 5 minutes; all other speakers: 3 minutes. For eligibility and procedure for speaking in this debate, see pages 6-7. The deadline for amendments to this motion is 13.00 Monday 8 September; see pages 9-10. 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 18 September; see page 5. Constitutional amendments require a two-thirds majority to pass. 10.00 Policy Motion Chair: Cllr Darryl Smalley; Aide: Lord Mohammed; Hall Aide: Cllr Hannah Kitching. F5 Backing Youth Work to Build Communities 12 Party Members Mover: Munira Wilson MP (Spokesperson on Education and Families). Summation: Josh Babarinde MP (Spokesperson for Justice). 1 Conference notes: 2 i) Access to high-quality youth work, whether delivered through 3 open-access youth centres, targeted providers tackling 4 disadvantage, uniformed services like scouts or guides, or 5 programmes like the Duke of Edinburgh Award, can change the 6 lives of young people. 7 ii) Investment in youth work yields a significant social return on 8 investment, with between 3.20 to 6.40 in savings for every 9 pound spent, by reducing demand for more expensive acute 10 services in the NHS and criminal justice system. 11 iii) Persistent under-investment in youth work in recent years has 12 seen many youth centres close, and many youth workers leave 13 the sector. 14 iv) Youth service closures have been linked by studies to increases 15 in crimes among 10-18 year olds living nearby, while another 16 study showed teenagers in areas affected by such closures 17 suffered 'large decreases in performance' in their GCSEs. 18 v) Severe pressures on the youth sector workforce are negatively 19 impacting the reach and availability of youth provision across 20 the country. 21 vi) A 2024 survey by OnSide found a clear desire amongst young 22 people for more affordable leisure activities and safe, fun places 23 to socialise and learn new skills. 24 vii) The same survey found that smartphones are the most time- 25 consuming activity for children, that 48% of young people spend 26 most of their free time in their bedroom and that high levels of 27 young people struggle with feelings of anxiety, and loneliness. 28 Conference welcomes the Government's commitment to bringing 29 forward a National Youth Strategy during 2025 and to use Dormant 30 Assets Scheme funding to support youth services provision, but 31 recognises that for any such strategy to be successful will require 32 strong, measurable commitment to delivery from Government. 33 Conference believes that: 34 I. Youth work can be a key tool in helping every young person to 35 achieve their potential. 36 II. High-quality youth work can act as a preventative service, 37 helping young people to avoid negative outcomes like 38 involvement in crime or anti-social behaviour, or being Not in 39 Education, Employment or Training (NEET). 40 III. Youth work provision can lead to improved mental and physical 41 health, strengthened life skills, and a heightened sense of 42 belonging for young people that supports social cohesion. 43 IV. To be effective, a National Youth Strategy must recognise the 44 vital importance of both targeted and open-access youth work, 45 and must put in place clear, measurable steps to: 46 a) Improve local access to youth services throughout the 47 country. 48 b) Improve facilities and infrastructure at youth centres. 49 c) Boost recruitment and retention to ensure that enough 50 youth workers are active in the sector and able to continue 51 a long-term career in the sector. 52 V. Youth services can often be ideally placed to deliver vital 53 opportunities for outdoor education for the benefit of young 54 people. 55 VI. In making decisions about young people's lives and the services 56 available to them, it is crucial to ensure the voices of those 57 young people are heard. 58 Conference reaffirms Liberal Democrat calls for: 59 A. A Cabinet Minister for Children and Young People. 60 B. Investment in youth services that are genuinely engaging and 61 reach more young people. 62 Conference therefore calls on the Government to: 63 1. Commit to a fair, long-term funding settlement to support 64 youth work, resources and infrastructure. 65 2. Ensure the National Youth Strategy prioritises high-quality 66 targeted and open-access work, with clear metrics for delivery. 67 3. Support charity-run youth services to leverage non- 68 governmental funding, building on the model of Regional Youth 69 Work Units to share best practice, build partnerships. 70 4. Clarify the statutory duty for local authorities to provide 71 sufficient youth services, defining what 'sufficient' means, and 72 ensure adequate funding for these requirements. 73 5. Develop a comprehensive Workforce and Training Strategy for 74 the Youth Sector, to ensure a sustainable pipeline of skilled 75 practitioners. 76 6. Ensure youth voices shape all policy development by 77 introducing a statutory duty for Local Authority Youth Councils 78 and maintaining a 'feedback loop' to keep young people 79 informed. 80 7. Strengthen partnerships between youth services and schools, 81 employers, mental health professionals, youth justice and 82 outdoor education providers through statutory guidance. 83 8. Support schools and youth organisations to deliver outdoor 84 education, aiming for every young person to have at least one 85 such experience in primary and one in secondary school. Applicability: England. Saturday 20 September cont. Mover: 5 minutes; all other speakers: 3 minutes. For eligibility and procedure for speaking in this debate, see pages 6-7. The deadline for amendments to this motion is 13.00 Monday 8 September; see pages 9-10. 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 18 September; see page 5. 10.30 Speech Chair: Baroness Pinnock; Aide: Charley Hasted. F6 Jane Dodds MS, Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats 10.45 Policy Motion Chair: Chris Maines; Aide: Matthew Palmer; Hall Aide: Alison Jenner. F7 Policing Fit for the Future 14 Party Members Mover: Baroness Doocey (Lords Spokesperson for Policing). Summation: Lisa Smart MP (Spokesperson for Home Affairs). 1 Conference notes that: 2 I. More than two million crimes went unsolved across England 3 and Wales in 2024. 4 II. Backlogs across the police and criminal justice systems - from 5 courts to forensics - are preventing victims from getting the 6 justice they deserve and letting criminals walk free. 7 III. Prolific offenders with 16 or more convictions make up about a 8 tenth of all offenders but are responsible for nearly half of all 9 custodial sentences handed down by the courts, highlighting 10 the pressing need to reduce reoffending. 11 IV. Violence against women and girls (VAWG) is a national 12 emergency with one in four women having experienced 13 domestic abuse and a woman killed by a man once every three 14 days. 15 V. More than 27,000 suspected drug suppliers are currently on bail 16 or released pending investigation, with forensic delays playing a 17 significant role in these delays. 18 VI. Years of ineffective resourcing and mismanagement has left our 19 policing service unable to meet the complex needs of the 20 communities they serve. 21 Conference believes that: 22 A. Everyone deserves to feel safe in their own home and walking 23 down their own streets. 24 B. Policing interacts with other public services on a daily basis, 25 including the criminal justice system, healthcare and child 26 protection services - all of which need to be functioning 27 properly to keep our communities safe from crime. 28 C. Public trust in the police is essential for policing by consent, 29 which requires keeping our communities safe while ensuring 30 everyone's fundamental rights are respected. 31 Conference therefore supports the following policies to ensure the 32 effective policing our communities deserve, which are the Liberal 33 Democrats response to the issues identified in the Spokesperson's 34 paper Policing Fit for the Future: 35 1. Establishing a more joined-up approach between police and 36 other parts of the criminal justice system by creating a secure 37 and confidential 'data bubble' between police and prosecutors 38 to improve efficient information sharing. 39 2. Tackling the courts backlog, reducing reoffending and 40 preventing crimes of all kinds, including serious and organised 41 crime, from being committed in the first place, including by: 42 a) Expanding specialist courts that steer repeat offenders 43 towards rehabilitation, including intensive engagement with 44 probation officers and drug counsellors. 45 b) Reviewing which offences can go to the magistrates' courts 46 instead of crown court. 47 c) Creating a National Diversion Framework to keep people 48 out of the criminal justice system, drawing on experience in 49 the West Midlands. 50 d) Making youth diversion a statutory duty for young people 51 up to the age of 25. 52 e) Expanding specialist county lines taskforces across the UK. 53 f) Improving international cooperation to tackle cross-border 54 drug trafficking, including a stronger leadership role for the 55 UK in Europol. 56 g) Updating training on modern slavery, child trafficking and 57 spotting signs of child criminal exploitation (CCE). 58 3. Enabling police forces to effectively respond to violence against 59 women and girls (VAWG), including by: 60 a) Providing sustainable funding for support services for 61 survivors of VAWG and domestic abuse. 62 b) Addressing honour-based abuse, including by developing a 63 statutory definition, better support services, and training 64 that enables police, social care and education professionals 65 to effectively recognise and respond. 66 c) Expanding the provision of high-quality perpetrator 67 programmes in domestic abuse cases, with the aim of 68 preventing further abuse. 69 4. Enabling police forces to treat rural crime with the seriousness 70 it deserves, including by: 71 a) Embedding properly-funded dedicated rural crime teams or 72 specialists in every police force. 73 b) Extending the Equipment Theft (Prevention) Act 2023 to 74 include GPS theft. 75 c) Enforcing stricter penalties for livestock-related offences 76 and for fly-tipping. 77 d) Implementing training for police and 999 control room staff 78 to better understand rural crime. 79 e) Ensuring everyone has access to a community police 80 counter, based where the public already goes such as in 81 supermarkets and railway stations. 82 5.Ensuring police forces have the technology they need to prevent 83 and solve crime, including by: 84 a) Improving regional cooperation between police forces on 85 technology procurement processes. 86 b) Introducing regulations to enable the more effective use of 87 police drones in rural areas, adopting an intelligence-led 88 'beyond the line of sight' model with strict safeguards. 89 c) Expanding regional and national coordination of forensic 90 services to address backlogs. 91 d) Strengthening the role of the Office of the Biometrics and 92 Surveillance Camera Commissioner (OBSCC) to oversee the 93 impact of emerging technology such as facial recognition 94 and its impact on civil liberties. 95 e) Ensure police forces have the specialist officers and staff 96 they need to effectively tackle different types of crime, 97 including by: 98 i) Allowing forces to start a recruitment drive for the 99 specialist skills they need, such as digital forensic 100 experts. 101 ii) Urgently drawing up a national recruitment, training and 102 retention strategy to tackle the shortage of detectives. 103 iii) Improving training opportunities for officers. 104 6.Rebuilding trust in policing and ensure high standards are 105 maintained, including by: 106 a) Introducing mandatory national vetting standards for police 107 officers, including automatic dismissal for those who fail 108 vetting or are convicted of serious criminal offences. 109 b) Regularly publishing data on the number of officers under 110 investigation for sexual or domestic abuse who are still on 111 normal duties. 112 c) Preventing further abuse by removing warrant cards from 113 any officer being investigated for offences related to VAWG 114 and domestic abuse. 115 d) Ensuring every allegation of police-perpetrated domestic 116 abuse is automatically referred to the Independent Office for 117 Police Conduct (IOPC). 118 e) Guaranteeing universal access for police officers to ongoing 119 clinical mental health support at work, and equipping 120 frontline supervisors to better recognise signs of trauma and 121 support their workforce. 122 f) Improving the collection and use of religion and ethnicity 123 information in police data to help improve policing outcomes 124 and restore public trust. Applicability: England and Wales except for 2. f) (lines 53-55), which are Federal. Mover: 7 minutes; summation of motion and movers and summation of any amendments: 4 minutes; all other speakers: 3 minutes. For eligibility and procedure for speaking in this debate, see pages 6-7. The deadline for amendments to this motion is 13.00 Monday 8 September; see pages 9-10. 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 18 September; see page 5. 11.25 Policy Motion Chair: Callum Robertson; Aide: Jennie Rigg; Hall Aide: Cllr Simon McGrath. F8 Getting Emergency Care Back on Track 12 Party Members. Mover: Helen Morgan MP (Spokesperson for Health and Care) Summation: Danny Chambers MP (Spokesperson for Mental Health) 1 Conference notes that: 2 i) The NHS's emergency care services, from ambulance response 3 times to Accident and Emergency (A&E) waiting times, are under 4 intolerable and unsafe pressure, risking the lives of thousands 5 each year. 6 ii) In 2024/25 in England, around 532,000 patients waited over 12 7 hours in A&E from decision to admit to admission, a 21% rise 8 from last year and a nearly 20-fold increase over five years. 9 iii) Corridor care is now routine, with 80% of physicians reporting 10 they were forced to treat patients in unsafe spaces this winter. 11 iv) Over the past seven years, the Government has spent an 12 average of 376 million of emergency funding each year to 13 tackle the NHS winter crisis. 14 v) Ambulance response times often fall below national standards, 15 resulting in life-threatening delays. 16 vi) Air ambulances operate as charitable services and face chronic 17 underfunding despite their critical role in saving lives, 18 particularly in rural and remote areas. 19 vii) NHS staff face burnout and unmanageable workloads, risking 20 patient safety in emergency care settings. 21 Conference believes that: 22 I. Everyone deserves access to timely, safe, and high-quality 23 emergency care, regardless of the time of year or where they 24 live. 25 II. After years of Conservative mismanagement, our NHS has been 26 left on its knees, with shocking practices like corridor care, 27 where patients are left waiting on trolleys without dignity, 28 safety, or proper attention, becoming dangerously normalised. 29 III. Chronic winter crises are not inevitable but the result of poor 30 planning, underfunding, and neglect and result in emergency 31 Government top-ups year after year. 32 IV. Ambulance services, air ambulances and emergency 33 infrastructure are lifelines that should be recognised and 34 protected. 35 V. Longer waiting times for ambulances have a severe knock-on 36 effect on people's health. 37 Conference reaffirms calls to: 38 A. Provide national, high-quality social care to all who need it, 39 preventing delayed discharges and freeing up A&E beds. 40 B. Guarantee routine GP appointments within seven days, or 24 41 hours for urgent cases, to reduce unnecessary A&E visits. 42 C. Improve early access to mental health support with community 43 walk-in hubs to prevent severe crises in A&E. 44 D. Create a 50 million-a-year emergency fund, to allow 45 ambulance trusts to reverse closures of community ambulance 46 stations and cancel planned closures. 47 E. Publish accessible, localised reports of ambulance response 48 times. 49 F. Launch a campaign to retain, recruit and train paramedics and 50 other ambulance staff. 51 Conference calls on the Government to: 52 1. Ensure that our emergency care system has the staff it needs 53 by: 54 a) Creating a dedicated accident and emergency care 55 workforce plan. 56 b) Publishing a national strategy to ensure all emergency 57 departments meet or exceed 'good' safety standards as 58 assessed by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), with a 59 report on implementation progress laid before Parliament 60 annually. 61 2. Reduce pressure on A&E departments through effective triaging 62 of patients by: 63 a) Ensuring every A&E waiting room has a qualified clinician to 64 monitor patients and every 111 call centre has a clinical 65 manager on shift to rapidly assist with complex cases. 66 b) Rolling out mental health crisis centres nationally with 67 urgency to prevent a postcode lottery of proper mental 68 health crisis response. 69 3. End the postcode lottery on emergency care by: 70 a) Classifying all NHS ambulance hubs as critical infrastructure 71 to prevent closure or downgrading without a full public 72 consultation and ministerial sign-off. 73 b) Launching a national drive for more Community First 74 Responders in rural areas, equipping them with skills to 75 save lives. 76 c) Introducing a national commissioning framework to 77 integrate air ambulance services into the NHS emergency 78 response system while allowing them to retain their 79 fundraising activities as charities. 80 4. Re-establish the cross-party talks on social care, finish the 81 Casey review within a year, and urgently implement the 82 reforms. 83 5. Ensure that this winter crisis is the last by launching a new 84 Winter Taskforce, which would manage a ring-fenced fund over 85 the next four years, to build resilience in A&E departments and 86 ambulance services during peak seasons. 87 6. Commit to ending corridor care by the end of this Parliament so 88 patients do not have to continue to suffer in undignified and 89 unsuitable conditions. Applicability: England. Mover: 7 minutes; summation of motion and movers and summation of any amendments: 4 minutes; all other speakers: 3 minutes. For eligibility and procedure for speaking in this debate, see pages 6-7. The deadline for amendments to this motion is 13.00 Monday 8 September; see pages 9-10. 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 18 September; see page 5. 12.05 Policy Motion Chair: Paul McGarry; Aide: Lord Mohammed; Hall Aide: Cllr Darryl Smalley. F9 Freedom from Harm: Gambling as a Public Health Issue 12 Party Members Mover: Lord Foster of Bath. Summation: Max Wilkinson MP (Spokesperson for Culture, Media and Sport). 1 Conference notes with concern that: 2 A. As many as 2.5% of the adult British population suffer from 3 problem gambling and a further 11.5% see lower levels of harm 4 or elevated risk. 5 B. Children can also experience gambling harms, with an 6 estimated up to 1.5% of 11 to 17-year-olds affected. 7 C. With an estimated one gambling-related suicide a day, 8 gambling is now determined to be one of six key risk factors for 9 suicide in the National Suicide Prevention Strategy. 10 D. For each individual with a gambling problem, many others are 11 harmed by family breakdown, crime, loss of employment, loss 12 of homes and ultimately, loss of life. 13 E. Up to 3.6 million adults are negatively impacted by someone 14 else's gambling and there are 1.7 million children growing up in 15 households where an adult is experiencing gambling problems. 16 F. The Department of Health estimates that gambling costs the 17 Government and society between 1.05 billion and 1.77 billion 18 a year. 19 G. The Government has explicitly said it wishes to see the 20 gambling sector grow, which runs counter to a public health 21 approach to gambling. 22 Conference further notes: 23 i) The 2023 Gambling White Paper acknowledged the need for a 24 public health approach and made several welcome 25 recommendations to reduce gambling harm, but many have not 26 been implemented. 27 ii) Analysis by the Social Market Foundation shows that doubling 28 the rate of Remote Gaming Duty, charged on online gambling 29 profits, would raise between 575 million and 900 million a 30 year, depending on the preventative effect of the higher rate. 31 iii) Research shows gambling advertising and marketing leads 32 people to start gambling, those who are gambling to gamble 33 more and those who have stopped gambling to start again. 34 iv) The World Health Organisation and the three leading public 35 health institutions in the UK - RSPH, ADPH, and FPH - 36 recommend ending gambling advertising. Many countries have 37 already done so or have severely restricted it. 38 v) There is significant public support for measures to curtail 39 gambling advertising and marketing. 40 vi) Self-regulation of gambling advertising codes has failed to 41 protect the public. 42 vii) Essential affordability checks and data sharing between 43 operators remain undelivered, meaning proper safeguarding 44 cannot take place. 45 viii) No substantive progress has been made to deliver a Gambling 46 Ombudsman, as set out in the 2023 Gambling White Paper to 47 be established and operational within 12 months. 48 ix) Local authorities face significant constraints when seeking to 49 challenge the opening of new gambling venues due to outdated 50 licensing frameworks 51 x) There has been no attempt to effectively regulate 'loot boxes', 52 despite their similarity to gambling and their links to harm and 53 continued failings by the game industry to uphold self- 54 regulatory principles 55 Conference welcomes: 56 a) The introduction of a statutory levy on all gambling operators to 57 help fund research, prevention and treatment of gambling 58 harm. 59 b) The introduction of measures to bring stakes and prizes for 60 online gambling more in line with those for land-based 61 gambling. 62 Conference calls on the UK Government to: 63 1. Enact population-wide public health policies, putting the 64 promotion of the public's health at the centre of all gambling 65 regulation. 66 2. Create a statutory, independent Gambling Ombudsman with 67 real power to protect consumers and resolve complaints. 68 3. Ensure robust regulation of the gambling industry and gambling 69 products, including by strengthening the independence of the 70 regulator and by ensuring that the primary objective of the 71 regulator is to protect the public. 72 4. Take action to curb the impact of gambling advertising, 73 marketing, and sponsorship, including by ending inducements, 74 direct marketing and gambling marketing and sponsorship at 75 sports events; and by ending pre-watershed gambling 76 advertising. 77 5. Introduce clear and enforceable restrictions on content 78 marketing, particularly on social media. 79 6. Replace the current self-regulation of gambling advertising with 80 independent and enforceable regulation. 81 7. Review whether further measures to restrict gambling 82 advertising are necessary. 83 8. Enforce affordability checks by mandating financial checks and 84 data sharing to stop gambling beyond means. 85 9. Level the playing field on licensing by giving local councils the 86 same powers over gambling venues as they have over pubs. 87 10. Regulate 'loot boxes' as gambling, with strict age limits and full 88 regulation. 89 11. Increase remote gaming duty from 21% to 42%. Applicability: Federal except 9. (lines 85-86), which are England only. Saturday 20 September cont. Mover: 5 minutes; all other speakers: 3 minutes. For eligibility and procedure for speaking in this debate, see pages 6-7. The deadline for amendments to this motion is 13.00 Monday 8 September; see pages 9-10. 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 18 September; see page 5. 12.35 Speech Chair: Eleanor Kelly; Aide: Fraser Graham. F10 Lisa Smart MP (Spokesperson for Home Affairs and Women & Equalities) 12.50 Lunch break and fringe Please see the Conference Directory for our fringe and exhibition programme. 14.40 Policy Motion Chair: Sam Barratt; Aide: Cllr Simon McGrath; Hall Aide: Fraser Graham. F11 Opportunity for All (Opportunity and Skills Policy Paper) Federal Policy Committee Mover: Ian Sollom MP (Spokesperson for Universities and Skills). Summation: Rosie Shimell (Chair of the Policy Working Group). 1 Conference believes that: 2 i) The 'fair, free and open' society that the Liberal Democrats exist 3 to build can only be achieved against the backdrop of an 4 education system which truly gives everyone, no matter their 5 background, circumstances or stage of life, the opportunity to 6 thrive. 7 ii) Currently, education and training provision still fails to give 8 everyone a fair chance to succeed, and especially lets down 9 people who, for a variety of reasons, have not thrived in 10 traditional academic education settings during childhood and 11 early adulthood. 12 iii) The UK economy and vital public services are currently 13 hampered by severe skills shortages in a range of sectors; and 14 the failure to address this by successive Governments has 15 limited growth, left the UK less well-equipped to transition to a 16 low-carbon economy, and squandered the potential of 17 individuals. 18 iv) The rapid pace of technological change in the workplace, not 19 least the rapid adoption of new AI tools, leaves many employees 20 feeling anxious and uncertain about the future of their 21 professions, heightening the need to offer retraining and 22 upskilling opportunities for people who are mid-career. 23 v) Businesses and entrepreneurs should be properly supported to 24 create growth and jobs in every part of the UK, to give the 25 country the financial boost it desperately needs. 26 Conference believes that people need to be able to access the 27 training needed to turn their innate talent and potential into usable 28 skills; and that policy on skills and training is a cornerstone of 29 opportunity. 30 Conference notes that: 31 I. The UK faces critical skills shortages in sectors such as social 32 care, construction, AI, clean energy, and advanced 33 manufacturing. 34 II. Employer investment in training has dropped by 28% per 35 employee since 2005, while further education funding and 36 participation have been in long-term decline. 37 III. The Government's newly created Skills England lacks the 38 operational independence needed to deliver the transformation 39 of skills and training provision, the break down of barriers to 40 training opportunities for disadvantaged groups, and the 41 proper workforce planning for critical sectors that are 42 desperately needed to transform opportunity and skills 43 provision in this country. 44 IV. Persistent inequalities limit access to skills training, with adult 45 learners, young carers, care leavers, prisoners, ethnic 46 minorities, socio-economically disadvantaged people, disabled 47 people and parents among the groups who face systemic 48 barriers. 49 Conference further believes that: 50 A. Equipping people with the skills they need is essential to 51 improving economic productivity, addressing labour shortages, 52 and empowering individuals to thrive in a changing world. 53 B. The skills system must be locally responsive, nationally 54 coherent, and built around the needs of individuals and 55 employers alike. 56 C. The Government's duty to support education and training 57 should not stop when an individual turns 21; lifelong learning is 58 essential in an era of rapid technological and economic change, 59 and Governments must guarantee access to training and 60 support throughout working lives. 61 Conference therefore endorses policy paper 159 Opportunity for All 62 and in particular its proposals to: 63 1. Set the right institutional framework for opportunity and skills 64 in England by: 65 a) Reforming Skills England to establish a truly independent, 66 arms-length body, accountable to Parliament and 67 supported by regional and sectoral partners, with a specific 68 remit to enable growth and opportunity, understand the 69 nation's skills needs and improve the skills offer, tackle 70 discrimination in access to skills, forecast future workforce 71 needs in essential sectors, and guide investment. 72 b) Requiring regions to produce Workforce Development Plans 73 aligned with industrial strategy, and devolve skills funding to 74 Mayoral Combined Authorities (MCAs) and county 75 partnerships, within a national framework of performance 76 and quality assurance. 77 2. Boost the funds available for Further Education in England by: 78 a) Introducing a 10,000 Lifelong Training Grant for every 79 adult, disbursed in tranches at ages 25 ( 4,000), 40 ( 3,000), 80 and 55 ( 3,000), with clear guidance to support its use for 81 re-skilling and career transitions. 82 b) Allowing FE colleges to reclaim VAT, to put them on a level 83 playing field with Sixth Form Colleges. 84 c) Extending the Pupil Premium to post-16 FE learners to 85 support young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to 86 stay in education and training. 87 d) In the long run, equalising per-student funding in FE with 88 school sixth forms. 89 3. Incentivise and improve training in the workforce by: 90 a) Transforming the Apprenticeship Levy into a Skills and 91 Training Account model which would empower employers 92 and individuals to fund training, and make it more 93 accessible to small- and medium-sized employers. 94 b) Boosting the take-up of apprenticeships by guaranteeing 95 they are paid at least the National Minimum Wage through 96 scrapping the lower apprentice rate 97 c) Introducing Skills Tax Credits, with enhanced relief for 98 priority sectors. 99 d) Establishing Skills Cooperatives of SMEs to pool training 100 resources and rotate apprentices between member 101 businesses. 102 e) Enabling funding of accredited micro-credentials and 103 modular learning to increase flexibility and participation. 104 f) Guaranteeing AI training for all public sector workers, to 105 support the adoption of emerging technologies. 106 4. Strengthen the uptake of Vocational Qualifications by: 107 a) Supporting BTECs and reforming T-levels into modular 108 formats with flexible industry placements. 109 b) Implementing reforms to bring more technical education 110 into mainstream schools. 111 5.Improve the support and guidance available to learners at all 112 levels by: 113 a) Making careers guidance a statutory part of the curriculum 114 from primary school onwards. 115 b) Strengthening the National Careers Service's adult offer and 116 face-to-face capacity including ensuring provision in 117 community settings, so it is easily available for people not 118 currently in full time education 119 c) Supporting voluntary mentoring schemes in places of work. 120 6. Take steps to tackle barriers faced by specific groups including 121 by: 122 a) Extending the Childcare Grant currently available to low- 123 income HE students to all full-time students undertaking 124 eligible courses regardless of level. 125 b) Give parents on full-time courses access to equal support 126 with childcare costs as is available to working parents, 127 offering them an additional 15 hours free childcare for 3- 128 and 4-year-olds for 38 weeks of the year. 129 c) Speeding up the process to recognise asylum seekers and 130 refugees existing qualifications where possible, so they can 131 use their existing skills here in the UK. 132 d) Expanding the Pupil Premium to include extra funding for 133 young carers, and exempt young adult carers from the '21- 134 hour rule' that currently prevents them from claiming 135 Carer's Allowance if they study for more than 21 hours per 136 week. 137 e) Improving the provision of training, education and work 138 opportunities in prisons. 139 f) Make care experience a protected characteristic under the 140 Equality Act 2010 to strengthen the rights of people who are 141 in or have been in care to receive training. Applicability: England, except for 2. b) (lines 82-83), 3.b) and c) (lines 94-98), and 6. f) (lines 139-141) which are Federal. Mover and summation combined: 16 minutes; mover and summation of amendments: 4 minutes; all other speakers: 3 minutes. For eligibility and procedure for speaking in this debate, see pages 6-7. The deadline for amendments to this motion is 13.00 Monday 8 September; see pages 9-10. 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 18 September; see page 5. 15.55 Policy Motion Chair: Charley Hasted; Aide: Callum Robertson; Hall Aide: Paul McGarry. F12 Backing Hospitality for Growth and Jobs 12 Party Members. Mover: Daisy Cooper MP (Spokesperson for the Treasury). Summation: Sarah Olney MP (Spokesperson for Business). 1 Conference recognises that: 2 A. Hospitality businesses such as pubs, restaurants, cafes and 3 hotels make a hugely significant contribution to our national 4 economy, local economies, and the night-time economy alike. 5 B. Beyond their economic significance, hospitality businesses 6 make invaluable social and cultural contributions to our 7 communities, breathing life into our high streets and town 8 centres. 9 C. A thriving hospitality sector is vital for boosting economic 10 growth, job creation and people's wellbeing. 11 Conference notes with concern that: 12 i) For years, hospitality businesses have been facing monumental 13 challenges, including workforce shortages, the Coronavirus 14 pandemic, a broken business rates system, the energy crisis and 15 the economic mismanagement of the previous Conservative 16 Government. 17 ii) The current Government has added to these challenges by 18 introducing an unfair increase to Employer's National Insurance 19 Contributions (NICs), which disproportionately impacts 20 hospitality by raising the NICs rate while also reducing the salary 21 threshold on which it is levied, significantly raising the cost of 22 employing part-time workers. 23 iii) According to a survey by UK Hospitality, as of June 2025, one- 24 third of responding hospitality businesses are operating at a 25 loss, six in 10 have had to cut jobs, while 63% have had to 26 reduce the hours available to staff. 27 iv) The UK Government's business rates changes, which lower the 28 rate of relief for Retail, Hospitality and Leisure firms from 75% 29 to 40% while abolishing the cap limiting support to 110,000 30 per firm, will effectively see small independent bricks-and- 31 mortar businesses subsidise the profits of large corporate 32 chains, who can claim relief across multiple sites. 33 v) In 2016, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) found 34 that ineffective competition in the energy market was adding 35 500 million a year to SME energy bills, and a lack of effective 36 competition was again confirmed by Ofgem in 2023 - yet this 37 did not result in a market investigation by the CMA. 38 Conference reaffirms Liberal Democrat commitments to: 39 a) Boost small businesses and empower them to create new local 40 jobs, including by abolishing business rates and replacing them 41 with a Commercial Landowner Levy. 42 b) Encouraging businesses, especially SMEs, to invest in training, 43 take up digital technologies and become more energy efficient. 44 Conference therefore calls on the Government to recognise the 45 importance of hospitality in boosting our economy, creating jobs 46 and supporting local high streets and communities by: 47 1. Exempting hospitality SMEs from the employer's National 48 Insurance increase. 49 2. Consulting on the creation of a new employer's National 50 Insurance Contributions band from 5,000 to 9,100 with a 51 lower rate, to lower the cost of employing part-time staff. 52 3. Ensuring that the upcoming Review of Electricity Market 53 Arrangements (REMA) includes concrete measures to give 54 hospitality businesses access to better and cheaper energy 55 deals. 56 4. Instructing the CMA to open an investigation into the non- 57 domestic energy market and recommend any appropriate 58 remedies. 59 5. Urgently correcting the anomaly in its business rates changes to 60 ensure that large chains will not benefit at the expense of small 61 and independent hospitality businesses. 62 6. Tackling skills shortages in the hospitality sector by speeding up 63 reform of the broken apprenticeship system and empowering 64 Skills England to act as a properly independent body, with 65 employers at its heart. Applicability: Federal except for a) (lines 39-41) , 5. and 6. (lines 59-65) which are England only. Mover: 5 minutes; all other speakers: 3 minutes. For eligibility and procedure for speaking in this debate, see pages 6-7. The deadline for amendments to this motion is 13.00 Monday 8 September; see pages 9-10. 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 18 September; see page 5. 16.25 Policy Motion Chair: Alison Jenner; Aide: Cllr Darryl Smalley; Hall Aide: Matthew Palmer. F13 Don't Nix Care: Protecting Our Hospices 11 Party Members. Mover: Alison Bennett MP (Spokesperson for Care and Carers). Summation: Cllr Simon McGrath. 1 Conference notes that: 2 A. Hospices support 300,000 people every year, allowing patients 3 to die with dignity while easing pressure on the NHS by avoiding 4 unnecessary and expensive hospital stays. 5 B. It costs 1.6 billion annually to run hospices across the UK, yet 6 most rely heavily on charitable donations, with only a third of 7 funding typically coming from the NHS. 8 C. In 2024, one in five hospices were forced to cut services, amid a 9 funding crisis. 10 D. The recent rise in Employer National Insurance Contributions 11 has cost hospices in England as much as 34 million per year, 12 placing even greater strain on a sector already on the brink. 13 E. 100,000 people a year are estimated to miss out on hospice 14 care and face dying in discomfort at home or in hospital. 15 F. Only a third of local areas in England are meeting the required 16 standard for 24/7 end-of-life care for children and young 17 people at home. 18 G. Hospices provide vital bereavement services, including 19 psychological support, which are overwhelmingly reliant on 20 charitable funding. 21 H. With the annual number of deaths projected to grow to 780,000 22 by 2040, demand for hospice care is only increasing. 23 I. An ageing population means more people are living with 24 complex, long-term conditions such as dementia, which require 25 specialist care. 26 Conference believes that: 27 i) All hospices should be properly resourced to meet NHS 28 standards and provide the best possible care for patients and 29 their families. 30 ii) Funding cuts and years of neglect under the previous 31 Conservative Government have led to a reduction in services, 32 with hospices and end of life charities now unable to cover the 33 difference. 34 iii) The Government's decision to vote against the Liberal Democrat 35 amendment exempting health and care providers from 36 increases in Employer National Insurance Contributions has 37 only increased the financial strain the hospice sector is under. 38 iv) The postcode lottery of palliative care must end, especially for 39 children's care. Everyone should have access to high-quality 40 care regardless of where they live so that their choices at the 41 end of life are genuine and free from fear. 42 v) Failure to support hospices will mean yet more pressure will be 43 piled onto our already overstretched NHS. 44 vi) The Government's announcement to increase capital spend for 45 hospices in December 2024 was welcome but not sufficient to 46 prevent hospices from struggling financially. 47 Conference reaffirms calls to: 48 a) Provide a fair funding deal for hospices, including children's 49 hospices, recognising the valuable services they provide and 50 saving money on hospital admissions. 51 b) Double the funding for Bereavement Support Payments, 52 reversing the last Conservative Government's cuts since 2017. 53 Conference calls on the Government to: 54 1. Exempt hospices from the April increase in Employer National 55 Insurance Contributions to prevent devastating cuts to vital 56 services. 57 2. Set up a commission and work with providers to develop a plan 58 to put hospices on a sustainable, fair, and consistent financial 59 footing. 60 3. End the postcode lottery of palliative care by allocating funding 61 by demand so that areas that struggle to attract charitable 62 funding are properly supported to deliver high-quality care no 63 matter where they operate. 64 4. Develop a dedicated hospice workforce plan to cut vacancy 65 rates as soon as possible to ensure providers can deliver 66 services for all those in need. 67 5. Develop a national strategy to improve the integration of 68 hospice services with the wider health and social care system. 69 6. Produce clear legal advice on the use of analgesics at the end of 70 life. 71 7. Work with hospices to improve access to bereavement 72 counselling and therapy for anyone needing support from the 73 point of a loved one's diagnosis. 74 8. Work with hospices to deliver greater support with practical 75 tasks after a death, and consult with the sector on how to 76 improve minimum standards for death administration 77 processes, including ways of improving and expanding the 'Tell 78 us Once' service. Applicability: England except for b) (lines 51-52) and 1. (lines 54-56) which are Federal. Mover: 5 minutes; all other speakers: 3 minutes. For eligibility and procedure for speaking in this debate, see pages 6-7. The deadline for amendments to this motion is 13.00 Monday 8 September; see pages 9-10. 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 18 September; see page 5. 16.55 Party Business Chair: Cllr Jon Ball (Vice Chair, FCC); Aide: Eleanor Kelly; Hall Aide: Cllr Simon McGrath. F14 Federal Board Report: questions and accountability Mover: Lord 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. In addition to the vote on the Board Report as a whole, there will be votes to ratify changes to election regulations and the complaints procedure - please see the Federal Board Report for details. As part of this report session, there will also be votes to confirm new members of the Federal Appeals Panel. See notes to F19 below. F15 Campaign for Gender Balance Report: questions and accountability Mover: Cllr Julia Cambridge (Vice Chair, Campaign for Gender Balance). See notes to F19 below. F16 Federal Communications and Elections Committee: questions and accountability Mover: Baroness Pinnock (Chair, Federal Communications and Elections Committee). See notes to F19 below. F17 Federal International Relations Committee Report: questions and accountability Mover: David Chalmers (Chair, Federal International Relations Committee). See notes to F19 below. F18 Federal Council Report: questions and accountability Mover: Cllr Antony Hook (Chair, Federal Council). See notes to F19 below. F19 Federal Appeals Panel: questions and accountability Mover: David Graham (Chair, Federal Appeals Panel). Notes to F14-F19: The deadline for questions for F14-F19 is 13.00 on Monday 8 September. 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 15.55 on Saturday 20 September; such questions are only taken at the discretion of the chair. See page8 for further information. 18.00 Close of session Sunday 21 September 09.00 Party Business Chair: Paul McGarry. Aide: Sam Barratt. Hall Aide: Cara Jenkinson (Vice Chair, FCC). F20 Reports of the Parliamentary Parties Movers: Wendy Chamberlain MP (Chief Whip of the Commons Parliamentary Party) and Lord Purvis (Leader of the Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords). The deadline for questions for F201 is 13.00 on Monday 8 September. 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 08.00 on Sunday 21 September; such questions are only taken at the discretion of the chair. See page 8 for further information. 09.30 Party Business F21 Constitutional Amendment: Election of State Party Reps Chair: Chris Maines, Aide: Alison Jenner, Hall Aide: Lucas North. 10 members Mover: Cllr Simon McGrath. Summation: Callum Robertson. 1 In Article 9.12 (b) delete 'elected according to their own procedures;' 2 and insert: 3 'elected by all members of each State Party according to their own 4 procedures' 5 In Article 10.2 (f) delete: 'elected by its internal procedures' and 6 insert: 7 'elected by all members of each State Party according to their own 8 procedures' 9 In Article 11.2 (c) delete: 'elected by its internal procedures' and 10 insert: 11 'elected by all members of each State Party according to their own 12 procedures' 13 In Article 15.2 (c) delete: 'Party according to its internal procedures' 14 and insert: 15 'elected by all members of each State Party according to their own 16 procedures' 17 These changes to come into effect for vacancies after September 2028. Applicability: Federal. Mover: 5 minutes; all other speakers: 3 minutes. For eligibility and procedure for speaking in this debate, see pages 6-7. The deadline for amendments to this motion is 13.00 Monday 8 September; see pages 9-10. 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 20 September; see page 5. A constitutional amendment requires a two-thirds majority to pass. 09.45 Policy Motion Chair: Eleanor Kelly; Aide: Cllr Simon McGrath; Hall Aide: Sam Barratt. F22 Connecting Communities - Building a Transport Network Fit for the 21st Century 10 Party Members. Mover: Cllr Ben Curtis. Summation: Sue Wixley. 1 Conference notes that: 2 I. Rail fares rose by 3.8% in 2022, 5.9% in 2023, 4.9% in 2024 and 3 4.6% in 2025. 4 II. The Government has begun to bring rail operators into public 5 ownership, with Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander saying she 6 "would love to be able" to guarantee lower fares. 7 III. Rail electrification is at a standstill and proposed new lines such 8 as East-West Rail are not planned to be fully electrified. 9 IV. The Conservatives in Government promised but failed to 10 establish Great British Railway (GBR) - and the Labour 11 Government expects GBR to be operational in 2027 at the 12 earliest. 13 V. The Conservatives' cancellation of the second phase of High 14 Speed 2 (HS2) significantly undermined public confidence in the 15 UK's ability to deliver such projects on time and on budget. 16 VI. The Labour Government cancelled the Restoring Your Railway 17 programme, which sought to reverse the devastating impacts of 18 the Beeching cuts. 19 VII. Liberal Democrats champion passenger standards and 20 successfully worked to ensure that an independent body will be 21 established to monitor the impact of the Passenger Railway 22 Services (Public Ownership) Act 2024 on passenger standards. 23 Conference believes that: 24 A. Getting rail back on track as a reliable, affordable and 25 convenient form of transport, is critical to a thriving economy, 26 healthier living and equality. 27 B. There is still a place for the private sector in the operation of rail 28 services; renationalising the railways will not automatically 29 make fares cheaper or improve passenger experience and the 30 Government has no clear plan to improve reliability or make 31 fares more affordable. 32 C. Trains are not working properly for passengers; people are 33 paying more for poorer services, and our rail ticketing system is 34 over-complicated. 35 D. Rail freight is the most carbon-friendly way to move goods and 36 helps to make air cleaner. 37 E. The UK should learn from our European neighbours, embracing 38 on-rail competition between operators and competitive 39 tendering to increase services, deliver newer trains, grow 40 passenger numbers, and reduce subsidies. 41 Conference reaffirms pledges to: 42 i) Freeze rail fares this year and overhaul rail fares to offer 43 passengers the best value for their journey. 44 ii) Deliver Northern Powerhouse Rail to connect cities across the 45 North of England. 46 iii) Review the Conservative Government's cancellation of HS2's leg 47 to Manchester with a view to reversal or alternative delivery in 48 whatever way provides value for money: by encouraging private 49 investment, and ensuring work on the station at Euston 50 resumes without further delays, with level boarding for all 51 platforms. 52 iv) Re-invigorate the Access for All (AfA) programme. 53 v) Implement light rail schemes for trams and tram-trains. 54 vi) Introduce a national freight strategy which includes the 55 electrification of freight routes. 56 vii) Introduce an international rail strategy to support new routes 57 and operators, and permitting other operators to use the 58 Channel Tunnel and HS1. 59 Conference resolves to put passengers first and: 60 a) Establish nationwide tap-in tap-out ticketing. 61 b) Introduce automatic compensation for cancellations and delays 62 across all operators and ticketing systems. 63 c) Establish digital connectivity standards on rail routes. 64 d) Extend the planned 'Best Price Guarantee' across all digital and 65 physical sales channels to ensure passengers are offered the 66 most cost-effective ticket. 67 e) Create a statutory duty on accessibility for the railway. 68 f) Ensure new rail lines are electrified as standard and set clear 69 targets to accelerate the electrification of track alongside the 70 use of battery and hydrogen in appropriate parts of the 71 network. 72 g) Work with national and local government on a new Liverpool to 73 Manchester rail connection. 74 h) Ensure the frequency of late night rail services return to pre- 75 covid levels. 76 i) Mandate that public rights of way for walking, wheeling and 77 cycling are built alongside new railway lines, as well as 78 improving existing railway active travel routes and transforming 79 more disused railway lines into public rights of way. 80 j) Reverse the cuts to Restoring Your Railway. 81 Conference commits to hold the Government to account by making 82 sure: 83 1. The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) maintains control of a 84 transparent and fair access regime to encourage the growth of 85 open access and rail freight. In addition, the ORR should be 86 given powers to hold GBR to account for infrastructure and 87 train company performance, including cancellations and 88 punctuality. 89 2. The Passenger Standards Authority is established quickly to 90 monitor standards. Applicability: Federal, except for i)-ii) (lines 42-45), v) (line 53), and g)-j) (lines 72-80), which are England only. Mover: 7 minutes; summation of motion and movers and summation of any amendments: 4 minutes; all other speakers: 3 minutes. For eligibility and procedure for speaking in this debate, see pages 6-7. The deadline for amendments to this motion is 13.00 Monday 8 September; see pages 9-10. 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 20 September; see page 5. 10.30 Topical Issue Chair: Dr Chris Adams; Aide: Duncan Brack: Hall Aide: Charley Hasted. F23 Topical Issue Discussion This slot has been reserved for the discussions of a topical issue. The deadline for suggestions for topical issues is 13.00 on Monday 8 September. The topic selected for debate will be printed in Conference Extra and Sunday's Conference Daily. See pages 8 and 9-10. 11.05 Speech Chair: Cllr Simon McGrath; Aide: Callum Robertson. F24 Daisy Cooper MP (Deputy Leader and Spokesperson for the Treasury) 11.20 Lunch break and fringe Please see the Conference Directory for our fringe and exhibition programme. 14.10 Speech Chair: Jamie Green MSP; Aide: Paul McGarry. F25 Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP, Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats 14.25 Question and answer session Chair: Cara Jenkinson (Vice Chair, FCC); Aide: Jennie Rigg; Hall Aide: Chris Maines. F26 Ed Davey MP, Leader of the Liberal Democrats The session will be moderated by journalist Carolyn Quinn. Members may put questions on any topic to the Leader of the Liberal Democrats. Concise questions (maximum 25 words) may be submitted online until 13.00 on Monday 8 September, or to the Speaker's Table by 11.20 on Sunday 21 September. See Page 8. 15.15 Policy Motion Chair: Cllr Nick da Costa (Chair, FCC); Aide: Sam Barratt; Hall Aide: Callum Robertson. F27 For People, For Planet (Climate Change Policy Paper) Federal Policy Committee. Mover: Pippa Heylings MP (Spokesperson for Energy Security and Net Zero). Summation: Duncan Brack (Chair of the Policy Working Group) 1 Conference recognises that: 2 a) The world is facing climate and nature emergencies which are 3 not under control. 4 b) Soaring temperatures leading to floods, droughts, wildfires and 5 rising sea levels are already affecting millions of people directly, 6 and billions more through falling food production and rising 7 prices. In the UK, flooding, heatwaves, wildfires and droughts 8 are all becoming more frequent and more severe. 9 c) Despite reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 54% since 1990, 10 the UK is not on track to meet its target of net zero emissions by 11 2050, and both Conservative and Labour Governments have 12 failed adequately to prepare the UK for the impacts of climate 13 change. 14 d) Opinion polls consistently show that a clear majority of people 15 across the UK are worried about climate change and want the 16 Government to do more to tackle it. 17 Conference reaffirms the Liberal Democrat belief that that each 18 generation is responsible for the fate of our planet and, by 19 safeguarding the balance of nature and the environment, for the 20 long term continuity of life in all its forms. 21 Conference believes that: 22 A. Urgent action is needed - in the UK and globally - to reduce 23 greenhouse gas emissions to net zero and avert catastrophe. 24 B. Bold climate action can also deliver jobs and prosperity across 25 the UK, improve energy security and help to cut energy bills. 26 C. It is vitally important that climate action has the full support of 27 the public, that they are fully engaged in its development, and 28 that their concerns are fully addressed. 29 D. Effective action must be embedded across every level of 30 Government, with climate, nature and resilience treated as core 31 priorities for decision-making, spending and legislation. 32 E. Local authorities are best placed to lead on community-based 33 solutions, from retrofitting homes to building public transport 34 infrastructure and supporting sustainable land use. 35 Conference therefore endorses policy paper 160 For People, For 36 Planet, with its approach based on three key themes: 37 I. Putting people first: the transition must be equitable, fair and 38 affordable, working with people rather than imposing solutions 39 on them, and ensuring that no communities or workers are 40 unfairly affected or left behind. 41 II. Tackling climate, nature and resilience together rather than 42 treating them as unconnected issues. 43 III. Leading on the world stage to mobilise international 44 cooperation, especially with the EU, to tackle these global 45 challenges. 46 In particular, Conference welcomes its proposals to: 47 1. Cut energy bills and protect people from future energy shocks 48 by: 49 a) Strengthening energy security through investing in cheap, 50 clean renewables. 51 b) Lowering the price of electricity, improving grants and 52 offering stamp duty rebates, to encourage decarbonisation 53 of heat and transport. 54 c) Introducing a social tariff and free home energy 55 improvements for low-income households. 56 2. Ensure that no communities are left behind by: 57 a) Establishing an independent Just Transition Commission to 58 develop just transition plans and provide funding support 59 for vulnerable communities. 60 b) Providing particular just transition support to North Sea oil 61 and gas workers to support the sector's transition to clean 62 energy. 63 3. Make sure people's voices are heard, and support local action, 64 by: 65 a) Establishing an independent National Climate Assembly and 66 models of local engagement. 67 b) Decentralising powers and resources to local councils to 68 enable local action, including a statutory duty to develop 69 Climate, Nature and Resilience strategies, both for their own 70 council's activities and procurement and for the area they 71 cover. 72 4. Prioritise climate, nature and resilience in Government by: 73 a) Supplementing the current net zero framework and 2050 74 target by limiting consumption emissions in key sectors. 75 b) Creating a clear voice and leadership on climate by 76 appointing a Cabinet-level Chief Secretary for Sustainability 77 in the Treasury and drawing up a Climate, Nature and 78 Resilience Roadmap. 79 c) Reforming the planning system to align with climate, nature, 80 and resilience goals. 81 5. Lead global action on climate change by: 82 a) Working closely with the UK's European neighbours through 83 a new UK-EU Climate Security Pact, including linking the UK 84 and EU emissions trading schemes and carbon border 85 adjustment mechanisms. 86 b) Organising international coalitions of the willing, working 87 with like-minded countries on both global goals and 88 focussed, targeted activities. 89 c) Using trade policy to prioritise low-carbon goods and 90 increase development assistance for climate action. 91 6. Deliver prosperity by: 92 a) Placing decarbonisation at the heart of the UK's industrial 93 strategy 94 b) Using the National Wealth Fund to crowd in private 95 investment and support green projects at local level. 96 c) Reforming procurement rules to prioritise low-carbon 97 goods and services, and strengthen corporate responsibility 98 for climate and nature outcomes. 99 d) Implementing a zero-carbon skills strategy, including 100 Lifelong Training Grants and new green apprenticeships. 101 7. Protect communities from climate impacts by: 102 a) Developing a coherent and comprehensive adaptation 103 strategy with clear targets and monitoring, including for 104 flooding, drought, heat and resilient infrastructure. 105 b) Increasing funding for local communities, developing 106 resilience standards for the key sectors, and supporting 107 home-owners to install adaptation measures. 108 8. Decarbonise energy use by: 109 a) Investing in renewables to achieve 95% decarbonisation of 110 power by 2030. 111 b) Supporting the roll-out of small modular nuclear reactors if 112 they can provide a cost-effective and safe part of a 113 decarbonised generation mix. 114 c) Expanding grid capacity and support local communities 115 affected by major new energy infrastructure. 116 d) Supporting community energy in delivering net zero, 117 building local support for climate action and sharing 118 economic benefits. 119 e) Supporting major home insulation upgrades, the 120 widespread deployment of heat pumps and similar 121 technologies, and zero-carbon standards for new builds. 122 f) Accelerating the transition to electric vehicles, including 123 expanding charging infrastructure and reforming planning 124 rules. 125 g) Promoting walking, cycling, public transport, and 126 electrification of buses. 127 h) Supporting innovation, research and development in zero- 128 carbon flight; but unless progress is more rapid than 129 projected, reduce emissions by reforming air passenger 130 duty for international flights to target the most frequent 131 flyers and limiting airport expansion. 132 i) Expanding incentives for electrification and carbon capture 133 in industry and supporting energy and resource efficiency. 134 9.Ensure the agriculture, land use and forestry sector becomes a 135 collective net carbon sink by 2050 by: 136 a) Properly funding the Environmental Land Management 137 Schemes, with an extra 1 billion a year to support 138 profitable, sustainable and nature-friendly farming resilient 139 to the impacts of climate change. 140 b) Supporting research and innovation, in particular on 141 alternative proteins, with a new Farming and Land Use 142 Catapult innovation centre and a new Food and Farming 143 Research and Innovation fund. 144 c) Taking steps to reduce food waste, and requiring public 145 sector food and catering to meet high sustainability 146 standards. 147 10. Support carbon dioxide removal measures, giving top priority to 148 nature-based solutions for carbon removal, including 149 expanding woodland and restoring peatlands. Applicability: Federal except 3. b) (lines 67-71), 4. c) (lines 79-80), 6. d) (lines 99-100), 8. d-h) (lines 116-131), 9. (lines 134-146), and 10. (lines 147-149). Mover and summation combined: 16 minutes; mover and summation of amendments: 4 minutes; all other speakers: 3 minutes. For eligibility and procedure for speaking in this debate, see pages 6-7. 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 6 and 7 for further information. The deadline for amendments to this motion is 13.00 Monday 8 September; see pages 9-10. 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 20 September; see page 5. 16.45 Party Business Chair: Professor Belinda Brooks-Gordon; Aide: Paul McGarry; Hall Aide: Cara Jenkinson (Vice Chair, FCC). F28 Constitutional Amendment: Federal Council Decision- Making 17 Party Members. Mover: Cllr Antony Hook. Summation: Cllr Prue Bray. 1 In Article 9.16, delete the final sentence and insert: 2 Any decision of the Federal Board called in can be overturned by a 3 vote in favour by a majority of the Federal Council members 4 present at the meeting and provided the number voting in favour is 5 at least 13. Mover: 5 minutes; all other speakers: 3 minutes. For eligibility and procedure for speaking in this debate, see pages 6-7. The deadline for amendments to this motion is 13.00 Monday 8 September; see pages 9-10. 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 20 September; see page 5. A constitutional amendment requires a two-thirds majority to pass. 17.15 Party Business Chair: Professor Belinda Brooks-Gordon; Aide: Paul McGarry; Hall Aide: Cara Jenkinson (Vice Chair, FCC). F29 Membership Subscription and Federal Levy Federal Board. Mover: Cllr Mike Cox (Party Treasurer) Summation: Lord Pack (President of the Liberal Democrats) 1 Conference agrees: 2 1. To continue to freeze the existing minimum membership rate of 3 15, except for members from before 2022 for whom it shall 4 remain 12. 5 2. To continue to freeze the 6 minimum for those in receipt of or 6 entitled to state benefits, and the 6 minimum for members of 7 the Young Liberals. 8 3. To continue to freeze the 3 minimum one-year introductory 9 rate for members directly recruited by the Young Liberals. 10 4. That nothing in this motion shall prevent a State Party from 11 setting via their internal procedures higher recommended or 12 minimum subscription rates or from introducing additional 13 concessionary rates. 14 5. That nothing in this motion shall prevent the Federal Party from 15 running membership recruitment pilots that involve different 16 minimum membership rates, provided that any individual pilot 17 is for a period of one year or less and that the pilots take into 18 account any knock-on financial impacts on other parts of the 19 party. 20 6. That the Federal Levy shall remain 50 per cent. Applicability: Federal. Mover: 5 minutes; all other speakers: 3 minutes. For eligibility and procedure for speaking in this debate, see pages 6-7. The deadline for amendments to this motion is 13.00 Monday 8 September; see pages 9-10. 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 20 September; see page 5. 17.25 Policy Motion Chair: Baroness Doocey; Aide: Cara Jenkinson (Vice Chair, FCC); Hall Aide: Charley Hasted. F30 This Land is Your Land - Restoring Public Paths Through Nature. 12 Party Members. Mover: Elliot Chapman-Jones. Summation: Bridget Fox. 1 Conference notes that: 2 I. Outdoor exercise and recreation leads to healthier lives and 3 saves the NHS billions. 4 II. Active travel tourism contributes billions to the UK economy 5 and supports millions of jobs. 6 III. 2024 marked the 75th anniversary of the National Parks and 7 Access to the Countryside Act 1949 which led to the creation of 8 Britain's 15 national parks and public rights of way; the basis for 9 this legislation was put together by a Liberal MP, Arthur 10 Hobhouse, who chaired the National Parks Committee. 11 IV. Access to nature is declining whilst inequality of access is 12 increasing, with far fewer public paths in the most deprived 13 areas. 14 V. Walking, wheeling and cycling improve public health, the 15 environment and our economy. 16 VI. Voie Verte have created tens of thousands of miles worth of 17 public rights of way across Europe from disused railways, canal 18 and river towpaths, utility company rights of way and derelict 19 industrial land. 20 VII. Over 2,300 railway stations, 5,000 miles of track, were closed in 21 the Beeching cuts during the 1960s. 22 VIII. Almost 32,000 public rights of way are obstructed and the 23 number of path blockages is increasing year on year, according 24 to a BBC investigation. 25 IX. The UK is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the 26 world, one of the least densely forested countries in Europe and 27 in Britain one in six species are threatened with extinction. 28 X. Waiting lists for allotments in the UK have risen steeply, with the 29 average wait time at over three years, and up to 15 year waits in 30 some cases. 31 XI. The actions of the Conservatives in Government fell 'far short' of 32 what was required to leave the environment in a better state 33 than they found it, according to the Office for Environmental 34 Protection. 35 XII. The Conservative Government cut the active travel budget; the 36 Labour Government has not fully reversed these cuts. 37 XIII. Public bodies, local authorities, farmers and community groups 38 do not have sufficient resources to improve access to nature 39 and public rights of way. 40 Conference believes that: 41 i) Everybody should have access to a healthy environment; the 42 beauty of Britain's coastlines, rivers, lakes, woodlands and open 43 green spaces. 44 ii) Thousands of miles worth of public rights of way could be: 45 a) Created with the transformation of disused railways, canal 46 routes, airfields and disused industrial land. 47 b) Recovered with more support for local and public 48 authorities and community groups. 49 iii) Local authorities and national park authorities have a critical 50 role in unlocking the potential of protected landscapes for 51 public access, health and education, along with nature's 52 recovery but require adequate funding to maximise these 53 benefits. 54 iv) Our protected landscapes are key to the restoration of our 55 natural environment. 56 v) We must support farmers to develop world-leading practices for 57 sustainable land management, nature restoration and tackling 58 climate change while continuing their primary function to boost 59 Britain's food security. 60 Conference reaffirms Liberal Democrat pledges to: 61 A. Create new walking, wheeling and cycling networks with a new 62 nationwide active travel strategy. 63 B. Complete the King Charles III England Coast Path and designate 64 16 new National Trails, thereby doubling the current total. 65 C. Create a new designation of National Nature Parks, working 66 with existing National Parks and National Landscapes to 67 improve nature recovery and transform them into National 68 Nature Parks, with stronger duties on National Park Authorities 69 to create and protect carbon sinks. 70 D. Double woodland cover by 2050 in England to improve air 71 quality and enrich habitats and public spaces and empower 72 Local Nature Recovery Strategies to identify a new Wild Belt for 73 nature's recovery. 74 E. Strengthen the Office for Environmental Protection and provide 75 more funding to the Environment Agency and Natural England 76 to help protect our environment and enforce environmental 77 laws. 78 F. Properly fund Environmental Land Management schemes 79 (ELMs) with 1 billion extra a year to support farmers with the 80 restoration of woodlands, peatlands and waterways, the 81 creation of natural flood protections and the management of 82 land to recover species and store carbon while also recognising 83 food production as a vital public good. 84 G. Create a legal guarantee for fair and equitable access to nature 85 and pass a Clean Air Act. 86 H. Ensure local authorities can maintain and more easily upgrade 87 existing rights of way and process requests for new rights of 88 way which provide legal protections for public use of paths. 89 I. Integrate nature and active and public travel in planning so that 90 new development connects people, promotes healthier living, 91 restores nature and boosts the economy. 92 J. Work with our European neighbours to tackle the nature crisis, 93 including applying to join the European Environment Agency 94 (EEA). 95 Conference resolves to: 96 1. Create thousands of miles worth of new public rights of way by 97 turning former railway lines into paths for walkers, cyclists and 98 horse riders by: 99 a) Introducing a national legal framework to make grassroot 100 campaigns for new trails more successful, speedy and easy, 101 whilst making sure landowners are fairly compensated. 102 b) Learning lessons from the creation of Voie Verte across 103 Europe. 104 2.Provide incentives, including a long-term fund, to encourage 105 local authorities, public bodies and Government to turn over 106 disused land (including railway sidings, disused airfields and 107 derelict industrial land) to local communities for public use, 108 including walking, wheeling and cycling routes, community 109 gardens, allotments, ponds and green spaces. 110 3.Promote outdoor education, with the aim of ensuring every 111 child is offered at least one outdoor education experience 112 during primary school years and at least one such experience 113 during secondary school years so that residential outdoor 114 learning is part of the school curriculum and central to the 115 Government's Youth Strategy. 116 4.Improve the surface of canal and river towpaths for habitats 117 and public use, working with the Canal and River Trust and 118 building on the success of fibreways. 119 5.Refresh, update and popularise the Countryside Code to 120 improve public awareness about how to treat the countryside 121 with respect. Applicability: England except for J. (lines 92-94) which are Federal. Mover: 7 minutes; summation of motion and movers and summation of any amendments: 4 minutes; all other speakers: 3 minutes. For eligibility and procedure for speaking in this debate, see pages 6-7. The deadline for amendments to this motion is 13.00 Monday 8 September; see pages 9-10. 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 20 September; see page 5. 18.00 Close of session Monday 22 September 09.00 Policy Motion Chair: Cllr Nick da Costa (Chair, FCC); Aide: Cllr Hannah Kitching; Hall Aide: Lord Mohammed. F31 Making the UK-EU Reset Summit Count 12 Party Members. Mover: James MacCleary MP (Spokesperson for Europe). Summation: Helen Maguire MP (Spokesperson for Defence). 1 Conference notes that: 2 1. Liberal Democrats have been the only voices in Parliament 3 consistently and unashamedly championing closer economic, 4 defence and cultural ties with Europe, following the 5 Conservatives botched deal with the EU. 6 2. Liberal Democrats have been pushing for the Labour 7 Government to be much more ambitious in rebuilding our links 8 with the EU, including through: 9 a) Calling for a new, bespoke UK-EU Customs Unions by 2030 10 which would boost UK growth and cut red tape for our 11 businesses. 12 b) Campaigning for new opportunities for our young people to 13 enable them to live, work, and study more easily across 14 Europe. 15 c) Pushing for a new Rearmament Bank with the EU - backing 16 the proposal from Liberal Democrats Edward Lucas and Guy 17 de Selliers - which would support enhanced financing for 18 defence programmes across the UK and Europe. 19 3. Deepening UK-EU economic ties even short of a Customs Union 20 could generate 25 billion a year for the Exchequer, allowing the 21 Government to invest in fixing our NHS, schools and other 22 public services. 23 4. After consistent Liberal Democrat pressure, the Government 24 took initial, limited steps to rebuild ties with the EU at May's 25 'Reset' Summit, enacting Liberal Democrat calls including: 26 a) Agreeing to begin talks on youth mobility. 27 b) Establishing a new Security and Defence Partnership. 28 c) Securing a mandate to negotiate a Sanitary and 29 Phytosanitary Measures (SPS) agreement. 30 Conference regrets that the Government failed to show real 31 ambition to renew the UK's relations with the EU - as it continues to 32 refuse to entertain the prospect of membership of the Single 33 Market or the Customs Union - and that so little was achieved on 34 other vital issues, including: 35 I. A lack of concrete progress on securing an agreement for UK 36 touring artists. 37 II. The failure to agree mutual recognition of professional 38 qualifications. 39 III. No substantial progress on agreeing UK associate membership 40 of the European Defence Agency (EDA). 41 IV. The lack of clarity about how the introduction of the EU's Entry/ 42 Exit Scheme could lead to severe disruption for UK travellers. 43 Conference believes the best way to secure closer cooperation with 44 Europe is to ensure that even more Liberal Democrat MPs and 45 Councillors are elected across the country. 46 Conference further believes that: 47 i) Strengthening our economic ties with Europe will not only boost 48 growth at home, but also insulate us from President Trump's 49 irrational trade war. 50 ii) Strengthening our security ties with Europe will allow us to 51 reduce our strategic dependence on an unpredictable President 52 Trump and enable us to meet our commitments to NATO, 53 support Ukraine and deter Putin. 54 Conference reaffirms: 55 A. The policy recommendations proposed in conference motions 56 The UK's Response to Trump (March 2025) and Rebuilding Trade 57 and Cooperation with Europe (2022). 58 B. Our four-stage approach to rebuilding our relationship with 59 Europe, and our longer-term objective of UK membership of 60 the EU. 61 Conference calls on the Government to build on the positive but 62 limited steps taken at the 'Reset Summit', including by: 63 1. Providing certainty to UK exporters about the timeline for 64 implementing a SPS agreement, and to UK travellers on when 65 they will be able to use airport e-gates across the EU. 66 2. Immediately beginning talks on agreeing a new, bespoke UK-EU 67 Customs Union, which would cut red tape for businesses across 68 our country and act as an antidote to anaemic economic 69 growth. 70 3. Moving rapidly to agree a Youth Mobility Scheme, creating vital 71 new opportunities for our young people. 72 4. Securing association with EU regulatory framework agencies 73 such as the European Chemicals Agency, European Aviation 74 Safety Agency and European Medicines Agency. 75 5. Agreeing the UK's associate membership of EDA and expanding 76 our engagement with PESCO (Permanent Structured 77 Cooperation) projects. 78 6. Expanding cooperation over defence-industrial issues between 79 the UK and member states of the EU, NATO and the Joint 80 Expeditionary Force. 81 7. Committing the UK to join the EU's Common Security and 82 Defence Policy mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Operation 83 Althea, recognising the importance of promoting stability in the 84 Balkans and following the political decision by the Conservatives 85 to withdraw the UK from this mission. Applicability: Federal. Mover: 7 minutes; summation of motion and movers and summation of any amendments: 4 minutes; all other speakers: 3 minutes. For eligibility and procedure for speaking in this debate, see pages 6-7. The deadline for amendments to this motion is 13.00 Monday 8 September; see pages 9-10. Those selected for debate will be printed in Conference Extra and Monday's Conference Daily. The deadline for requests for separate votes is 09.00 Sunday 21 September; see page 5. Monday 22 September cont. 09.45 Policy Review Paper Chair: Cllr Jon Ball; Aide: Lucas North; Hall Aide: Paul McGarry. F32 Leading the Way (Policy Review Paper) Federal Policy Committee. Mover: Helen Morgan MP (Vice Chair, Federal Policy Committee). Summation: Eleanor Kelly (Vice Chair of the Policy Working Group). 1 Conference reaffirms that the Liberal Democrats exist to build and 2 safeguard a fair, free and open society, in which we seek to balance 3 the fundamental values of liberty, equality and community, and in 4 which no one shall be enslaved by poverty, ignorance or conformity. 5 Conference notes the many great strengths of the United Kingdom, 6 from the people working in the NHS to our world-leading creative 7 industries, from great British farmers to our soft power on the world 8 stage. 9 However, Conference also notes the enormous challenges facing 10 the UK today, including: 11 A. A cost of living crisis, high and rising levels of poverty, and 12 anaemic economic growth. 13 B. The crisis in the NHS and social care, including a lack of access to 14 GPs and dentists, ambulance delays, long hospital waiting lists, 15 and millions of people missing out on care. 16 C. The twin climate and nature crises, with the UK off track on its 17 emissions targets, one in six species threatened with extinction 18 from Britain, and air pollution claiming tens of thousands of 19 lives every year. 20 D. Water companies getting away with pumping filthy sewage into 21 our rivers and lakes and onto our beaches. 22 E. A housing crisis, with a shortage of affordable and social 23 housing and shamefully high levels of homelessness. 24 F. Prejudice, discrimination and entrenched inequalities blighting 25 too many people's lives - including women, LGBT+ people, 26 people of ethnic and religious minorities, and disabled people. 27 G. Communities plagued by burglaries, fraud, anti-social 28 behaviour, serious youth violence and violence against women 29 and girls, while far too many criminals evade justice and go on 30 to reoffend. 31 H. Rural communities let down by a lack of access to local public 32 services, decent public transport, affordable housing, adequate 33 broadband connectivity, or protection from crime; and family 34 farmers undermined by both Conservative and Labour 35 Governments. 36 I. A badly broken immigration system, an enormous asylum 37 backlog, dangerous Channel crossings, a lack of safe and legal 38 routes to sanctuary, and no public confidence. 39 J. A political system that has been fundamentally broken for 40 generations, leaving millions feeling powerless and excluded. 41 K. Strong global headwinds, including instability and conflict, 42 climate change, the risks and challenges of social media and 43 artificial intelligence, threats from Putin's Russia and Xi's China, 44 and Donald Trump's erratic and unpredictable presidency. 45 Conference believes that things can get better - the UK has 46 overcome big challenges before and can do it again now. Liberal 47 Democrats have led the way before, from investing in education to 48 legalising same-sex marriage, tackling climate change to promoting 49 human rights. 50 Conference further believes that the Liberal Democrats must again 51 lead the way to a fair, free and open society where: 52 i) Everyone has the chance to succeed and see their hard work 53 and aspiration properly rewarded, and extremes of inequality 54 are eliminated. 55 ii) Everyone's rights are respected, and individuals and 56 communities are properly empowered. 57 iii) Every child gets a good education and has real opportunities to 58 flourish. 59 iv) Businesses and entrepreneurs are supported to create growth 60 and jobs in every part of the UK. 61 v) Everyone receives the care they need when they are ill or frail, 62 and a helping hand when they fall on tough times. 63 vi) Everyone can afford to live in a decent home somewhere safe 64 and clean, with a comfortable retirement when the time comes. 65 vii) Everyone can enjoy the benefits of our wonderful natural 66 environment, and our children inherit the healthy planet they 67 deserve. 68 viii) The UK stands tall in a safer world, working with our 69 neighbours, allies and partners to champion the values of 70 equality, democracy, human rights and the rule of law. 71 Conference reaffirms that the Liberal Democrat response to the 72 challenges we face will always be rooted in the values we share: 73 freedom, equality, community, internationalism, human rights, 74 environmentalism and democracy. 75 While recognising that there is still more to do, Conference further 76 notes that the party already has bold, comprehensive policies to: 77 a) Fix the crisis in social care and support unpaid carers. 78 b) Tackle the climate and nature crises, and stop the sewage 79 scandal. 80 c) Tackle the housing crisis so that everyone, in every part of the 81 country, can afford to live in a good-quality home. 82 d) Support families, protect children's rights and wellbeing, and 83 invest in education. 84 e) Tackle the skills shortage and support universities in the face of 85 extreme financial pressure. 86 f) Respect and defend the rights of people of all races, religions, 87 sexual orientations and gender identities. 88 g) Build a fair, effective immigration system that treats everyone 89 with dignity and respect, while preventing dangerous Channel 90 crossings and combating people smuggling, human trafficking 91 and modern slavery. 92 h) Fix the UK's broken relationship with Europe with a four-step 93 roadmap towards membership of the Single Market, including 94 negotiating a new UK-EU customs union by 2030 at the latest. 95 Conference therefore endorses policy paper 161, Leading the Way, 96 as a strategic, focussed and ambitious programme for renewing our 97 policy in the years ahead, including the following areas as priorities 98 for further policy development in this Parliament: 99 1.Turning the economy around and making sure everyone feels 100the benefits of growth equitably. 101 2.Supporting start-ups and scale-ups, small and growing 102 businesses, entrepreneurs and the self-employed. 103 3.Improving primary healthcare, with a focus on early access and 104 shifting more healthcare out of hospitals and into communities. 105 4.Taking a strategic approach to improving health and care more 106 broadly. 107 5.Making sure policing, the justice system and other public 108 services work better for victims of crime. 109 6.Empowering consumers in relation to public services, utility 110 companies, arms-length Government bodies, and businesses. 111 7.Defending and strengthening British democracy. 112 8.Empowering local communities so that residents and 113 community groups have far more control over the decisions 114 that affect their local areas. 115 9.Helping rural communities to thrive by tackling the distinctive 116 challenges they face. 117 10. Reviewing and updating the party's international security 118 strategy in light of the world as it is today. 119 Conference believes that policy development should always put our 120 Liberal Democrat values into practice, and take forward our 121 distinctive commitment to put real power in people's hands and 122 hold the already powerful properly to account. Applicability: Federal, except for 3.-5. (lines 103-108), and 8.-9. (lines 112- 116) which are England only. Mover and summation combined: 16 minutes; mover and summation of amendments: 4 minutes; all other speakers: 3 minutes. For eligibility and procedure for speaking in this debate, see pages 6-7. 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 6 and 7 for further information. The deadline for amendments to this motion is 13.00 Monday 8 September; see pages 9-10. Those selected for debate will be printed in Conference Extra and Monday's Conference Daily. The deadline for requests for separate votes is 09.00 Sunday 21 September; see page 5. 11.05 Speech F33 Victoria Collins MP (Science, Innovation & Technology Spokesperson) Chair: Jennie Rigg; Hall Aide: Charley Hasted. 11.20 Lunch break and fringe Please see the Conference Directory for our fringe and exhibition programme. 14.10 Policy Motion Chair: Duncan Brack; Aide: Cllr Hannah Kitching; Hall Aide: Cllr Jon Ball (Vice Chair, FCC). F34 Protecting the Rights of Hong Kongers 12 Party Members. Mover: Larry Ngan. Summation: Luke Taylor MP. 1 Conference notes that: 2 A. Since the 2020 National Security Law was imposed, which 3 violates the principle of the Joint Declaration, the Chinese 4 Communist Party (CCP) has taken further steps to crack down 5 on civil liberties in Hong Kong, including by broadening the 6 scope and definition of political crimes through the passage of 7 the Safeguarding National Security Bill in March 2024. 8 B. The arbitrary denial of entry to Hong Kong for Liberal Democrat 9 MP Wera Hobhouse - the first time a British Parliamentarian 10 has been blocked since the 1997 handover - further illustrates 11 the increasing authoritarianism of the Hong Kong authorities. 12 C. The growth of an insidious campaign of transnational 13 repression, sponsored by the CCP and implemented by the 14 Chinese intelligence services, which is targeting pro-democracy 15 Chinese and Hong Kong activists, including those based in the 16 UK, who aim to shine a spotlight on the abuses of the Chinese 17 state and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). 18 D. The offering of bounties by the HKSAR of up to HK$1,000,000 19 (circa 94,000) for the arrest of Hong Kong and Chinese pro- 20 democracy activists living abroad, including in the UK, and the 21 anonymous delivery of letters to neighbours of pro-democracy 22 activists urging them to bring activists to the Chinese Embassy 23 in London. 24 E. The alarming proposals for a Chinese 'mega-embassy' in the 25 heart of London which, if greenlighted, would pose serious risks 26 to the UK's national and cyber security, and which have been 27 opposed by nearly 30 human rights and civil society 28 organisations - including the Hong Kong Democracy Council 29 and Safeguard Defenders. 30 F. The Government's failure to place China (including HKSAR) on 31 the enhanced tier of the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme 32 (FIRS), despite the risks posed by the CCP to British interests 33 and values. 34 G. As Beijing ramps up its efforts to intimate these courageous 35 activists, the Government's Immigration White Paper has cast 36 doubt on the future of the British National Overseas (BNO) 37 pathway - including whether the proposed increase to the 38 general residence requirement for settlement from five to ten 39 years will apply to the BNO scheme. 40 Conference believes that: 41 I. The UK owes a unique and historic obligation to Hong Kongers, 42 including those who have travelled to the UK already and those 43 still living in Hong Kong who wish to leave the city. 44 II. Efforts to intimidate pro-democracy Chinese and Hong Kong 45 activists living in the UK are abhorrent and constitute an attack 46 on British sovereignty which must be rigorously and 47 consistently opposed. 48 III. Hong Kongers wishing to travel and settle in the UK under the 49 BNO scheme must be provided with clarity on the pathway's 50 requirements and timeline. 51 Conference reaffirms: 52 a) The policy recommendations proposed in conference motion 53 Hong Kong's Future (2020). 54 b) The Liberal Democrats' commitment to ensuring Hong Kongers 55 have a life raft should they need it - as pioneered by the late 56 Paddy Ashdown - in light of China reneging on the promises 57 enshrined in the Handover Declaration. 58 Conference calls on the UK Government to: 59 1. Block the application for the Chinese 'mega embassy' and take 60 measures to ensure that there is the right to peacefully and 61 safely protest outside the proposed construction site. 62 2. Establish a bespoke Police hotline for reporting incidents of 63 political intimidation, and reaffirm the illegality of bounty 64 hunting in the UK - sending a clear message that the UK will not 65 tolerate CCP-sponsored attempts at extraterritorial repression. 66 3. Retain the five-year pathway to settlement for all BNO visa 67 holders, reflecting our unique and historic obligation to the 68 people of Hong Kong and providing the certainty that Hong 69 Kongers deserve. 70 4. Include all Chinese Communist Party and HKSAR officials, as 71 well as Chinese Communist Party-linked organisations, on the 72 'enhanced tier' of the FIRS. 73 5. Implement targeted sanctions against those officials in the 74 HKSAR and the Chinese Communist Party identified as 75 responsible for raising bounties on the heads of pro-democracy 76 Hong Kong and Chinese activists living in the UK. 77 6. Appoint a Home Office Departmental Tsar for the 'Protection of 78 pro-democracy activists' - with responsibility for laying an 79 annual report before Parliament outlining the Government's 80 progress in strengthening protection for activists against foreign 81 intimidation, and oversee the tackling of disinformation 82 campaigns aimed at inciting violence against pro-democracy 83 Hong Kong and Chinese activists. Applicability: Federal. Mover: 5 minutes; all other speakers: 3 minutes. For eligibility and procedure for speaking in this debate, see pages 6-7. The deadline for amendments to this motion is 13.00 Monday 8 September; see pages 9-10. Those selected for debate will be printed in Conference Extra and Monday's Conference Daily. The deadline for requests for separate votes is 09.00 Sunday 21 September; see page 5. 14.40 Speech Chair: Fraser Graham; Aide: Paul McGarry. F35 Calum Miller MP (Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs) 14.55 Question and answer session Chair: Cllr Hannah Kitching; Aide: Chris Maines; Hall Aide: Cllr Darryl Smalley. F36 ReformWatch Members may put questions on countering the Reform Party to the panel. The panel will include Cllr Amanda Hopgood, leader of the opposition on Durham County Council, Cllr Antony Hook, leader of the opposition on Kent County Council, and Cllr Mike Ross, leader of Hull City Council. Concise questions (maximum 25 words) may be submitted online until 13.00 on Monday 8 September, or to the Speaker's Table by 11.20 on Monday 22 September. See page 8. 15.40 Policy Motion Chair: Fraser Graham; Aide: Eleanor Kelly; Hall Aide: Duncan Brack. F37 Ending Fleecehold and the Great Property Rip-Off 22 Party Members. Mover: Charlie Clinton. Summation: Cllr Rachel Bentley. 1 Conference notes that: 2 i) Liberal Democrats and Liberals have long called for leasehold 3 reform, since Lloyd George introduced the People's Budget in 1909. 4 ii) England, Wales and Australia are the only countries still 5 operating leaseholds. 6 iii) A fifth of England's housing stock is leasehold - 4.8 million 7 properties. 8 iv) The Conservatives' Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act has 9 failed to deliver meaningful change in the housing sector. 10 v) Labour's delayed leasehold reforms will ban new leaseholds 11 while offering no way out for the millions of existing 12 leaseholders. 13 vi) A YouGov survey in 2017 showed 51% of new homeowners 14 reporting major defects. 15 vii) Research in 2022 showed the average new-build home comes 16 with 157 defects, up 96% since 2005, and with 94% reporting at 17 least one defect. 18 viii) The Financial Ombudsman reported in 2024 that complaints 19 about Building Insurance claims had increased over 10 years to 20 a record high. 21 ix) Despite Government promises to legislate, there are still no 22 proposals to regulate the property management sector. 23 x) It has been more than eight years since the tragic fire at Grenfell 24 Tower and many high-rise buildings remain without safe 25 cladding. 26 xi) The Building Safety Regulator has been mired in delays in doing 27 its proper work. 28 Conference believes that: 29 A. The cladding scandal proves that the leasehold model 30 demonstrably fails to ensure tenant safety. 31 B. Many existing leaseholders still pay soaring ground rents and 32 need to be freed from them, and from unfair service charges 33 levied by unregulated property agents. 34 C. A national oversight body is required to ensure implementation 35 of the Grenfell Inquiry Report recommendations. 36 D. The scandal of developers leaving serious defects unresolved 37 must be urgently confronted. 38 E. Building Safety Regulator delays must be addressed. 39 F. Too many rogue developers and unregulated estate 40 management companies force residents to pay over the odds to 41 maintain shared roadways and public spaces within 42 developments. 43 G. The property management sector should be professionalised 44 and regulated. 45 Conference reaffirms our commitment to: 46 I. Abolish leasehold tenures for all properties, including flats. 47 II. Cap all ground rents on commonhold and commercial 48 leaseholds to a nominal fee. 49 III. Remove dangerous cladding from all buildings, while ensuring 50 that leaseholders do not have to pay a penny towards it. 51 Conference resolves to: 52 1. Regulate the construction industry by: 53 a) Establishing rights for homebuyers, to ensure there is no 54 way for developers or building insurers to avoid 55 accountability for rectifying defects. 56 b) Strengthening accountability to prevent reckless sign-off by 57 building inspectors. 58 2. Regulate the property management sector by: 59 a) Taking forward recommendations from the independent 60 Lord Best report, including a new property regulator 61 responsible for establishing: 62 i) A code of practice for and licensing of property 63 managers and agents. 64 ii) Minimum qualifications for property agencies, 65 managers and agents. 66 iii) Standard industry cost codes for leaseholders and 67 freeholders, and the power to block a landlord's chosen 68 managing agent where the leaseholders have 69 reasonably exercised a veto. 70 iv) Standardised guidance to improve transparency about 71 what charges cover. 72 b) Capping unreasonable service and estate management 73 charges paid by residents and urgently abolishing ground 74 rents for existing residential leases. 75 c) Enabling leaseholders to request alternative quotes for 76 maintenance, where the freeholder is a local authority. 77 d) Giving residents the power to act in common to take on 78 ownership of management companies and common areas. 79 e) Mandating management companies to hold AGMs and 80 respond to residents' correspondence in a timely way. 81 3. Strengthen local authorities' power to: 82 a) Adopt shared roadways and public spaces to prevent 83 residents paying for the upkeep of expensive assets through 84 estate management fees, recouping the cost of their 85 completion from the developer or landowner. 86 b) Sanction developers who fail to complete roads and other 87 infrastructure. 88 c) Enforce private landlords' and management companies' 89 obligations to remediate. Applicability: England. Mover: 7 minutes; summation of motion and movers and summation of any amendments: 4 minutes; all other speakers: 3 minutes. For eligibility and procedure for speaking in this debate, see pages 6-7. The deadline for amendments to this motion is 13.00 Monday 8 September; see pages 9-10. Those selected for debate will be printed in Conference Extra and Monday's Conference Daily. The deadline for requests for separate votes is 09.00 Sunday 21 September; see page 5. 16.20 Policy Motion Chair: James Gurling; Aide: Professor Belinda Brooks-Gordon; Hall Aide: Alison Jenner. F38 Improving Access to Justice 14 Party Members. Mover: Josh Babarinde MP (Spokesperson for Justice). Summation: Ben Maguire MP (Shadow Attorney General). 1 Conference believes that: 2 I. Equal access to justice for all is a fundamental right in any 3 democratic society. 4 II. Legal aid is a proud cornerstone of the British criminal justice 5 system and should be available to everyone who needs it. 6 III. Being denied access to justice can further exacerbate 7 inequalities facing the most vulnerable in our society. 8 IV. Reaching a fair resolution at the earliest possible stage of any 9 legal dispute is in the best interests of all. 10 Conference notes with grave concern that under the former 11 Conservative Government, years of cuts and mismanagement has 12 damaged communities' access to both civil and criminal legal aid. 13 Conference further notes that: 14 A. Cuts to legal aid have damaged access to justice and increased 15 the number of unrepresented litigants. 16 B. The number of legal aid deserts - areas with no access to legal 17 aid providers - across the country are on the rise, with rural and 18 coastal communities particularly impacted. 19 C. More than 42 million people in England and Wales are denied 20 access to a community care legal aid provider in their area, 21 accounting for nearly 70% of the population. 22 D. Legal aid providers are increasingly forced to close as legal aid 23 fees are not sufficient to meet their working costs, with 82% of 24 housing and family legal aid providers reporting that civil legal 25 aid work is loss-making. 26 E. The legal aid means test has not been uprated in line with 27 inflation since 2009, despite the cost of living crisis - leaving 28 thousands without affordable access to justice. 29 F. In 2022, the Legal Aid Means Test Review recommended to 30 significantly increase thresholds for legal aid eligibility and 31 remove the means test entirely for some civil cases to improve 32 equal access to justice - but the Government has delayed its 33 implementation until 2026. 34 G. A lack of legal aid is further exacerbating court backlogs, with 35 estimates showing that hearings involving unrepresented 36 litigants last 50% longer. 37 H. Despite the role that early legal advice can play in diverting 38 cases away from the courts, saving public money and improving 39 outcomes, its availability through legal aid is plummeting. 40 I. Since 2015, 94 courts and tribunals have been closed 41 throughout England and Wales. 42 J. A long-awaited fee increase was secured for criminal legal aid 43 last year, following the 2021 Bellamy Report which 44 recommended an immediate funding uplift as "the minimum 45 necessary... first step in nursing the system of criminal legal aid 46 back to health after years of neglect". 47 K. Too many survivors and victims of domestic abuse are being left 48 without the support they need in the justice system, with 29% of 49 survivors representing themselves in 2023 compared to 15% in 50 2011. 51 Conference acknowledges that increasing spending on legal aid will 52 ultimately save money, with numerous studies showing that early 53 access to legal advice can help tackle problems before they 54 escalate, improve outcomes and prevent cases from going to court 55 unnecessarily. 56 Conference therefore calls on the Government to: 57 1. Establish a new right to affordable, reasonable legal assistance 58 with a new, independent Justice Commission to monitor and 59 enforce it. 60 2. Make the legal aid system simpler and more generous for both 61 civil and criminal cases by: 62 a) Immediately implementing the recommendations of the 63 Legal Aid Means Test Review. 64 b) Placing a duty on ministers to ensure equal access to justice 65 for all regardless of their community's location, addressing 66 legal aid deserts as a priority. 67 3. Prioritise solving legal problems before they escalate - 68 improving outcomes and saving public money in the long-run 69 by: 70 a) Reintroducing legal aid for early legal advice for both civil 71 and criminal cases, with a particular focus on family and 72 housing cases. 73 b) Improving access to mediation through legal aid, especially 74 for family cases. 75 c) Providing funding to local authorities and the Legal Aid 76 Agency to roll out 'Law Start Centres' in every community 77 that bring together early legal advice and signposting 78 services for other local legal aid providers to ensure people 79 get the early support they deserve. 80 4. Develop and implement an access to justice data strategy to 81 allow for a better assessment of legal aid schemes' efficiencies 82 and effectiveness. 83 5. Work with legal aid providers and the Legal Aid Agency to 84 determine what administrative tasks are using disproportionate 85 amounts of providers' time and how those processes could be 86 streamlined to improve efficiency, including by exploring the 87 potential benefits of incorporating the use of new technologies. 88 6. Reform the Exceptional Case Funding scheme for legal aid, 89 including simplifying the application process, to ensure that no 90 one is prevented from enforcing their human rights by a lack of 91 funds. 92 7. Bring forward a plan to increase access to community court 93 buildings, including by restoring existing ones where possible. Applicability: England and Wales. Mover: 7 minutes; summation of motion and movers and summation of any amendments: 4 minutes; all other speakers: 3 minutes. For eligibility and procedure for speaking in this debate, see pages 6-7. The deadline for amendments to this motion is 13.00 Monday 8 September; see pages 9-10. Those selected for debate will be printed in Conference Extra and Monday's Conference Daily. The deadline for requests for separate votes is 09.00 Sunday 21 September; see page 5. 17.00 Policy Motion Chair: Matthew Palmer; Aide: Alison Jenner; Hall Aide: Eleanor Kelly. F39 Never Again: Justice for Contaminated Blood Victims 11 Party Members. Mover: Jess Brown-Fuller MP (Spokesperson for Hospitals and Primary Care) Summation: To be announced. 1 Conference notes that: 2 A. Over 30,000 individuals were infected with HIV and hepatitis C 3 through contaminated NHS blood products during the 1970s 4 and 1980s, resulting in more than 3,000 deaths and causing 5 immeasurable suffering to victims and their families. 6 B. The subsequent inquiry found that the disaster was largely 7 avoidable and was exacerbated by a "subtle, pervasive and 8 chilling" cover-up by the NHS and successive Governments. 9 C. In February 2025, the Government expanded the Infected Blood 10 Compensation Scheme to include more relatives and carers, but 11 concerns remain over delays and lack of transparency, with 12 many still awaiting proper acknowledgement and redress. 13 D. Despite promising to extend the duty of candour to all public 14 officials under the Hillsborough law by April 2025, the 15 Government is yet to deliver this vital reform. 16 E. The Infected Blood Scandal is one of many scandals involving 17 medical negligence which, taken together, have caused 18 thousands of avoidable deaths and left tens of thousands living 19 with painful and damaging lifelong impacts. 20 F. Medical scandals come at a huge financial cost for the taxpayer, 21 with 11.8 billion allocated to compensate infected blood 22 victims and annual NHS compensation payouts reaching nearly 23 3 billion last year. 24 G. Medical scandals often disproportionately affect vulnerable and 25 marginalised populations, compounding health inequalities. 26 Conference believes that: 27 I. Victims and families of the Infected Blood Scandal deserve full 28 justice, recognition, and timely compensation. 29 II. The Government's apology and creation of a compensation 30 scheme were welcome steps, but ongoing delays and lack of 31 transparency are undermining victims' trust and prolonging 32 their suffering. 33 III. The Government's choice to drag its feet over implementing the 34 Inquiry's recommendations means that vital actions needed to 35 prevent future scandals are not being taken. 36 IV. It is not only the victims of the infected blood scandal that have 37 suffered at the hands of medical negligence, but also victims of 38 the multiple maternity care scandals, the vaginal mesh scandal, 39 the sodium valproate scandal and the primodos scandal among 40 many others - each of which we must learn from to prevent 41 future harm. 42 Conference calls on the Government to: 43 1. Deliver justice for those affected by the infected blood scandal 44 by: 45 a) Immediately and efficiently processing all compensation 46 claims under the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme, 47 ensuring that no eligible individual is left behind. 48 b) Implementing all the inquiry's recommendations and 49 reporting annually to Parliament on progress in an oral 50 statement delivered by the Minister. 51 c) Delivering a permanent memorial to ensure "the worst 52 treatment disaster in the history of the NHS" is not 53 forgotten. 54 2. Provide ongoing support for victims of all medical scandals and 55 their families, including access to healthcare, psychological 56 services, and social support to address long-term impacts and 57 tackle compounded health inequalities. 58 3. End the culture of cover-up exposed by the Infected Blood 59 Inquiry and other scandal inquiries and prevent future medical 60 scandals by: 61 a) Immediately introducing legislation to impose a statutory 62 duty of candour on all public officials to promote 63 transparency. 64 b) Establishing a Patient Safety Taskforce, overseen by the 65 Patient Safety Agency, to improve data sharing across NHS 66 bodies, analyse patient risk, and coordinate safety 67 responsibilities effectively. 68 c) Mandating Integrated Care Boards to include patient voices 69 at board level, through organisations like Healthwatch, 70 ensuring patient experiences shape healthcare delivery. 71 d) Incorporating an 'Ending Medical Negligence' curriculum 72 into clinician training, featuring testimonies from victims of 73 medical scandals to ensure mistakes are not repeated. 74 4. Commit to investing any future savings from the almost 3 75 billion in NHS annual compensation payouts into frontline 76 services, to deliver better quality care to all. Applicability: Federal, except for 2., (lines 54-57), 3. b-d) (lines 64-73), and 4. (lines 74-76), which are England only. Mover: 7 minutes; summation of motion and movers and summation of any amendments: 4 minutes; all other speakers: 3 minutes. For eligibility and procedure for speaking in this debate, see pages 6-7. The deadline for amendments to this motion is 13.00 Monday 8 September; see pages 9-10. Those selected for debate will be printed in Conference Extra and Monday's Conference Daily. The deadline for requests for separate votes is 09.00 Sunday 21 September; see page 5. 17.30 Policy Motion Chair: Lord Mohammed; Aide: Cllr Darryl Smalley; Hall Aide: Lucas North. F40 Certainty for Ukrainian Children Living in the UK Young Liberals Mover: Lisa Smart MP (Spokesperson for Home Affairs). Summation: Rowan Fitton. 1 Conference notes: 2 A. That the Ukrainian people continue to resist Russia's war of 3 aggression, despite waning support from the USA. 4 B. Since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022, many Ukrainian 5 families have decided to seek refuge in the UK. 6 C. The Children's Commissioner for England has supported calls to 7 re-introduce a GCSE in the Ukrainian language. 8 Conference further notes with concern: 9 i) That many Ukrainians have faced uncertainty and instability 10 due to the UK Government's decision not to automatically 11 extend their visa status. 12 ii) Due to uncertainty over their status in the UK, many Ukrainians 13 have been unable to accept offers of employment or agree 14 rental leases and many Ukrainian parents have expressed 15 concerns over their children being uprooted in the middle of 16 their education. 17 iii) Research has shown that many Ukrainian children are facing 18 delays and disruption to their education due to the long waits 19 to enrol in local schools. 20 Conference believes that: 21 a) The UK has a proud history of welcoming both immigrants and 22 refugees. 23 b) The UK must not waver in its support for Ukraine and the 24 Ukrainian people in their fight against Russian aggression, their 25 resistance to the full-scale invasion, and their right to self- 26 determination and sovereignty. 27 c) Certainty of status is essential for Ukrainians who have come to 28 the UK under the Ukraine Scheme to be able to rebuild their 29 lives, help them to integrate into British society and contribute 30 to our economy and local communities. 31 d) Certainty of status is essential for Ukrainian children who have 32 come to the UK under the Ukraine Scheme to have the 33 opportunity to flourish and achieve their full potential in 34 education and examinations. 35 e) The re-establishment of academic qualifications in Ukrainian 36 language would support academic attainment amongst 37 displaced Ukrainians and help sustain links to linguistic and 38 cultural heritage. 39 f) The creation of accessible and legal routes to asylum for all 40 refugees and asylum seekers must be a priority. 41 g) No family should face the prospect of being separated due to 42 the UK's asylum policies. 43 Conference calls for: 44 1. The UK Government to automatically extend visas for 45 Ukrainians already granted status and residing in the UK. 46 2. The UK Government to establish a pathway to indefinite leave 47 to remain for Ukrainians who have integrated into life in the UK 48 and wish to remain long-term. 49 3. The Government to work to ensure that Ukrainian pupils and 50 other children with experience of forced displacement do not 51 face delays in school enrolment and have access to trauma- 52 informed support. 53 4. The re-establishment of GCSEs and A-levels in Ukrainian 54 language. 55 5. Ukrainian-language books and educational materials to be 56 available in schools and libraries. 57 6. The Government to support Ukrainian cultural, educational, and 58 linguistic initiatives for Ukrainian children whilst they reside in 59 the UK. 60 7. The Government to provide guidance and support for 61 Ukrainians living in the UK to access further and higher 62 education, including apprenticeships. 63 8. The UK Government to provide support to displaced Ukrainians 64 residing in the UK who wish to voluntarily resettle in safe areas 65 of Ukraine. Applicability: Federal except for 3-7 (lines 49-62) which are England only. Mover: 5 minutes; all other speakers: 3 minutes. For eligibility and procedure for speaking in this debate, see pages 6-7. The deadline for amendments to this motion is 13.00 Monday 8 September; see pages 9-10. 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 Sunday 21 September; see page 5. 18.00 Close of session Tuesday 21 September 09.00 Emergency motions or topical issues F41 Emergency motions or topical issue discussions Chair: Jeremy Hargreaves MBE; Aide: Duncan Brack; Hall Aide: Professor Belinda Brooks-Gordon. This slot has been reserved for the debate of emergency motions and / or discussion of topical issues. The deadline for emergency motions and for suggestions for topical issues is 13.00 on Monday 8 September. The motions or topics selected for debate or proposed for the ballot will be printed in Conference Extra and Tuesday's Conference Daily. See pages 9 and 10 for further information. 10.00 Policy Motion Chair: Jennie Rigg; Aide: Matthew Palmer; Hall Aide: Lord Mohammed. F42 A New Hope for the Space Industry Young Liberals. Mover: Olly Glover MP. Summation: Jamie Stone MP. 1 Conference notes: 2 I. The importance of the UK space industry to the economy, 3 security, science, technology, exploration, and culture. 4 II. That space infrastructure underpins essential services such as 5 navigation, communication, weather, climate monitoring, 6 secure assets, and defence. 7 III. The role that the UK plays in both the research and 8 development of new technologies and the supply chain within 9 the global space industry 10 IV. Public investment in space yields high economic returns, 11 supporting advanced manufacturing and delivering a strong 12 multiplier effect. 13 V. Space technologies, particularly Earth Observation, are crucial in 14 addressing the climate emergency. 15 VI. The space sector aligns with the Liberal Democrat manifesto 16 commitment to harnessing new technologies for the public 17 good. 18 VII. UK investments in spaceports in Scotland and Cornwall position 19 the nation as Europe's leading destination for commercial space 20 launches, with significant global potential. 21 VIII. Space technology bolsters UK leadership in science, 22 communications, and cyber security, ensuring protection of 23 critical assets, infrastructure, and data. 24 Conference believes that: 25 A. The UK risks falling behind global competitors such as the US, 26 China, and Russia, as well as European nations, in space 27 capabilities. Brexit has heightened the need for independent 28 satellite infrastructure, given exclusion from EU initiatives like 29 Galileo. The potential economic loss from GNSS failure is 30 estimated at 5.2 billion over five days. 31 B. Independent UK launch capabilities are vital for fulfilling 32 security and defence needs. 33 C. SKYNET, a UK Ministry of Defence program providing strategic 34 satellite communication services to the UK Armed Forces and 35 allies, is crucial to national security. 36 D. The UK's strengths in advanced technologies such as 5G, AI, IoT, 37 and quantum computing are synergistic with space investment, 38 benefiting businesses and citizens. 39 E. Cleaning up 'Space Junk', or Active Debris Removal (ADR), is of 40 growing importance to the space industry, and UK-based 41 companies should play a leading role in supporting ADR. 42 F. International collaboration in space, particularly through the 43 European Space Agency (ESA), is an invaluable platform for 44 shared missions and innovation. 45 G. Public engagement, exemplified by Tim Peake's mission, 46 inspires the next generation in STEM, enhancing the UK's 47 science and technology workforce. 48 Conference calls for: 49 1. The UK Government to immediately review and renew the 2021 50 National Space Strategy, with the central focus of incentivising 51 international investment, fostering industry growth, and 52 people-centred, efficient regulation. 53 2. Government to conduct a review of private spaceport initiatives 54 in Scotland, Cornwall, hubs like the Harwell Science and 55 Innovation Campus and other locations to ensure continued 56 attention is paid to establishing the UK as a global space hub. 57 3. The UK Government to designate the space industry as a 58 'strategic industry' for the purpose of the National Wealth 59 Fund's investment, paving the way for productive investment in 60 areas including: 61 a) A UK satellite navigation system to ensure resilience and 62 independence, addressing gaps left by Brexit and Galileo 63 exclusion. 64 b) Quantum communications, satellites, advanced materials, 65 optical infrastructure, and computing to secure UK 66 leadership in emerging technologies. 67 4. Efforts to establish guidance and schemes for industry to better 68 support inclusion for underrepresented groups, in particular 69 people with disabilities, women and ethnic minorities, 70 mimicking and building on schemes like the Women in Finance 71 Charter (HM Treasury) and the Business in the Community Race 72 at Work Charter (Department for Business and Trade). Applicability: Federal. Mover: 7 minutes; summation of motion and movers and summation of any amendments: 4 minutes; all other speakers: 3 minutes. For eligibility and procedure for speaking in this debate, see pages 6-7. The deadline for amendments to this motion is 13.00 Monday 8 September; see pages 9-10. 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; see page 5. 10.45 Policy Motion Chair: Cllr Simon McGrath; Aide: Lucas North; Hall Aide: Jennie Rigg. F43 Towards a Ceasefire and Political Resolution in Sudan 12 Party Members. Mover: Monica Harding MP (Spokesperson for International Development). Summation: Lord Purvis (Leader of the Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords). 1 Conference notes: 2 i) The brutal conflict in Sudan is a disaster for innocent Sudanese 3 civilians. 4 ii) Sudan faces a humanitarian crisis: 30 million Sudanese urgently 5 need assistance; over 14 million have been displaced; 7 million 6 are facing acute food insecurity; and there has been horrific 7 sexual violence against women and mass killings. 8 iii) The outcome of the London Summit, held on 15 April, which 9 included a welcome joint commitment of a further 813 million 10 of funding for Sudan and its neighbours in 2025 - though which 11 represents only a drop in the ocean compared with the scale of 12 the humanitarian catastrophe. 13 iv) A UK-sponsored motion at the UN Security Council (UNSC) in 14 November 2024 to bring about a ceasefire was shamefully 15 vetoed by Russia. 16 v) The alleged role of external actors in supplying arms to the 17 warring parties, including Russia, China, Iran, T rkiye, Serbia 18 and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). 19 vi) The illicit trade of Sudan's gold is funding the war, enriching 20 foreign actors. 21 vii) The Biden Administration's declaration that the Rapid Support 22 Forces have committed genocide in Darfur, and its 23 implementation of sanctions against the Sudanese Government 24 for alleged chemical weapons use. 25 viii) The grievous impact which President Trump's USAID cuts will 26 have on Sudan's humanitarian situation. 27 ix) In the absence of a political settlement, the instability in Sudan 28 will only contribute to higher levels of migration, creating 29 additional pressures on the UK. 30 x) The conflict has received limited coverage in the UK or focus in 31 Parliament, and that the Prime Minister, when asked by Ed 32 Davey MP about Sudan, agreed that he did not think "we 33 discuss it enough in this House". 34 Conference believes that: 35 A. As penholder at the UNSC on Sudan, the UK has a central role 36 to play to ensure that civilians are protected and that this 37 conflict comes to an end. 38 B. Our ability to make a difference has been undermined by 39 decisions to reduce the international development budget from 40 0.7% of national income, first by the Conservatives while in 41 Government and then, in February 2025, by a Labour Prime 42 Minister. 43 C. In the face of competing claims to sovereignty, it is vital not to 44 bestow legitimacy on the warring parties, and a division of 45 Sudan would be a disaster for civilians and should not be 46 entertained as a prospect. 47 D. The continuing flow of arms into Sudan will only perpetuate the 48 conflict. 49 E. This conflict has been ignored in the UK and it is up to the 50 Liberal Democrats to ensure that Sudan becomes a diplomatic 51 priority for the Government. 52 Conference calls on the UK Government to: 53 1. Use our role as penholder at the UNSC to advance all diplomatic 54 efforts to secure a ceasefire and an agreement on safe zones 55 for civilians. 56 2. Lead action to set up a Sudan-wide arms embargo to prevent 57 the supply of weapons to the conflict by other countries. 58 3. Redouble efforts to create a multilateral Contact Group for the 59 crisis. 60 4. Build consensus amongst international partners to resist 61 attempts to confer legitimacy on the warring parties, and to 62 ensure that those responsible for perpetrating war crimes in 63 the conflict face justice. 64 5. Affirm that the future governance of Sudan must be under 65 civilian leadership. 66 6. Raise the public profile of the conflict, including making 67 representations to the Disasters Emergency Committee to start 68 a UK-wide appeal. 69 7. Work with partners to strengthen due diligence in the global 70 gold trade to crack down on smuggling. 71 8. Alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Sudan by: 72 a) Properly funding the UN Appeal and the regional refugee 73 response. 74 b) Reversing the planned ODA budget cuts to 0.3% of national 75 income and providing a timeline for restoring the budget to 76 0.7%, and using it to fund the UK's response to this crisis. 77 c) Providing targeted support for Sudanese children who have 78 been disproportionately impacted and continue to be 79 denied education, health and safety. Applicability: Federal. Mover: 5 minutes; all other speakers: 3 minutes. For eligibility and procedure for speaking in this debate, see pages 6-7. The deadline for amendments to this motion is 13.00 Monday 8 September; see pages 9-10. 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; see page 5. 11.15 Party Business Chair: Sam Barratt; Aide: Fraser Graham; Hall Aide: Cllr Nick da Costa (Chair, FCC) F44 Standing Order amendment: Threshold for Submitting Amendments to the Constitution and Standing Orders 31 Party Members. Mover: Cllr Prue Bray. Summation: To be announced. 1 Conference notes that: 2 1. An amendment to change either the Constitution or Conference 3 Standing Orders requires a two-thirds majority to pass, a higher 4 threshold than the simple majority required for business 5 motions. 6 2. The rules on submitting Constitutional or Standing Order 7 amendments are the same as for business motions, including a 8 provision that they can be submitted by 10 party members. 9 3. Conference Standing Orders require all validly submitted 10 constitutional amendments and amendments to Standing 11 Orders to be accepted for debate, save for the limited 12 exceptions listed in standing order 4.3, whereas Federal 13 Conference Committee has the ability to determine which 14 business motions are selected for debate. 15 Conference therefore agrees to insert at the end of Standing Order 16 1.3 b): 17 '...save that constitutional amendments and secondary 18 constitutional amendments, and standing order amendments and 19 secondary standing order amendments, submitted by party 20 members shall require 30 signatures of members from at least 21 three local parties.' The existing text of conference standing orders is printed at pages 107-125 of this Conference Agenda. Applicability: Federal Mover: 5 minutes; all other speakers: 3 minutes. For eligibility and procedure for speaking in this debate, see pages 6-7. The deadline for amendments to this motion is 13.00 Monday 8 September; see pages 9-10. 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; see page 5. Standing order amendments require a two-thirds majority to pass. 11.35 Party Business F45 Constitutional and Standing Order amendments: Reporting to conference Chair: Cara Jenkinson (Vice Chair, FCC), Aide: Chris Maines, Hall Aide: Matthew Palmer. Federal Conference Committee. Mover: Duncan Brack. Summation: Cllr Nick da Costa (Chair, Federal Conference Committee). 1 Conference believes that maintaining the accountability of federal 2 committees to federal conference, through written reports, 3 opportunities for members to question the committees and votes 4 to accept or reject each report, is an essential element of party 5 democracy. 6 Conference notes, however, that: 7 i) Report sessions in the auditorium can allow only a limited time 8 for questions to each committee. 9 ii) Many questions to committees, particularly those simply asking 10 for information, do not necessarily have to be asked at 11 conference. 12 iii) The treatment of the reporting function in the constitution is 13 incoherent and in places contradictory. 14 Conference therefore resolves to reform the system of reporting to 15 conference, in order to: 16 A. Retain accountability to conference for those bodies which 17 include a component directly elected by the party membership 18 (Federal Board, Federal Conference Committee, Federal Council, 19 Federal International Relations Committee, Federal Policy 20 Committee and Vice President responsible for working with 21 ethnic minorities), plus the parliamentary parties in the 22 Commons and Lords. 23 B. Ensure that committees elected by and accountable to the 24 Federal Board (Federal Audit and Scrutiny Committee, Federal 25 Campaigns and Elections Committee, Federal Finance and 26 Resources Committee, Federal People Development Committee, 27 Joint States Candidates Committee), plus the Campaign for 28 Gender Balance and the Racial Diversity Campaign, report 29 through the Federal Board. 30 C. Allow for additional opportunities to put questions to all the 31 bodies listed in paragraphs A and B away from the conference 32 auditorium. 33 D. Increase the time available for debates on policy motions at 34 spring conference. 35 E. Rationalise the treatment of reporting in the constitution. 36 Accordingly, Conference: 37 1. Agrees to adopt the amendments to the constitution and 38 standing orders set out below. 39 2. Instructs the Federal Conference Committee to organise 40 additional question-and-answer sessions, without the need for 41 a formal report or vote, including for the two parliamentary 42 parties at spring conference in the auditorium (in addition to 43 their formal report to autumn conference) and for all 44 committees and sub-committees, on a rolling basis, away from 45 the auditorium (to allow for greater interaction with members). 46 3. Instructs the Federal Board to review and improve mechanisms 47 to allow party members to interact with committees throughout 48 the year outside conference. 49 4. Instructs the Federal Conference Committee to review the 50 impacts of these changes after two years. 51 In Article 3.3, after 'Federal People Development Committee ' 52 delete: ', notified to the Conference' 53 At start of Article 5.3, insert: 'As part of its report to conference, .... ' 54 Delete Article 6.5 and insert: 55 6.5 There shall be a business session or sessions at each 56 Conference, to which the committees listed in Article 8.7 shall 57 report. The business session at each autumn Conference shall 58 additionally include reports from the Parliamentary Party in the 59 House of Commons, the Parliamentary Party in the House of Lords 60 and the Vice President responsible for working with ethnic 61 minorities. The business session at the autumn meeting shall 62 constitute the Annual General Meeting of the Party, before which 63 the Annual Report and Accounts shall be laid as part of the report 64 of the Federal Board. The Conference shall have the right to 65 approve or reject each such report, or to refer it back with 66 recommendations. Other reports may be circulated for information. 67 6.6 Business motions may be submitted to the Federal Conference 68 by the Federal Board, the Federal Conference Committee or any 69 other persons or bodies entitled to submit motions or amendments 70 under Article 7.6. 71 Delete Article 8.7 and insert: 72 8.7 The Federal Board, the Federal Conference Committee and the 73 Federal Policy Committee shall each table a written report at each 74 meeting of the Conference. The Federal International Relations 75 Committee and the Federal Council shall each table a written report 76 at each autumn meeting of the Conference. Time will be given at 77 the Conference to debate each report. All other Committees shall 78 report to the Conference as part of the Federal Board's report. In 79 exceptional circumstances any Committee may request the Federal 80 Conference Committee to permit it to submit a written report and 81 allocate time to debate it. 82 In Article 9.6, delete first sentence and insert: 83 Following each election for the House of Commons, the Federal 84 Board shall commission a report on the Party's work in that election 85 and shall report to the Party on the outcomes of that review as part 86 of its report to the Conference. 87 In Article 9.17, after '8.5' insert: '8.7, ' 88 In Article 10.1, delete the last sentence and insert: 89 The FPC shall include its proposed programme of policy 90 development in its report to the Conference. 91 In Article 20.1, delete the sentence: ' ... The President shall report to 92 the annual meeting of the Conference and may make reports to any 93 other meetings of Conference. ...' 94 In Standing Order 1.1, delete 1.1 b) and insert: 95 b) A business session or sessions for the consideration of reports 96 from the bodies listed in Article 6.5 of the Constitution, together 97 with, when appropriate, reports from, or question and answer 98 sessions with, any other body the Committee considers 99 appropriate, accounts and the annual report; 100 c) business motions, including a motion accompanying the 101 proposed strategy of the party; 102 d) constitutional amendments and standing order amendments; The existing text of the constitution can be found on the Federal party website here: https://www.libdems.org.uk/federal-constitution Applicability: Federal. Mover: 5 minutes; all other speakers: 3 minutes. For eligibility and procedure for speaking in this debate, see pages 6-7. The deadline for amendments to this motion is 13.00 Monday 8 September; see pages 9-10. 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; see page 5. Constitutional amendments and standing order amendments require a two-thirds majority to pass. 11.55 Party Business F46 Constitutional amendment: Constitutional tidy-up Chair: Lucas North, Aide: Cllr Jon Ball (Vice Chair, FCC), Hall Aide: Duncan Brack. Federal Board. Mover: Jeremy Hargreaves MBE (Vice Chair, Federal Board). Summation: Lord Pack (President of the Liberal Democrats) 1 Conference notes the section of the Federal Board's report to 2 Conference that explains the rationale for each part of this motion. 3 Following previous changes made to the Federal Constitution and 4 other party procedures and organisational policies, Conference 5 agrees to: 6 1. In Article 3.6, insert ', Mayor candidate' before 'member of a local 7 authority'; 8 2. Add at end of Article 8.5, 'd. For those party members who the 9 Board appoints to other committees, the Board may make a 10 temporary new appointment where the previously appointed 11 person wishes to take caring or compassionate leave or where 12 the person has been suspended from the party.'; 13 3. In Article 8.6, delete: 'The Federal Board shall also have regard to 14 the desirability of establishing a subcommittee responsible for 15 the co-ordination of the Party's activities.'; 16 4. Add new Article 20.2: 'Where this constitution makes the 17 President a member of a Committee of the Federal Party other 18 than the Federal Board, the President may nominate from 19 among other Board members a substitute if they are unable to 20 attend a meeting. The substitute shall have the same voting 21 rights at the meeting as the President would otherwise have.'; 22 5. Delete Article 21.7(c) and remove '; and' from (b), replacing with a 23 full stop. 24 6. Delete the Annexe to the Constitution. 25 To provide greater clarity to parts of the Constitution, Conference 26 agrees to: 27 1. In Article 3.2(d), replace 'that the Federal Board considers ought 28 to be entitled' with 'to which the Federal Board has granted the 29 power'; 30 2. In Article 8.4, replace 'other than those individually specified in 31 the constitution' with 'other than those required to be a member 32 of it because they are the sole holder of a post listed in the 33 Constitution as a member of the committee'. 34 3. In Article 9.9(c), insert 'non-casual' before 'vacancy'. 35 To ensure the party's finances can continue in an orderly manner if 36 an Autumn Conference has to be cancelled or postponed, 37 Conference agrees to: 38 1. In Article 12.6, replace 'FB' with 'Federal Board' in both places, and 39 delete both 'each year' and 'for the ensuing year'. 40 In addition, to clarify various rules around holding posts in the 41 party, and to allow the Federal Board to discharge its existing 42 responsibilities to fill posts by using more widely an appointment 43 process involving interviews followed by a Board decision, rather 44 than Board members simply voting between names without 45 information from interviews, Conference agrees to: 46 1. In Article 2.8, renumber existing text as (a), replace the full stop at 47 the end with '; and', and add at the end '(b) Where this 48 Constitution requires an individual to hold a particular post or 49 type of post (either within or outside the party) in order to 50 quality for election or appointment to a role, and after their 51 appointment or election they cease to hold that post or type of 52 post, they shall be considered to have resigned from that role 53 unless the Constitution expressly states otherwise.' 54 2. In Article 8.5(c), replace 'elects' with 'appoints' and 'elected' with 55 'appointed'; 56 3. In Article 12.2(h) and 14.3(d), replace 'elected' with 'appointed' and 57 replace second sentence with 'Casual vacancies amongst this 58 group shall be filled in the same way'; 59 4. In Article 13.2(i)(a), replace 'elected' with 'appointed'; 60 5. In Article 16.3(a), add at end 'or during their term as a member 61 of the committee'; 62 6. In Article 20.5, replace 'elected' with 'appointed' and 'election' with 63 'appointment'. 64 Conference recognises that the Leader of the Party and the Leaders 65 of the Party in Scotland and Wales are in practice the main public 66 spokespeople for the party, and therefore agrees to: 67 1. In Article 20.1, replace 'shall be the principal public 68 representative of the Party and' with 'shall be the voice of party 69 members and'. 70 Following Britain's departure from the European Union, Conference 71 also agrees to: 72 1. In Article 1.2(c) and 4.5(a), replace 'UK Members of the European 73 Parliament' with 'members of devolved bodies'; 74 2. In Article 2.3(c), delete 'and European Parliamentary'; 75 3. In Article 3.6, delete 'MEP,' and 'or European parliamentary'; 76 4. In Article 6.5, delete 'the Parliamentary Party in the European 77 Parliament'; 78 5. In Article 9.6, delete 'for the European Parliament and'; 79 6. In Article 10.1(a), replace 'the European community' with 80 'Europe'; 81 7. In Article 10.3, delete 'and its manifesto for elections to the 82 European Parliament' and 'and with the Parliamentary Party in 83 the European Parliament'; 84 8. In Article 13.3, delete 'and the European Parliament'; 85 9. In Article 13.5, change 'Westminster and European Parliaments' 86 to 'House of Commons'; 87 10. In Article 15.1(d), delete 'campaigning for European Parliament 88 elections and'; 89 11. Delete Article 15.2(i)(e); 90 12. Delete Article 17.4; 91 13. In Article 19.1, change 'Westminster and European Parliaments' 92 to 'House of Commons'; 93 14. Delete Article 19.8. 94 Conference further believes in neatness and tidiness and therefore 95 agrees to: 96 1. In Articles 2.7, 4.6(c) and 18.1, change 'election rules' to 'election 97 regulations'; 98 2. In Article 6.1, change 'but others may be invited to attend in a 99 non-voting role, including Registered Supporters' to 'but others, 100 including Registered Supporters, may be invited to attend in a 101 non-voting role'; 102 3. In Article 6.2, - add 's' at the end of the last word; 103 4. Reformat Article 8.1 as a list; 104 5.In Articles 8.8c, 9.3 and 13.2(ii)(a), insert 'Federal' before 'Chief 105 Executive'; 106 6. In both Article 13.1 and 14.1, replace 'accountable' with 107 'responsible' and delete 'and shall report to each ordinary 108 meeting of the Board'; 109 7. Renumber the Constitution and cross-references as otherwise 110 required by the changes in this motion. The existing text of the constitution can be found on the Federal party website here: https://www.libdems.org.uk/federal-constitution The existing text of conference standing orders is printed at pages 107-125 of this Conference Agenda. Applicability: Federal. Mover: 5 minutes; all other speakers: 3 minutes. For eligibility and procedure for speaking in this debate, see pages 6-7. The deadline for amendments to this motion is 13.00 Monday 8 September; see pages 9-10. 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; see page 5. 12.10 Policy Motion Chair: Cllr Hannah Kitching; Aide: Cllr Nick da Costa (Chair, FCC); Hall Aide: Professor Belinda Brooks-Gordon. F47 Defending Women's Rights Across the Globe Liberal Democrat Women. Mover: Janey Little. Summation: David Chalmers (Chair, Federal International Relations Committee). 1 Conference notes that: 2 i) Progress on women's rights is being eroded, and women across 3 the world, particularly women with intersecting marginalised 4 identities including women of colour, disabled women, and 5 LGBT+ women, are facing violence, abuse, and vulnerability at 6 horrifying levels. 7 ii) In February 2025, Starmer announced a cut to Official 8 Development Assistance (ODA) to 0.3% of Gross National 9 Income (GNI), following ODA cuts by the previous Government. 10 Aid cuts have disproportionately impacted programmes 11 focusing on women and girls, and 90% of women-led and 12 women's rights organisations surveyed by UN Women have 13 been affected by global foreign aid cuts. 14 iii) Misogyny is rising on social media and there is global backlash 15 to women's rights, with nearly a quarter of countries reporting 16 backlash on gender equality in 2024. 17 iv) Opposition to abortion rights from the Trump administration 18 threatens women worldwide, and the funding freeze to the 19 United States Agency for International Development (USAID) will 20 deprive women and girls of access to essential, life-saving 21 reproductive healthcare. 22 v) Violence against women is epidemic. one in three women have 23 experienced sexual violence or physical violence, 640 million 24 women over the age of 15 have experienced intimate partner 25 violence, and 230 million women and girls have experienced 26 Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). 27 vi) Women and girls are among those most at risk of living in 28 poverty, with one in ten women living in extreme poverty, and 29 women - particularly those who are young, from a migrant 30 background, and with low educational attainment - 31 disproportionately engage in low-paid and precarious work, 32 such as the garment industry. 33 vii) The gender pay gap and economic inequality persists: 2.4 billion 34 women of working age do not have equal economic 35 opportunities to men, 708 million women are outside the 36 labour force due to unpaid caring responsibilities, and 119 37 million girls are not in school. 38 viii) In 2023, the United Nations reported that the proportion of 39 women killed in armed conflicts doubled and cases of conflict- 40 related sexual violence increased by 50% from 2022, and just 41 29% of rape survivors could access the support they needed 42 within 72 hours due to insufficient funding for gender-based 43 violence response programmes. 44 ix) Women are vastly underrepresented in political leadership: 45 three quarters of parliamentarians across the world are men 46 and despite being essential to peace processes, women made 47 up less than 10% of peace negotiators in 2023. 48 x) Women are disproportionately affected by environmental 49 degradation, with worst-case scenario estimates that 236 50 million more women and girls could face food insecurity by 51 2050. 52 Conference believes: 53 A. The UK should strive to be a global leader in defending women's 54 rights and fighting against the growing backlash to gender 55 equality, especially amongst some young men. 56 B. All women and girls deserve safety, equal rights and access to 57 opportunities, and bodily autonomy. 58 C. Gender equality is essential for peace, security, and economic 59 prosperity, alongside upholding human rights. 60 D. Women-led and women's rights organisations must be at the 61 centre of responses to humanitarian crises and efforts to strive 62 for global gender equality. 63 Conference calls on the UK Government to: 64 1. Unreservedly condemn the global backlash to gender equality 65 and rising misogyny and gender-based violence, striving to 66 become a world leader in standing up for the rights of women 67 and marginalised communities and opposing all forms of 68 injustice and oppression. 69 2. Develop a roadmap to restore UK aid spending at 0.7% of GNI, 70 targeting at least 20% of UK aid on striving for gender equality 71 and considering how aid spending decisions affect marginalised 72 communities, including long-term funding commitments for 73 gender equality programmes, women's rights organisations, 74 and women-led organisations. 75 3. Centre the need to achieve gender equality in all humanitarian 76 action, crisis response and diplomacy, acknowledging the need Tuesday 23 September cont. 77 for an intersectional and cross-departmental response to 78 gender injustice. 79 4. Hold social media companies to account on tackling misogyny 80 online, putting pressure on these companies to implement 81 stronger content moderation and address how their algorithms 82 promote misogynistic content, and prioritise efforts to improve 83 young people's digital literacy and awareness of their digital 84 diets. 85 5. Advocate for the right to abortion and access to reproductive 86 healthcare, condemning the attacks on the right to choose from 87 the Trump administration and the USAID funding freeze. 88 6. Act to be a global leader in ending violence against women and 89 girls, including by: 90 a) Increasing the proportion of ODA spent on efforts to reduce 91 violence against women and girls and support survivors, 92 ensuring that initiatives are expert-led, centring women-led 93 and women's rights organisations. 94 b) Supporting education and community initiatives which help 95 to reduce violence against women and girls and empower 96 young girls, such as Girls' Clubs. 97 c) Prioritising the Government's Preventing Sexual Violence in 98 Conflict Initiative, by increasing funding, especially for 99 women-led and women's rights organisations, fostering 100 survivor-led global collaboration, and ensuring addressing 101 sexual violence is a priority in conflict. 102 d) Working to eradicate FGM by implementing health 103 education interventions, engaging with communities 104 including religious and community leaders to drive social 105 change, and committing sufficient funding to relevant 106 grassroots organisations. 107 7. Champion women's economic empowerment by advocating for 108 recognition of the value of unpaid care work, promoting equal 109 economic rights and opportunities for women, and supporting 110 efforts to improve women's access to finance and resources 111 8. Promote women's political representation, using soft power to 112 promote gender quotas while working with organisations to 113 address the barriers to women's political participation, such as 114 access to finance and online harassment 115 9. Leverage diplomatic efforts to ensure that both global and local 116 woman leaders, as well as women-led and women's rights 117 organisations, are empowered to participate in humanitarian 118 action, peacebuilding, and conflict resolution 119 10. Advocate for gender justice to be embedded in approaches to 120 global green energy transitions, leading by example 121 domestically, and fostering international cooperation towards 122 this aim. Applicability: Federal. Mover: 7 minutes; summation of motion and movers and summation of any amendments: 4 minutes; all other speakers: 3 minutes. For eligibility and procedure for speaking in this debate, see pages 6-7. The deadline for amendments to this motion is 13.00 Monday 8 September; see pages 9-10. 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; see page 5. 12.50 Lunch break and fringe Please see the Conference Directory for our fringe and exhibition programme. 14.10 Party Business Chair: Cllr Nick da Costa (Chair, FCC). Aide: Cara Jenkinson (Vice Chair, FCC). Hall Aide: Cllr Jon Ball (Vice Chair, FCC). F48 Party Awards The Belinda Eyre-Brook Award: Given to recognise and celebrate the efforts of people working for our elected representatives in their local areas. The Dadabhai Naoroji Award: Presented annually to the Local Party that has done most to promote ethnic minority participants to elected office. The Harriet Smith Liberal Democrat Distinguished Service Award: Open to any Party Member never elected to public office recognised for outstanding commitment and service to the Party. The Patsy Calton Award: An award for exceptional women ranging from Councillors, to members, to Parliamentarians. The Penhaligon Award: Presented to the Local Party anywhere in the world which demonstrates the most impressive increase in membership and exemplary activities to deliver and involve members and supporters. The President's Award: Open to any Party Member elected to public office and who has demonstrated excellence and commitment, either in that role or in both that role and other roles for the party. 14.30 Speech Chair: Cllr Nick da Costa (Chair, FCC). Aide: Cara Jenkinson (Vice Chair, FCC). Hall Aide: Cllr Jon Ball (Vice Chair, FCC). F49 Ed Davey MP, Leader of the Liberal Democrats 15.30 Approx. close of conference 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. Standing Orders 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. Standing Orders 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 Standing Orders 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, Standing Orders 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. Standing Orders 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 details 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 Standing Orders 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. Standing Orders 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. Standing Orders 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 Standing Orders 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 Standing Orders 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 Standing Orders 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 Standing Orders 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. Standing Orders 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 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 a) A request to refer back a motion under debate may be submitted by any of the bodies or groups listed in Standing Order 1.3(b) for business motions and 1.3(d) for policy motions. The deadline for submission of such a request shall be the same as that for amendments to motions. In exceptional circumstances, the chair of the debate shall have discretion to Standing Orders accept a request for a reference back if it is received in writing after this deadline. b) 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 150 words. c) If more than one request is received with respect to a motion, the Committee (or the chair of the debate in the case of requests received after the deadline) shall decide which to take. No more than one request may be taken with respect to any motion. d) 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 three minutes. If Conference decides not to debate the reference back, it falls. e) 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. f) 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 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. Standing Orders 11.4 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. 11.5 Suspension of standing orders a) A voting conference member may, during any full conference session, move a motion for the suspension of standing orders. Such a motion may contain no more than one proposed change to the agenda or conduct of debate. 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. 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 Standing Orders motion is carried all standing orders shall remain in force except only for the purposes set out in the motion. 11.6 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 one 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. Standing Orders 12.5 Approval, rejection or reference back of reports from Federal Party committees or sub-committees a) 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. b) A voting member may move the rejection of any part of the report or the report as a whole, by submitting 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. c) A request to refer back any part of the report or the report as a whole may be submitted by any of the bodies or groups listed in Standing Order 1.3(b). The deadline for submission of such a request shall be the same as that for amendments to motions. In exceptional circumstances, the chair of the debate shall have discretion to accept a request for a reference back if it is received in writing after this deadline. A proposal to refer back shall include a written statement of the reasons, not exceeding 150 words, including reasons why rejecting the report would not achieve a similar result, together with any recommendations to the committee or sub-committee tabling the report. The Committee or, in the case of late submissions, the chair, shall decide how many references back to take if more than one is submitted. The representative of the body or group that submitted 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 a) 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. b) A voting member may move not to receive any part of the report or the report as a whole, by submitting a speaker's card prior to the commencement of the consideration of the report, stating the section(s) which they wish not to receive. All moves not to receive a report must be Standing Orders debated (except that the chair shall have discretion to choose between moves not to receive 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. c) A request to refer back any part of the report or the report as a whole may be submitted by any of the bodies or groups listed in Standing Order 1.3(b). The deadline for submission of such a request shall be the same as that for amendments to motions. In exceptional circumstances, the chair of the debate shall have discretion to accept a request for a reference back if it is received in writing after this deadline. A proposal to refer back shall include a written statement of the reasons, not exceeding 150 words, including reasons why not receiving the report would not achieve a similar result, together with any recommendations to the body tabling the report. The Committee or, in the case of late submissions, the chair, shall decide how many references back to take if more than one is submitted. The representative of the body or group that submitted 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 Council 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: Lord 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: Cllr Mike Cox, Registered Treasurer l Federal Communications and Elections Committee: Baroness Cllr Kath Pinnock l Federal People Development Committee: Claire Hudson l Federal International Relations Committee: David Chalmers l Federal Audit and Scrutiny Committee: Dave Radcliffe l Federal Council: Cllr Antony Hook Details of all the Committees, their functions and members can be found on the Party website at: www.libdems.org.uk/committees_organisations