Conference Daily Sunday 23 March 2025 Spring Conference Harrogate Information from the Federal Conference Committee for Saturday 23 March. Please read in conjunction with the Agenda & Directory and Conference Extra. Timetable and Contents Report back for Saturday 22 March 2 Timetable for Sunday 23 March 3 Report back for Saturday 22 March F2 Report: Federal Conference Committee Approved F3 Report: Federal Policy Committee Approved F4 Policy Motion: Science, Innovation and Technology Passed (Amendments One, Two and Three passed) F6 Parliamentary Party Reports Received F9 Policy Motion: Free to be Who You Are Passed (Amendment One withdrawn Amendment Two passed, Amendment Three passed, lines 111-113 retained) F10 Constitutional Amendment Implementing the Lessons of the General Election Review Passed (Amendments One and Two passed) F11 Constitutional Amendment: Federal Board Defeated F12 Constitutional Amendment: Federal Policy Committee Defeated F14 Policy motion: The UK's Response to Trump Passed (Amendments One, Two and Three passed) F15 Report of Federal Board Approved F16 Electoral Regulations Ratified F17 Constitutional Amendment: Liberal Democrats Ltd Passed F18 Report of Federal Communications and Elections Committee Approved F19 Report of Campaign for Gender Balance Approved F20 Report of Federal International Relations Committee Approved F21 Report of Federal Council Approved Sunday 23 March F22 Emergency Motion: Restoring International Development Assistance Green Liberal Democrats Mover: Monica Harding MP (Spokesperson for International Development) Summation: Laura Gordon 1 Conference notes: 2 i) The Liberal Democrats were the first UK political party to commit to 3 meeting the OECD target of spending 0.7% of Gross National Income 4 (GNI) on Official Development Assistance (ODA), and enshrined this 5 target in law whilst in government. 6 ii) On November 25th, 2020, Rishi Sunak announced a 'temporary' cut to 7 0.5%; this resulted in thousands of preventable deaths and cuts to 8 vital programmes. 9 iii) The current Labour Government's manifesto committed to restoring 10 development spending at the level of 0.7% of GNI "as soon as fiscal 11 circumstances allow"; despite this, on 25th February 2025 Keir 12 Starmer announced an immediate cut from 0.5% to 0.3% of GNI. 13 iv) The international development budget has been further eroded by 14 the large increase of in-donor refugee costs due to the decision of the 15 previous Conservative government to pause asylum approvals - as 16 well as leaving thousands of people trapped in limbo, these costs 17 have occupied an increasingly large share of ODA. 18 Conference believes that: 19 a) While there is an acute need to increase defence spending to support 20 Ukraine and ensure the UK's future security, this can be met through 21 fair measures such as a digital sales tax and does not require yet 22 another cut to ODA. 23 b) The Government's cuts to ODA will cost lives and are completely 24 unjustified - UK aid provides desperately needed support to the most 25 vulnerable people in the world, particularly in fragile and conflict 26 affected states, and is a key tool in meeting our climate commitments. 27 c) The UK's commitment to development has been one of our most 28 effective foreign policy tools in recent decades and is a key pillar in 29 ensuring our future security. 30 d) Sudden cuts to ODA fall disproportionately on the most vulnerable - Sunday 22 March cont. 31 those affected by humanitarian crisis - due to annualised budget 32 cycles being easier to cut. 33 Conference calls for: 34 1. The immediate restoration of UK aid spending at 0.5% of GNI and a 35 roadmap to restore 0.7% of GNI as soon as possible within this 36 parliament. 37 2. A halt to the charging of asylum hosting costs to the ODA budget, 38 freeing up billions for global poverty reduction, climate action and 39 humanitarian response. 40 3. The Government to increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP as 41 soon as possible - based on funding plans outlined by the Liberal 42 Democrats - and to hold cross-party talks to agree a consensus on 43 how to reach 3%. Applicability: Federal Background briefing: This motion updates party policy on International Development Assistance in light of recent cuts announced by the Government. It builds on existing policy as set out in the 2024 General Election Manifesto, For a Fair Deal, and Policy Paper 157, Liberal Values in a Dangerous World (2024). F23 Animal Welfare in the Food System Amendment One 10 members Mover: Baroness Grender (Lords Spokesperson on Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) Summation: To be announced 1 After line 48, insert new 4.: 2 4. Its commitment to implement new targets to ensure 50% of food 3 supplied to the public sector is produced by British farmers or 4 certified to higher animal welfare and environmental standards. 5 After line 116, insert new b) and c): 6 b) An annual report on the level of high welfare food supplied to the Saturday 22 March cont. 7 public sector is laid before Parliament. 8 c) The Government Buying Standards for Food and Catering Services 9 (GBSF) are properly monitored and enforced. Amendment Two 10 members Mover: Elliot Chapman-Jones Summation: To be announced 1 At end of line 77, insert: 2 '..., including more funding for peer-to-peer learning to reward farmer 3 networks for sharing knowledge and skills'. 4 After line 77, insert new b): 5 b) Ensuring that the Growth and Skills Levy takes into account the 6 importance of agricultural skills to provide access to 7 apprenticeships in the sector and support the next generation with 8 expertise in animal welfare. Background briefing This motion updates and develops policy on food and farming. It builds on existing policy proposals as set out in the 2024 General Election Manifesto, For a Fair Deal, Policy Paper 154, Food and Farming (2023), Policy Paper 147, The Natural Environment (2022), and Policy Paper 129, A Rural Future: Time to Act (2018). F25 Ending the Crisis: A Fair Deal for Children with SEND Hall Aide: Matthew Palmer The FCC has agreed to make the following drafting amendment to the motion: 1 In IV (line 88), after 'local government', insert: 'and trade unions'. Amendment One 17 members Mover: Andy McGowan Summation: Lee Dargue Saturday 22 March cont. 1 After line 33, insert new xii) and xiii): 2 xii) The lack of support for children with SEND, particularly during 3 school holidays, has a significant impact on parent carers and 4 siblings, including their health, wellbeing and opportunities. 5 xiii) Research by Carers Trust and the We Care campaign shows that 6 parent carers do not have access to their statutory right to 7 assessments and, if needed, support. 8 After line 96, add new VI.: 9 VI. Take measures to improve access to support for parent carers and 10 siblings including through: 11 a) Working with local government to ensure that parent carers have 12 access to Parent Carers' Needs Assessments and support in every 13 local authority. 14 b) Ensuring that any future carers strategy or reforms to SEND 15 specifically consider the needs of parent carers and siblings. 16 c) Making sure that Ofsted inspections of local authorities 17 specifically assess how councils are identifying and supporting 18 parent carers. 19 d) Including young carers as a priority group within any holiday 20 activity programmes. Amendment Two Liberal Democrat Disability Association Mover: Katharine Macy. Summation: To be announced. 1 At end of V. (line 96), insert: '...,while ensuring quality of transport and 2 education is not lowered'. 3 After line 96, add: 4 VI) Support Higher and Further education by allowing pre-16 diagnosis 5 of disabilities such as neurodivergence like dyslexia, ADHD and 6 autism to be accepted to access Disability Student Allowance and 7 reasonable adjustments Background briefing This motion updates and develops policy on education and special Saturday 22 March cont. educational needs. It builds on existing policy as set out in the 2024 General Election Manifesto, For a Fair Deal, Policy Paper 152, A Better Start in Life (2023) and Policy Motion, Investing in Our Children's Future (2023). Speaking and Voting at Conference 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 17 March up to one hour before the start of the debate, online at: 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. Help us win big in May! We stand on the edge of one of the most important political events since the General Election: the Local Elections taking place across England on 1st May. This is our chance to make further gains and show the strength of our movement once again. And whether you have elections in your area or not this year - the results have an impact on us all. Every Liberal Democrat win strengthens our ability to challenge at every level - from your local community to Westminster, Holyrood and the Senedd. That's why we need you to get involved - your support will make a massive difference. Thank you www.LibDems.org.uk/appeal