Spring Conference 27 February - 01 March 2015 Cardiff
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Welcome to Cardiff I welcome you to our final Welsh Liberal Democrat Conference before the General Election in May. This will be the first election in living memory where we will fighting an election based on our record in government: tax cuts for low and middle earners; extra childcare support; revolutionising the pensions system; introducing Equal Marriage; further devolution for Wales; the list goes on. We have much to be proud of. However, we as Party must also look to the future. We have a strong record of delivery, but there has to be a promise of more. Party members are integral to that. We have an action packed weekend ahead of us with policy debates, keynote speeches and exciting fringe events. All of which will play a key part in forming how we will continue to create opportunity for everyone by building a stronger economy and a fairer society. Have a good weekend,
Kirsty Williams Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats
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Page 3 Conference Venues Travel Security Registration
Page 5 Page 7 Page 8 Page 10
Friday, 27 February Saturday, 28 February Sunday, 01 March
Page 12 Page 12 Page 14
Information about the Motions Speaking at Conference Order of Debate Voting Procedural Motions
Page 15 Page 17 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 47 Page 52 Page 55 Page 56
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This year the Conference will be taking place across two venues: Our Conference Rally and the Conference Dinner will be held at the Holiday Inn Hotel, Castle Street, Cardiff, CF10 1XD The main sessions will be at the Cardiff School of Management, Cardiff Metropolitan University, Western Avenue Campus, Cardiff, CF5 2YB and the Saturday evening social event will be back at the Holiday Inn. The Conference venues are fully accessible to all attendees. This will be clearly signposted. Everyone attending the Conference must enter through the main entrance. The Registration Desk can be found inside the main entrance to the School of Management on both Saturday and Sunday. There is no requirement for Registration on the Friday but you will need to bring proof of Party Membership and/or photographic identification. Please be aware that the distribution of literature within the Conference venues is not permitted without the prior approval of the Chair of Conference Committee.
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It is illegal to smoke within any part of the Conference venues. There will be no cloakroom facilities for either coats or baggage at the Conference venues. Large bags will not be allowed into the Conference venues. There are a number of emergency exits inside the venues. Please ensure that you are aware of your nearest exit at all times. Conference attendees vulnerable to epilepsy should note that flash photography may be used throughout the Conference. All items of lost property should be handed in to, and reclaimed from, the Registration Desk. Please ensure that all mobile phones and pagers are switched off before entering the Conference Hall, fringe events and training sessions. On the Saturday and Sunday of Conference, light refreshments can be purchased from the coffee shop located situated on the ground floor of the School of Management.
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Bus:
The Holiday Inn Hotel is a 5-10 minutes’ walk from Cardiff Central Bus Station. For the Cardiff School of Management, the U1, U2, and U3/U4 MetRider buses travel hourly to Llandaff from the city centre. MetRider buses all stop directly outside the campus. The 1/2 circular bus route serves the Llandaff campus every 30 minutes from the city centre. You can also travel on the 24/25, the 33/33A/33B, or the 60/62, stopping at the Llandaff Black Lion bus stop on Cardiff Road, just 10 minutes’ walk from the campus. See the Cardiff Bus website (www.cardiffbus.com) for more details.
Train: Cardiff Central railway station is a 5-10 minutes walk from the Holiday Inn. The nearest station to the Cardiff School of Management is Waun-Gron, which on the City Line and is approximately 20 minutes’ walk from the School of Management. Members arriving by train are advised to get a bus from Cardiff Central Railway Station to the School of Management. (see above). Car:
For the Holiday Inn there is ample parking available across the City and there is limited parking available to non-residents for the Rally and the Conference Dinner on Friday evening and for the Social event on Saturday evening. The School of Management and Cardiff Metropolitan University operates pay and display car parking on their Llandaff Campus. The cost at weekends is 50p per day. The
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car park is at the rear of the campus, adjacent to the School of Management Building.
As the Liberal Democrats are part of the UK Government, tighter security is required at Spring Conference. Bag checks will be carried out every time a delegate enters the building. The Conference Committee reminds delegates that compliance with the security procedures, including searches when they are in operation, is a condition of entry to the Conference. Conference Badges must be worn throughout the Conference Venue on Saturday and Sunday. If you have registered in advance for Conference you can collect your Conference Badge from the registration desk upon arrival on the Saturday or Sunday. You must bring your registration confirmation letter/e-mail and photographic ID with you to collect your Conference Badge. You may not be issued with a Conference Badge if you do not have both of these. If you have not received your confirmation letter within two weeks of registering, or by three days before the Conference please contact 029 2031 3400 to confirm that your registration has been received and processed. If you have not registered in advance for Conference your Conference Badge will be issued when you register on the day. Please see how to register on the day in the Registration section on page 10.
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Replacement badges will be issued at the discretion of the Chair of Conference Committee. There will be a charge of £10 for replacement badges. The following forms of photographic ID will be accepted on the day Ÿ Passport (we will accept expired passports) Ÿ Photographic driving licence Ÿ Valid photographic student ID card Ÿ CitizenCard Ÿ Armed Forces ID If you do not have any of the above photographic ID we will accept any two of the following instead: Ÿ Non-photographic driving licence Ÿ Birth certificate Ÿ A signed bank card Ÿ A utility bill Ÿ Bank statement Ÿ Payslip Ÿ Valid non-photographic student ID card Ÿ National Insurance Card At times there may be 'airport-style' security searches in operation at the venue. Everyone attending the Conference at these times will be subject to such searches. They may take the form of metal detector archways and/or bag searches. Large bags and sealed items will not be allowed into the secure area during these periods. If you are attending the Conference Dinner or an invite-only fringe
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or reception (these are clearly identified in the Conference Guide or Conference Announcements) you must bring either your ticket/invite or proof of identification with you otherwise you may be refused entry.
The Registration Desk can be found directly ahead of the main Conference Centre entrance. It will be open: Saturday, 28 February: 08:30 – 16:00 Sunday, 01 March:
09:00 – 13:00
Everyone is able to register online by visiting www.WelshLibDems.Wales. You can register online until mid-day on Thursday, 26 February. Party Members and Observers can can also register by post. You can download a registration form from the website or request one by calling 029 2031 3400. You can register in advance by post until Friday, 20 February. Everyone who registers online will automatically receive a confirmation e-mail. We will also endeavour to send everyone who registers by post a confirmation letter. If you have not received your confirmation letter within two weeks of registering, or by three days before the Conference please contact 029 2031 3400 to confirm that your registration has been received and processed. You will need your confirmation letter and photographic ID when you collect your Conference Badge. If you do not have your
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confirmation letter you may not be issued with a Conference Badge unless you have informed us that you have not received the letter. You can register for the Conference on the day. If you are registering on the day you will need to bring the appropriate registration fee and photographic ID with you. For more information on this please refer to page 9. You can also save time on the day by filling in a registration form beforehand and making sure that you have the correct money or completed cheque when you arrive at the Registration Desk. You can download a registration form from the Party's website www.WelshLibDems.Wales
g Fringe Meetin 0 to 15:20 Saturday 14:2 oom Adamsdown R
to care? rcome barriers ve o e mer's w n ca How rs from Alzhei ke ea sp d an iams AM discussion. Join Kirsty Will this important r fo rie u C ie ar Society and M provided. Refreshments
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Friday, 27 February 18:00
Conference Rally Speakers to include: Rt Hon Nick Clegg MP and Kirsty Williams CBE AM
19:00 20:00
Pre-Dinner Drinks Reception (tbc) Conference Dinner Former Leader of the Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords and member of the ‘Gang of Four’ that founded the SDP.
Saturday, 28 February 09:15 09:30
Opening of Conference Policy Motion
10:00
Speech Deputy Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats
10:20
Platform Presentation:
As we grow older we want to enjoy life and live as independently as possible. How can our healthcare systems be improved to support this?
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Two thirds of hospital admissions are for people over 60 and the average age of a patient is over 80. How can we improve the hospital experience for older people? Open to questions from the audience
11:20
Topical / Emergency Motion The deadline for Topical Motions is noon on Wednesday, 18 February 2014. For an emergency motion it is the start of Conference or three hours before the start of the scheduled debate.
11:35
Speech Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats
12:00 13:00
Fringe Meetings Policy Motion
14:00
Speech Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Wales Office
14:20 15:20
Fringe Meetings Policy Motion Health Policy Paper
16:30 17:00
Conference Adjourns France vs Wales and Other Stories….. Saturday evening social event (KO 17:30) £15 per person, includes curry and a pint (vegetarian and soft drink option available) Callaghan’s Bar, Holiday Inn, Cardiff (entrance via Hotel Reception).
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Sunday, 01 March 09:30
Policy Motion
10:00
Policy Motion Inequality Policy Paper
11:00
Policy Motion Topical / Emergency Motion The deadline for Topical Motions is noon on Wednesday, 18 February 2014. For an emergency motion it is the start of Conference or three hours before the start of the scheduled debate.
11:40
Speech Chief Secretary to the Treasury
12:00 13:00
Fringe Meetings Policy Motions
13:30
Speech Member of Parliament for Cardiff Central
Close of Conference
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Every Motion to be debated at Conference appears in this section in the same order as in the Conference Agenda earlier in the Conference Guide. The time that the motion will be debated is listed alongside each motion. All motions appear in this Guide in both Welsh and English. As all motions were originally submitted in English, if there is a discrepancy between the languages, the English language version shall take precedence. All motions that appear in this Guide can be amended. Amendments may be submitted by Local Parties, the Welsh Party Committee that has responsibility for the issue raised in the motion, the Welsh Liberal Democrat Group in the National Assembly for Wales or in the UK Parliament, or 20 Welsh Party Members. The deadline for receipt of Amendments to Motions is 12noon on Wednesday, 18 February 2015. These should be emailed to Policy@welshlibdems.org.uk or submitted in hard copy to the Policy Team at WLDHQ, 38 The Parade, Cardiff, CF24 3AD. All amendments accepted for debate will be published in the Conference Announcements which will be available on the Party website www.WelshLibDems.Wales in the week before Conference and from the Registration Desk at Conference. Topical Motions are short (not more than 250 words) policy motions which are based on events which have happened after the deadline for submitting policy motions, ie 14 January 2015.
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Topical Motions may be submitted by Local Parties, the Welsh Party Committee that has responsibility for the issues raised in the motion, the Welsh Liberal Democrat Group in the National Assembly for Wales or in the UK Parliament, or 20 Welsh Party Members. The deadline for receipt of Topical Motions is 12noon on Wednesday, 18 February 2015. These should be emailed to Policy@WelshLibDems.org.uk or submitted in hard copy to the Policy Team at WLDHQ, 38 The Parade, Cardiff, CF24 3AD. All Topical Motions accepted for debate will be published in the Conference Announcements which will be available on the Party website www.WelshLibDems.Wales in the week before Conference and from the Registration Desk at Conference. Topical Motions may also be amended. The deadline for submitting an amendment to a Topical Motion is 09:15 on Saturday 28 February. Amendments should be e-mailed to Policy@WelshLibDems.org.uk or given to the Policy Officer or the Chair of the Conference Committee in hard copy. Emergency Motions are short (not more than 250 words) motions relating to events which have occurred after the deadline for Topical Motions. Emergency Motions may be submitted by Local Parties, the Welsh Party Committee that has responsibility for the issues raised in the motion, the Welsh Liberal Democrat Group in the National Assembly for Wales or in the UK Parliament, or 20 Welsh Party Members. The deadline for submitting Emergency Motions depends on when the event to which the motion relates took place. For events that
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occur before the start of the Conference, the deadline is the start of Conference i.e. 09:15 on Saturday, 28 February. For events that occur during Conference, the deadline is three hours before the slot in the agenda for Emergency Motions. When submitting an Emergency Motion, the names of the people who will be moving and summating the motion must be clearly identified. If this does not happen the Conference Committee will not accept the Emergency Motion. Emergency Motions may not be amended and should, where possible, be given to the Policy Officer or the Chair of the Conference Committee in hard copy.
Speaking at Conference Following the decision of the Autumn Conference in Aberystwyth to extend voting rights at Conference to all Welsh Party Members, any member of the Welsh Party who has paid the appropriate registration fee for the Conference may speak in debates on completion of a Speakers’ Card (see below). Members of the wider Liberal Democrat family who have registered for the Conference or Observers may speak with the permission of the Conference Committee. This request should be submitted to the Chair of the Conference Committee in writing in advance of the relevant debate. In every debate on a motion, 5 minutes will be allowed for Proposers of motions, 4 minutes for Proposers of Amendments and 3 minutes for all other speakers including Summators of both motions and amendments. The Chair may reduce these timings to
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allow more members to speak in a debate. If they do this they will announce the change during the debate. If you are speaking and the Chair asks you to bring your speech to an end, please finish promptly. When simultaneous translation facilities are available, please make the most of the opportunity to address the Conference in Welsh. Here are some tips for making the most of this service: indicate via the speaker’s card if you wish to speak in Welsh; try to speak entirely in Welsh; if changing languages in your speech pause while changing languages to allow the translator time to finish. Translation headsets can be collected from the table near the entrance to the Conference Hall. Please ensure that you return the headset after use. If any headsets go missing during Conference, the Conference Committee may introduce a £5 deposit system for headsets for the remainder of the weekend. Anyone wishing to speak in a debate needs to fill in a Speaker’s Card and submit it to the speaker’s desk and wait to see if they are called in the debate. A separate card should be filled in for every debate. Speaker’s cards are available from the Speaker’s Desk and from the stewards team in the auditorium. They can also be collected from the Registration Desk. There are three key points to remember to maximise your chances of being called: 1. Submit your card well in advance. If you hand your card in late, in a popular debate you’re virtually guaranteeing you
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won’t be called. The chairing team for the debate always meet well in advance to plan the debate. 2. Fill in your card completely The second major mistake potential speakers make is not to fill in their card completely. As well as the information on the front of the card (name, Local Party, for or against the motion, etc.), there are two sections on the back, for relevant background (professional or consumer experience, party background etc.) and for a brief outline of what your speech is going to be about. These sections are needed for the chair and aide to balance the debate – to make sure that people with relevant experience are called, and to make sure that they don’t call a whole string of people who’ll make the same point. 3. Make sure it’s readable! Don’t take this as an invitation to fill every square centimetre of the card and don’t write illegibly, or in very small letters, or in green ink! The easier you make it for the chair to read your card the more likely you are to be called.
Motions will generally be considered in the following order: 1. Proposer of the Motion. 2. Proposers of any amendments, speaking in turn. 3. Speakers will then be called on all sides of the debate with the Chair seeking to ensure balance. 4. Summators of the amendments, speaking in turn. 5. The summator of the motion will speak. 6. The Chair will then take any votes on any amendments and/or any separate votes in turn - for and against. 7. A vote will be taken on the motion as a whole - for and against.
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Following the decision of the Autumn Conference in Aberystwyth to extend voting rights at Conference to all Welsh Party Members, any member of the Welsh Party who has paid the appropriate registration fee for the Conference shall be permitted to vote. Your Conference Pass will have “PLEIDLEISIO / VOTING” on the reverse if you are entitled to vote at the Conference. If you wish to vote during a debate you must be in the Conference Hall by the end of the speech made by the summator of the motion as no-one will be allowed to enter the hall once the voting has started. To vote, you should be seated and hold your Conference Badge in the air, with the “Voting” side facing the Chair. Please follow the instructions of the Chair on when to vote. You may be asked to keep your Conference Badge in the air for a long time to ensure that all the votes can be counted. Decisions on the motion and amendments are normally by simple majority of those voting. If this differs this will be explained by the Chair before voting takes place.
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Procedural Motions concern the procedure by which Conference operates. - to stop debate on a Motion and send the Motion to a specified body for more work - to stop debate and move to the next item of business on the agenda. - to lift one or more of the rules governing the operation of Conference. Procedural Motions may be submitted by any Voting Member in writing together with a statement of reasons of 75 words or less. Votes will be taken in the same way as for Motions and Amendments, except that there is no cut off point for being in the Conference Hall for the vote on whether to have a mini-debate. Decisions on Procedural Motions are made by simple majority of those voting. Procedural Motions are usually considered in the following way: 1. Any Voting Member can propose a Procedural Motion in writing before the end of a debate on a motion. 2. The Chair reads out the written statement in support of the Procedural Motion. 3. A vote will be taken on whether there will be a mini-debate on the Procedural Motion. If the decision is to have a mini-debate: 4. The mover of the Procedural Motion may speak. 5. Someone to oppose the Procedural Motion may speak. 6. Other speakers may be called to speak. 7. A vote will be taken on the Procedural Motion
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M1: A Fairer Deal for Welsh Apprentices IR Cymru 1. The current wage for apprentices is £2.73, below the National Minimum Wage for 16-17 year olds, despite apprentices making an important contribution to the Welsh economy; 2. On average, apprentices earn £100,000 more over their career than less qualified workers; 3. The Welsh Labour Government has presided over a 17% fall in apprenticeships in Wales since 2007, and that the number of people on apprenticeships placements fell by more than 29% between 2006 and 2012; 4. That a 2013 Welsh Government Employer Skills Survey found “skills-shortage vacancies” amounted to 20% of all vacancies in Wales during the time of the survey, with 45% of businesses surveyed reporting “skill-shortage vacancies” impacting on business performance; 5. That the Employer Skills Survey found that 53% of the employers surveyed had more often opted for older candidates, despite younger applicants being suitable for the vacancy; 6. The work of the Welsh Liberal Democrats in securing funding for 5,000 new apprenticeships in Wales through the 2014 budget negotiations with the Welsh Government; 7. The work of the Liberal Democrats in Government investing in quality apprenticeships, resulting in 1.8 million people starting apprenticeships since 2010;
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8. The work of Liberal Democrats as part of the Coalition Government means that there are now 86% more apprentices than under the previous Labour Government in Westminster; 9. That Liberal Democrats in Government have supported more than 4,800 jobs for young people in England through cutting Employer National Insurance Contributions for employees under 21, a scheme worth £3.1 million; and 10. Liberal Democrat Business Minister Vince Cable has called for a single rate of £3.79 per hour for apprentices in England, meaning 31,000 apprentices in England in the first year of their programme would benefit from a pay rise of more than £1 an hour. 1. The Blair Government’s target of 50% of all young people to progress into Higher Education has resulted in a decline in the number of apprenticeships, and an attitude that an apprenticeship is a less valuable route to employment; 2. That the apprenticeship route through education and employment is a valuable route for young people that is often undersold and undervalued; 3. More should be done to champion apprentices and to promote the apprenticeship model for young people, through working with organisations such as the National Society for Apprentices; 4. Apprenticeships greatly contribute to the development of a highly skilled workforce for the future of the Welsh economy; and
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5. Supporting small and medium enterprises take on apprentices will boost local economies, and help young people stay in their home rural, Welsh-speaking communities. the paper Widening Access to Apprenticeships: Supporting Positive Choices in Post-16 Education and Training. 1. A national apprenticeship campaign to encourage young people to choose apprenticeships as a route through education and employment and to encourage employers to employ young apprentices; 2. Investment in Further Education College facilities to support apprenticeships across Wales, as has happened in England under the Coalition Government; 3. Plans to be brought forward to replicate the German model of apprenticeships and Liberal Democrat Business Minister Vince Cable’s plans to offer grants for small businesses for each young unemployed person employed as an apprentice; 4. The Welsh Liberal Democrats to call on the Welsh and UK Governments to place all apprentices on an equal national minimum wage of £3.79; and 5. Plans to move towards raising the apprentice national minimum wage to the same rate as the minimum wage for 18-20 year olds.
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M2: A Stronger Economy and a Fairer Society National Policy Committee the Liberal Democrats’ achievements in Government such as: 1. Giving an £800 tax cut to 1.2 million low-income Welsh workers by raising the income tax threshold to £10,500, taking 153,000 out of paying income tax altogether; 2. Giving 83,600 Welsh families £2,000 off the cost of their childcare; 3. Helping businesses create 1.7m new jobs; 4. Delivering an increase of £650 in the state pension and protecting the value of the state pension by ensuring each year that it always rises with inflation, earnings or 2.5% whichever is highest – the pensions triple lock; 5. Establishing the world’s first Green Investment Bank; 6. Giving all employers £2,000 cash back on the tax they pay on their employees; 7. Cracking down on tax avoidance, bringing in an extra £9 billion per year; 8. Electrifying the South Wales and Valleys rail lines; 9. Ending Labour’s disgraceful practice of routinely detaining innocent children for immigration purposes; 10. Making sure farmers get a fair deal by creating a Groceries Code to stop big supermarkets ripping them off; 11. Introducing shared parental leave, so mothers and fathers can share maternity and paternity leave as they see fit; 12. Introducing same-sex marriage;
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13. Scrapping Labour’s intrusive and expensive ID card scheme, stopping government permanently storing the DNA of innocent people and ending the fingerprinting of children in schools without parental consent; and 14. Stopping the Conservatives paying Welsh public sector workers less simply for living outside London and the South East. 1. Since 2010, the Liberal Democrats have worked in Government in Westminster to rescue and repair Britain’s shattered economy and the Welsh Liberal Democrats have worked in opposition in Wales to build a stronger economy and a fairer society by securing £282 million to help disadvantaged children get a better education, funding for 5,000 apprentices, and introducing a Young Travellers’ Youth Concessionary Fare Scheme for discounted bus travel for 16 to 18 year olds; and 2. The Welsh Liberal Democrats should seek to ensure that we build a stronger economy and a fairer society in Wales, providing opportunity to all. the publication of the Federal Party pre-manifesto for the General Election 2015 and calls on Policy Committee to use this and Welsh party policy as the basis for constructing the Welsh Liberal Democrats’ Manifesto for the General Election 2015. in particular proposals to: A. Balance the budget by 2018, protecting the economic recovery and bringing down Britain’s debt;
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B. Make deficit reduction fair by ensuring high earners and the wealthiest pay their share, including through the introduction of a banded Mansion tax; C. Set new fiscal rules to balance the budget while allowing borrowing for productive investment; D. Rewire the economy to cut out carbon, rebuild our national infrastructure, and embrace new technology, so the next generation can enjoy long-term prosperity and be protected from the threat of runaway climate change; E. Cut income tax by £400 for low and middle earners, easing the squeeze on household budgets; F. Campaign for more nurses and increased spending for Wales’ struggling NHS; G. Campaign in Wales to increase the amount spent on our most disadvantaged pupils through our Pupil Premium; H. Produce enough renewable and low-carbon energy in Wales to cover our own needs and provide export potential by 2050; I.
Invest to make the UK a world leader in low carbon cars, energy efficiency and high-tech manufacturing;
J. Deliver further powers for Wales over transport, S4C, teachers’ pay, sewerage, energy consents, youth justice, policing and in the longer term other justice powers, and power to introduce votes at 16; K. Fully implement the Silk Part 1 proposals on financial powers for Wales; L. Deliver fair funding for Wales by increasing the Welsh block grant to an equitable level over a Parliament and address
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the imbalance by immediately entrenching a Barnett floor set at a level which reflects the need for Wales to be funded fairly; M. Move to a ‘reserved powers’ model for a Welsh Parliament as recommended by the Silk Commission; N. Allow the Welsh Government to set its own bank holidays; O. Transfer responsibility for the local government election system in Wales to the National Assembly for Wales; P. Protect the funding and editorial independence of Welsh language broadcasters; Q. Restore confidence in Britain’s immigration system with fair rules and competent administration, so the next generation can continue to live in an open, tolerant society that benefits from people and expertise from around the world; R. Electrify main lines such as the North Wales coast line and re-open local stations to enable more people to travel by train; and S. Abolish tolls on the Severn Bridge once the existing construction and repair costs are paid off.
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M3: Healthcare for the Future (Health and Social Care Policy Paper) National Policy Committee 1. Health and social care is the largest single area of devolving spending in Wales’ public services; 2. In 2010, health and social spending represented around 42% of the Welsh Government’s revenue budget; 3. The scale of the challenge is illustrated by estimated that the NHS needs around £200-250m extra a year just to "standstill" and avoid a potentially "catastrophic failure of service"; and 4. Although we spend more per head on the NHS than England, we suffer worse outcomes - longer waiting times, slower ambulance response times, poorer and poorer access to new treatments. 1. The Welsh Liberal Democrats will always be guided by the founding principles of the NHS - providing free care, when you need it, regardless of your ability to pay; 2. We must join up different elements of health and social care, in order to achieve greater efficiency; 3. Patient needs must be at the core of the NHS and that patient care must be centred on dignity, compassion, choice and control within a clean, safe and well-managed environment;
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4. Patients should be guaranteed the best treatment, in the right place, at the right time to cover their healthcare needs 5. Mental health should be taken as seriously as physical health; 6. In focusing on prevention and local service delivery; with the aim of meeting patients' needs and being more costeffective in the long term; 7. We must improve public education on the health service regarding what they should expect from the NHS and where they should go for care; 8. We need more cooperation between health and social services, but no mass re-organisation, instead we will enable integration on demand; and 9. We must embed reablement at the heart of our approach to health and social care, helping people to do things for themselves and maximising their ability to live life as independently as possible. the policy paper Healthcare for the Future. 1. The establishment of an all-party and non-party Commission to be established to ensure Wales has an NHS that is clinically and financially sustainable, and to secure a historic and long-term plan for health and social care; 2. Better management of health delivery, at a reasonably cost, in a more restricted environment by: a. Implementing a new model of healthcare for older people, including by training more clinicians in the care of elderly people, investing in cottage hospitals and
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community care, and tasking GP practices with identifying people at risk of age-related illnesses and pro-actively managing their care and health; b. Improving the status of mental health by: i.
Enshrining parity of esteem between mental and physical health in legislation;
ii. Increasing proportional funding for mental health within the overall NHS budget, including prevention, to reflect the relative size of the health challenge in relation to physical health; iii. Including classes for children and young people on how to look after their mental health and build emotional resilience in the national curriculum; iv. Encouraging all organisations to work to become mental health friendly employers; v. Introducing a Crisis Care Concordat between policy, paramedics and health services in Wales to ensure that people experiencing a mental health crisis have the support they need; and vi. Establishing a Mental Health Taskforce. c. Development of a national medical workforce and training strategy, to ensure that staff are deployed and trained effectively; d. The Health Technologies Fund to be extended to support the take-up of new medicines and in particular to support research into stratified medicines;
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e. Development of an all-Wales individual patient funding request scheme and removal of the ‘exceptionality’ hurdle which prevents many patients access to drugs which their clinician thinks could help them; f.
Local authorities to be required to fast-track applications for social care for terminally ill people and their families and carers;
g. Introduction of a scheme for targeted recruitment into rural GP practices; and h. Introduce a properly funded Access to GPs scheme, funding GP practices to make sure people can get the appointments they need. 3. Improving preventative care and early intervention by: a. The creation of a network of Healthy Living Pharmacies, improving patients’ information about the health and lifestyle choices; and b. Ensuring every school has a dedicated nurse. 4. Empowering patients by: a. Introduction of e-mail and Skype contact with your GP, following a pilot; and b. Ensuring every patient is accompanied by an electronic patient record which they have the most control possible over. 5. Developing the governance around health and social care by: a. Permitting health and social care providers in a local area to form a single integrated health organisation,
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responsible for managing the provision and integration of services in that area, subject to public consultation, builtin arrangements for rigorous evaluation of effectiveness, and approval by Welsh Government; b. Hospitals establishing a medical division to coordinate care for patients and be responsible for all medical services across the hospital, led by a senior doctor; and c. Negotiation of a new Compact on Cross-border Health Provision with the Westminster Government to ensure that there is a consistent approach to treatment for Welsh and English patients. 6. Monitoring and assuring quality by: a. Introducing clinically led and peer reviewed hospital inspection, with patient input; b. Working with the health service to develop new ways of measuring performance in a clinically appropriate and meaningful way.
M4: Music Education IR Cymru 1. Councils throughout Wales have made cuts, or are considering cuts to their Music Education Service; 2. The provision of Music Education across Wales is uneven, with the level of provision varying from Council to Council; 3. The detrimental impact this is having not only in terms of our National Youth Ensembles, but also in terms of the wider educational benefit gained from children having access to music education;
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4. Music develops a child’s concentration, stimulates their intellectual development, builds confidence, raises aspiration and gives them a greater understanding and empathy for others; 5. That it is widely recognised that children who sing or play musical instruments perform significantly better in other lessons than their peers that don’t; and 6. That in England, £18 million has been allocated to support music services whilst the Scottish Government’s Youth Music Initiative ensures that all school children have access to one year’s free music tuition by the time they reach Year 6. 1. Wales is as proud of our national youth music ensembles as we are of our sports teams; and 2. The ability to access music education should be based purely on the ability to play, not the ability to pay. 1. A national strategy on music education that ensures access to such provision is consistent through Wales, helps make such provisions more sustainable and financial barriers to accessing these services are minimised as much as practically possible; and for 2. The Welsh Government to ensure that the National Youth Ensembles are provided with the necessary resources to ensure they are given a more stable footing to continue to thrive.
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M5: Building a Fairer Society (Inequality Policy Paper) National Policy Committee 1. That it was a Liberal, William Beveridge, who wrote the 1942 ground breaking report on `Social Justice and Allied Services’. He called for ways to fight the five giant evils of want, disease, ignorance, squalor and unemployment; 2. It was the Liberal Democrats who prioritised those in most need by introducing the pupil premium, reducing the lower income tax threshold and tackling unscrupulous money lenders by capping the interest rates charged; 3. One in five Welsh households is below the poverty line and among children the figure is an appalling one in three; 4. Wales has the lowest education attainment levels in the UK, which has a particularly negative impact on deprived communities; and 5. Childhood obesity, smoking rates and youth alcohol consumption rates are worse in Wales than in England. 1. Everyone should have access to an excellent public services; 2. People should be empowered to lead the life they want to lead; 3. The Labour Welsh Government are letting people down; and 4. There is no room for complacency in the battle to ensure equality for all.
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the Welsh Liberal Democrats Policy Paper Building a Fairer Society and Opportunity for all. 1. More effective support for those in need by: a. focusing on addressing inequality by rationalising the number of organisations and funding pots dealing with deprivation; b. preparing strategies to facilitate the sectors dominated by low paid employment to move away from business models based on low cost; c. making Wales more attractive to potential investors in higher skilled sectors; d. maximising the impact of finite resources on addressing inequality by reforming the public sector culture through establishing a robust leadership programme and having consistent excellence in monitoring, performance and project management; e. having more openness and transparency on government expenditure and people’s rights; f. using public sector funding to generate extra capacity, activity and resources; and g. promoting the use of Credit Unions and make them more accessible. 2. Improved education for all by: a. providing access to the Flying Start initiative to all children across Wales on the basis of need rather than geographical entitlement;
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b. improving the system of continuous professional development for teachers; c. establishing a Welsh Academy of Leadership; d. ensuring automatic eligibility for free school meals for children whose parents are in receipt of a passported benefit and ensure good nutritional standards; e. further improving the impact of the pupil premium grant by making the PDG guidance more clear and concise, use of a Sutton Trust Toolkit, provide earlier confirmation of funding amounts to schools, increase sharing of best practice and extend funding; f. facilitating closer engagement with parents through schools to raise pupil achievement; g. establishing one funding stream for programmes which get people ready for work and increase the number of apprenticeships; and h. ensuring apprentices are not exploited and receive excellent training programmes. 3. Improved health for all by: a. providing additional “talking therapies� for those facing mental health challenges; b. amending the Estyn Framework to ensure that greater focus is given to education on healthy eating and exercise in schools; c. properly implementing the All Wales Obesity Pathway; d. reducing the harmful effects of alcohol by introducing a public health licensing objective and ensuring items in alcoholic drink multi-packs are not sold separately;
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e. focusing more resources on the cessation of youth smoking cessation and tackling illegal tobacco; and f. guaranteeing access to an NHS dentist. 4. Improved housing for all by: a. raising minimum standards for private sector rented housing; b. ensuring the Welsh Housing Quality Standard is implemented across all Wales; c. improving enforcement of standards and training of landlords to ensure better housing quality; d. establishing a system of redress for private sector tenants; e. stopping landlords evicting tenants who make a complaint about essential repairs; f. having compulsory accessible housing registers and provide advice on building disability friendly homes; g. setting targets for the number of affordable homes to be built in Wales during an Assembly term, to be set by Ministers within six months of the Assembly election and reported on annually to the National Assembly; h. tackling fuel poverty by incentivising private sector landlords to insulate homes; and i.
encouraging and facilitating the use of direct debits to ensure people benefit from utility bill savings.
5. improved transport for all by: a. creating Passenger Transport Authorities in Wales to deliver more affordable, accessible transport services;
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b. re-regulating bus services through the Transport Authorities to improve the coverage of routes in rural and poorer areas of Wales; c. lowering ticket prices and introducing an all-Wales "Oystercard" Â on re-regulated bus services; d. exploring a fairer "per mile" ticket cost for most rail journeys in Wales through the specification of the next Wales and Borders Rail Franchise; e. improving the frequency and quality of rail travel by electrifying the North Wales Coast line in addition to the agreed lines in South Wales; f. giving greater priority to safe routes to schools; and g. encouraging more walking and cycling by providing support for route development and education programmes.
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M6: Cleddau Bridge Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire Local Party 1. The Campaign to abolish tolls on the Severn Bridge; 2. That the Severn Bridge is not the only toll bridge in Wales and that the Cleddau Bridge in Pembrokeshire has charged tolls since it opened in 1975; 3. That the Cleddau Bridge forms part of the A477 road linking north and south Pembrokeshire; 4. That for the majority of its route, the A477 is designated as a Trunk Road – it is downgraded from a Trunk Road at Waterloo Roundabout in Pembroke Dock, and responsibility for maintaining the road from this point lies with Pembrokeshire County Council; and 5. That in the 2014/15 Financial Year the Cleddau Bridge is projected to achieve a revenue income of £2.94m with maintenance and the staffing of the toll booths costing £1.1m, leaving an estimated revenue surplus of over £1.8m. 1. That continuing to charge tolls on the Cleddau Bridge is inequitable and represents an unfair method of paying for local infrastructure projects; 2. That the charging of tolls on the Cleddau Bridge is damaging to the local economy of Pembrokeshire and acts as a local tax impeding economic development and travel within the County; and
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3. The charging of tolls on the Cleddau Bridge will act as a disincentive to potential investors in the designated Haven Waterway Enterprise Zone. 1. The abolition of tolls on the Cleddau Bridge; and 2. The full length of the A477 to be designated as a Trunk Road and for the Welsh Government, through its Trunk Road Agency, to assume full responsibility for the bridge and its maintenance at an estimated cost of ÂŁ1m per annum.
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M7: CEO Pay Cap Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire Local Party 1. The increasing trend for public sector bodies to negotiate six-figure ‘golden goodbyes’ with departing senior managers – recent examples being the departure of the former Chief Executives at Pembrokeshire County Council and the Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board; 2. That the salaries and wages of most staff in the public sector have been frozen or increases have been at or below the rate of inflation; 3. That future trends in public expenditure levels will necessitate further efficiency improvements and restructuring across the public sector; and 4. That any proposed wide-scale re-structuring of local government in the future may lead to an escalation of such ‘golden goodbyes’. 1. That severance or redundancy pay-outs in excess of £90,000 to senior staff in the public sector who are already well-paid cannot be justified; 2. That any proposals for redundancy and severance payments of senior staff in the public sector in excess of the relevant statutory figures laid down in employment legislation must be supported by an appropriate business case; and
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3. All business cases in support of redundancy and severance payments should be published and subject to public consultation and debate. 1. A maximum figure of ÂŁ90,000 on all future redundancy and severance payments across the public sector in Wales subject to provisions to protect those who are paid below average but who have long service records.
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M8: Ensuring a Bilingual Wales National Assembly Group 1. The recent census results demonstrated that there has been a drop in the number of Welsh language speakers in much of Wales, with the biggest drops occurring where Welsh has traditionally been strongest; 2. Only 0.33% of planning applications were subject to a Welsh language impact assessment; 3. A recent poll by Cymdeithas yr Iaith which showed that 56% of respondents think that in principle schools in Wales should aim to teach all pupils to communicate effectively in Welsh; and 4. The failure of successive Welsh Governments’ policy to support the Welsh language. 1. That the state of the Welsh language can be changed with political will and positive campaigns. 2. That we must work to make all of Wales an attractive place to live, particularly for our young people in rural areas, in order to help people remain a part of their linguistic community. 3. Speaking Welsh shouldn't be restricted to certain communities, but all people living in Wales should be enabled and encouraged to speak Welsh. 1. All Welsh Government policy initiatives to undergo a full Welsh language equality impact assessment.
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2. The funding and editorial independence of Welsh language broadcasters to be protected. 3. The Welsh Government to be allowed to set its own bank holidays, such as St. David’s Day. 4. Planning regulations to protect the Welsh language while still ensuring that suitable new housing can be built in rural areas, such as by: a. Immediately reviewing TAN20. b. Making language impact assessments of planning developments a statutory requirement in the Local Development Plan. c. Ensuring language can be a material consideration in the determination of planning applications. 5. Promote the learning of Welsh by: a. Ensuring everyone has a genuine right to study in Welsh. b. Urgently improving Welsh as a second language in schools as a key policy aim and duty of Welsh in Education Strategic Plans; c. Encourage the use of Welsh in all school activities and across the curriculum; d. Ensure that every primary and secondary school has sufficient numbers of teachers qualified and able to teach Welsh; e. Ensure oral language skills suitable for the workplace are embedded in the Welsh language curriculum; f. Preparing an individual strategy and action plan to protect and promote the Welsh language in a specific number of areas across Wales, with an annual review of
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the situation if a drop of 5% or more was seen in the percentage of Welsh speakers. g. Targeting 6-10 areas as Welsh Language Renewal and Development Areas, and preparing comprehensive language schemes to support and develop linguistic, social and economic growth. h. Launching an intensive national campaign to persuade more parents of young children to choose Welsh language education. i.
Targeting Welsh speaking teenagers as a key group for the future of the Welsh language, increasing youth services for this group.
j.
Encouraging the learning of Welsh as part of teacher training, and providing additional professional development for teachers wishing to improve their Welsh.
k. Introducing special provision for pupils and students to catch-up on learning Welsh in order to undertake education through the medium of Welsh. 6. Ensure that any forthcoming legislation reflects the need to promote the Welsh language within the health and social care system. 7. Inclusion of the vitality of the Welsh language as part of the Welsh Government's definition of sustainable development. 8. Work with other Celtic-language speaking nations to spread best practice.
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Fringes are events run on the ‘fringes’ of the Conference. They take place during breaks between debate sessions in the Conference Hall, and before or after the Conference each day. They are usually hosted by organisations such as charities, businesses and third-sector groups. Although sometimes internal Party organisations or groups of Party members will set about organising a fringe. Fringes usually take the form of a meeting or a presentation with a few speeches at the start followed by questions from the floor. The format however does vary - some take the form of a round table discussion where everyone can contribute to the debate, or in some cases they might be an informal drinks reception. Refreshments are usually provided at fringes. This will vary from a buffet in most cases, to a full sit-down meal, or just drinks such as a glass of wine or tea and coffee. All the Fringes in this Conference Guide will take place at the Cardiff School of Management. The listings on the next few pages will tell you which room each one is in, which organisation is hosting it and the theme of the fringe. In most cases everyone with a valid Conference Badge, whether they are a Party member or not, can attend a fringe. Occasionally there will be fringes which are for Party members or invited guests only - if this is the case it will be clearly shown in the listings. If you have an idea for a fringe and would like to organise one for a future conference please contact Ian.Walton@WelshLibDems.org.uk
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Saturday:
12:00 to 13:00 Cardiff University
Cardiff University’s Professor Ian Jones outlines how challenging stigma towards mental health is helping to shape the next steps in research. Chaired by Baroness Randerson, with contributions from Kirsty Williams AM, Ewan Hilton (Gofal) and Laura Dernie (National Centre for Mental Health Research Champion). Buffet lunch provided. All welcome.
Tenovus Cancer Care
Join experts from Tenovus Cancer Care, Cardiff University and Velindre Cancer Centre to discuss the potential epidemic of cancers linked with the sexually transmitted Human Papillomavirus. Why Wales needs to consider equality, and why sticking with the UK isn’t necessarily the right thing. All welcome. Light Lunch
Age Cymru & Chartered Society of Physiotherapy Falls can be extremely dangerous and distressing for older people. They also contribute to the pressures on hospitals and the NHS and other public services such as social care. This fringe meeting will discuss the scale of the problem, its human impact and offer practical solutions. Please come and join the discussion. Chaired by Peter Black AM. Buffet lunch and refreshments provided
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Dalthlu’r Gymraeg Speakers: Elaine Edwards, General Secretary, Teachers' Union UCAC; Jamie Bevan, Chair, Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg, Aled Roberts, Assembly Member for North Wales and Education Spokesperson
Saturday:
14:20 to 15:20 The Electoral Commission
This is a briefing session facilitated by the Electoral Commission for candidates and agents standing in the 2015 UKPGE. Refreshments will be provided.
National Museum Wales Museums undoubtedly play a key role in society, helping to foster community identity, boost the economy through tourism and contributing to the well-being of the nation. Join us to hear about our new vision, and what the future has in store. All welcome. Refreshments will be provided.
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Saturday:
14:20 to 15:20 (continued) Alzheimer’s Society and Marie Curie Cancer Care How can we overcome barriers to care? Join Kirsty Williams AM and speakers from Alzheimer's Society and Marie Curie for this important discussion. Refreshments provided.
Liberal Reform
With Lib Dems working with the Tories at Westminster to deliver a number of liberal reforms, our panel discusses whether the only way to ensure liberal policies are delivered across Wales is through working closer at Cardiff Bay. Panel includes Eluned Parrott AM and Baroness Jenny Randerson.
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Sunday:
12:00 to 13:00 Cardiff University
With Kirsty Williams AM, Danny Alexander MP and Professor Richard Wyn Jones of Cardiff University. With further powers already committed to Wales, the panel will be discussing what this means for devolution in Wales, and where does it go next.
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The Conference Exhibition is made up of stands organised by public, private and third sector organisations and internal party groups. The Exhibition can be found in the Atrium Cafe area of Cardiff School of Management and will be open between 09:00 and 16:30 on Saturday, 28 February and between 09:00 and 14:00 on Sunday, 01 March. Everyone with a valid Conference Badge can visit the exhibition. If you would like to exhibit at a future Conference, please contact Ian.Walton@WelshLibDems.org.uk
Exhibitors Age Cymru
Pick up a copy of our 2015 General Election manifesto and speak to us about the actions the next Westminster Parliament needs to take to meet the needs of our ageing population and support older people in Wales.
Cardiff University Launched in autumn 2014, Cardiff University’s Flagship Engagement Projects are an ambitious programme to engage with communities across Wales, and beyond. Join us to learn more about our work to support self-help community projects to tackle poverty, improve health and wellbeing, and promote educational and social inclusion.
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Federation of Small Businesses The Federation of Small Businesses is the UK's leading business organisation with around 200,000 members, more than 10,000 of whom are in Wales. It exists to protect and promote the interests of the UK's Real-Life Entrepreneurs who run their own business. More information is available at www.fsb.org.uk/wales
Macmillan Cancer Support At Macmillan, we know how a cancer diagnosis can affect every part of your life and we’re here to support you through. We’ll help you get the support, energy and inspiration you need, so you can start feeling like yourself again. Macmillan Wales has invested almost £10m in the last three years to fund Macmillan professionals and improve cancer services in Wales.
NASUWT Cymru NASUWT Cymru is the largest union representing teachers and headteachers in Wales and throughout the UK. With offices in Cardiff and St Asaph and a well established network of activists and caseworkers throughout Wales, NASUWT Cymru provides an unrivalled level of support for its members. nasuwt@mail.nasuwt.org.uk
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National Museum Wales Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales is a family of seven individual museums throughout Wales, as well as a National Collections Centre. Since free entry was introduced in 2001, visitor figures have more than doubled with over 1.7 million visitors being received annually. Visit our stand to find out more about our work, and plans for the future.
Smart Energy GB Between now and 2020 every household in Wales, England and Scotland will be offered a smart meter at no additional cost. Smart Energy GB are here to explain more about how the roll-out will work and the benefits there are for consumers.
Tenovus Cancer Care Tenovus Cancer Care is Wales’ leading cancer charity, funding research and supporting thousands of cancer patients and their loved ones each year. To find out more about how we are improving the future for people affected by cancer in Wales, pop over to our stand.
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The training provided at Conference covers a wide range of skills and knowledge. This year, with a General Election looming, is no exception. At this year’s Conference we will be operating surgery style advice sessions in key areas such as NationBuilder and Connect as well as from ALDC and the Compliance Team at LDHQ who will be available to help with any questions you may have on PPERA or National Expenses returns for the General Election. These sessions are intended to be 1-2-1 sessions but if you have a couple of members of your local team who need to discuss a particular area of concern, this is not a problem. We will be operating a bookings system for these surgeries. Bookings can be made at the Conference Registration Desk at the Cardiff School of Management on a first-come, first-served basis. If you have any feedback about training at Conference, or feel that there is a skills gap within the Party that needs covering at Conference, please let us know by emailing Conference@WelshLibDems.org.uk
France vs Wales and other stories.....
Callaghan’s Bar: Holiday Inn Cardiff City Centre (enter via the Hotel Reception) 28 Feb - 17:00 until late (Kick Off 17:30)
£15 Including curry and a pint
(vegetarian and soft drink alternative available)
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(to be confirmed)
Friday, 27 February 19:15- 20:00 Lounge Bar Holiday Inn, Cardiff Centre Castle Street, Cardiff, CF10 1XD
Guest Speaker:
Friday, 27 Chwefror 20:00 - Late Junctions Restaurant Holiday Inn, Cardiff Centre Castle Street, Cardiff, CF10 1XD
The Conference Dinner is your chance to socialise with Party members, and friends old and new. Tickets must be purchased in advance as the Conference Dinner is usually very popular. If you would like a ticket please contact 029 2031 3400.
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