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1 To: Ref: Region and Branch Secretaries Region and Branch Chairmen Head of Regional Staff Area Development Managers Development Managers Regional Office Administrators CON39/3214HM 22 October 2012 Dear Colleague MOTIONS FOR CONFERENCE March 2013, Leicester We are seeking motions from branches and regions for debate at Conference Motions must be 'new' to Conference, relevant to business and encourage debate. Branches and Regions must submit their draft Motions using Form 1 for consideration by the Conference Resolutions Select Committee. The deadline for the submission of motions is 5.00 pm on Monday, 28 January Proposers wishing to rehearse their motion will need to be available for rehearsal on Thursday 21 February National Council have agreed that the Conference Committee shall not be obliged to provide a minimum number of Branch motions to be debated at Conference. In view of this, the Conference Resolutions Select Committee will choose up to 3 motions from those submitted by regions and branches. The selection of Motions is decided by the Conference Resolutions Select Committee, whose decision is final. As you prepare your motion(s) for submission we would encourage you to read and follow the advice in Form 2, How to write a better motion. To help you we have also included Form 3, Suggested Policy Subject Matters for Motions and Form 4, March 2011 and 2012 Conference Motions. The most important thing to remember is that a motion must request someone to do something. Your branch/region can forward a topic for a motion to the Conference Resolutions Committee who will determine if it is suitable and may help draft the wording accordingly. You will be contacted for approval of the wording. However, you should note that the motion would be in the name of your branch/region and you would have to provide a proposer and seconder to speak to it at Conference should it be selected. Please note that motions relating to changing FSBs internal rules and regulations cannot be dealt with by Conference. The appropriate route for these motions is via your Branch, Region and National Council. To assist you, training will be available for those PROPOSING or SECONDING a motion or those who wish to speak FOR or AGAINST a motion at Conference. The first training session will be held on 21 February 2013, venue to be confirmed and the second training session will be held on 21 March 2013, at the Conference venue in Leicester. The aim of the training sessions is to provide assistance to members in presenting motions in a professional way, to provide tips on writing and presenting a speech, to deal with keeping to time and to give you an opportunity to rehearse your speech in a Conference setting. The training sessions are free but members are responsible for their travel costs (these may be met by the branch or region). If you wish to attend the training sessions please complete Form 5. Please send all correspondence in connection with Motions for Annual Conference to the address below, clearly marked "Conference Motions". If you require any other assistance or information in connection with Motions to Annual Conference please do not hesitate to contact me. Yours sincerely Dave Stallon For and on Behalf of the NATIONAL CONFERENCE COMMITTEE If you require this document in an alternative format please ring or accessability@fsb.org.uk

2 FORM 1 FEDERATION OF SMALL BUSINESSES CONFERENCE - MARCH 2013 If more than 1 motion is being submitted please duplicate this sheet SUGGESTED MOTION FOR DISCUSSION Branch name and number: Region name and number: Motion:..... Where possible please provide background briefing notes to the motion for the Conference Resolutions Committee. Proposer: Contact Tel No: address: Seconder: Contact Tel No: address: Date and place of meeting: Number of members present: Signature: Chairman: Secretary: 1. PLEASE PROVIDE THE NAME, TELEPHONE NUMBER AND ADDRESS OF THE PROPOSER AND SECONDER WHO WILL SPEAK TO THE MOTION AT CONFERENCE. 2. PLEASE RETURN THIS FORM FULLY COMPLETED TO FSB HEAD OFFICE, SIR FRANK WHITTLE WAY, BLACKPOOL BUSINESS PARK, LANCASHIRE, FY4 2FE, BY NO LATER THAN 5.00 PM ON MONDAY 28 JANUARY October 2012

3 FORM 2 HOW TO WRITE A BETTER MOTION Brief from the FSB s Public Affairs Office 1. What does the Conference Resolutions Selection Committee look for when selecting a motion for the Conference Agenda? In order to increase the chances of selection a motion must be easy to understand, logically argued, well presented and must stimulate debate. If the Conference Resolutions Selection Committee finds it difficult to understand the purpose of a motion or to follow the case it argues it is likely that Conference will also have problems. Other things being equal, a shorter motion usually has an advantage over a longer one. 2. What features will reduce the chances of a motion being chosen? Any motion that isn t relevant to business, says nothing new, restates existing policy, or is on an area of policy which has recently been fully debated by Conference will have reduced chances of selection. Similarly if a motion is unnecessarily long (i.e. a long shopping list of detailed points), uses too many words to convey its message, is incoherent or unclear in parts, or seems to be making a speech (try reading it aloud), will reduce its chance of selection. Any motion that contains more than one subject will have its chances of selection reduced and we would recommend you keep your motion to one subject. 3. How should we go about deciding what our motion should be about and what it should say? It is useful for anyone drafting a motion to do it around the three Ps: * the Problem(s) which need to be solved * the Principle(s) which underlie the solution * the Proposals which must be the heart of the motion. 4. Subjects to avoid Your motion must be relevant to the world of business. Please avoid motions on issues such as capital punishment, stamp collecting etc. If your motion relates to changing FSBs internal rules and regulations these motions are not normally dealt with by Conference. The appropriate route for these motions is via your Branch, Region and National Council. 5. How should it be written? Not everyone has the skills which enable spoken views to be translated into a motion which has clarity, coherence and style. You should try and find someone who has this skill - the ability to communicate a message as clearly and briefly as possible. You could also use last year s successful motions as a guide. The Conference Resolutions Select Committee will also assist in providing draft wording for the motion. October 2012 Press & Parliamentary Office 1 2 Catherine Place, SW1

4 6. Useful words regarding the problem element in a motion Relatively few words provide the introduction and links in a motion. The preamble or introduction (which defines the Problem) expresses increasing degrees of concern, ranging from welcomes, regrets, deplores, abhors, condemns, and denounces to rejects. Some are linked with a failure, usually of the government. The motion can then reaffirm, recognise, declare or just list the principles that apply. 7. Useful words regarding the proposal element in a motion Proposals are usually introduced by affirms, believes, calls for, recommends, proposes, urges, demands or insists. 8. Topicality of motions You may find if helpful to indicate the topicality of the motion, by a clause in the motion itself (e.g. Conference notes the Government white paper on a particular date issue, publishedon a particular date). 9. Briefing notes Whilst the Press and Parliamentary Office compile the final briefing note for delegates, it is your Region s original notes to your motion that will influence the Conference Resolutions Selection Committee. 10. Sample motion The following is an example of a relatively well-drafted motion: - 1. Conference notes with dismay the inability of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to help small firms during the recent floods. 2. Conference condemns the Coalition Government for failing to address the issue of our flood defences, and in particular their failure to learn from the mistake of past floods 3. Conference expresses its support for the FSB s interest free loan scheme. 4. Conference calls upon the Government to redress this appalling situation by: * Providing an immediate cash injection to compensate businesses. * Guaranteeing to improve on tax rebates for affected firms. * Taking urgent measures to attract business to flooded areas. October 2012 Press & Parliamentary Office 2 2 Catherine Place, SW1

5 FORM 3 Suggested Motions for Conference 2013 Several topics have been highlighted below on issues that are topical or current. Please remember that these are only SUGGESTIONS and this does not preclude other subjects being put forward for consideration. Please note that if your motion relates to changing FSB internal rules and regulations these motions are not normally dealt with by Conference. The appropriate route for these motions is via your Branch, Region and National Council. 1. Crime against business: How can we ensure that the new Police Commissioners can prioritise and reduce crime against business? 2. Education, Skills & Training: How can we encourage more small businesses to take on apprentices? 3. Transport: Would regional airport hubs help to address issues of national runway capacity? 4. Health and Safety The role of the business in the wellbeing of employees. 5. Local Government: The role of Local Enterprise Partnerships. 6. Late Payment Interest or Statutory Duty of 30 Days?

6 FORM 4 FSB CONFERENCE 2011 ACC LIVERPOOL CONFERENCE MOTIONS 1 6 MOTION 1 This Conference calls upon Her Majesty s Government to incorporate the New Zealand Companies Act 218 notice into UK Law. This allows creditors of a limited liability company to recover an overdue debt by serving a statutory demand on the registered office of the debtor company giving them 15 working days to pay the debt after which liquidation proceedings against the debtor company can be started and giving the claimant priority over the receivers. MOTION 2 The Federation of Small Businesses calls on the UK Government to unchain the private sector and to let it deliver its undoubted potential to generate recovery in the economy MOTION 3 That this house calls upon her Majesty's Government to extend the National Insurance Holiday (NICS) to existing businesses instead of providing the holiday to new businesses only. MOTION 4 This Conference calls upon Her Majesty's Government to press ahead with a new generation of nuclear power stations, despite fresh concerns about the safety of nuclear technology, in order to deal with anticipated energy shortages and the uncertainty of oil and gas supplies from the Middle East. MOTION 5 This Conference calls upon her Majesty s Government to adopt Single Double Summertime (SDST) MOTION 6 This Conference calls upon Her Majesty s Government to explore ways of suitably compensating small businesses, through the mechanism of a business rate rebate, in circumstances where development works or maintenance work leads to disruption and loss of trade.

7 FSB CONFERENCE 2012 THE SPA, SCARBOROUGH CONFERENCE MOTIONS 1 3 MOTION 1 This Conference calls upon Her Majesty s Government to Implement in full the Recommendations of the Vickers Report about the regulation and operation of the UK banking industry before the end of the current parliament MOTION 2 That the Federation asks Her Majesty s Government to introduce a code of conduct that requires all start up businesses to become members of an approved business organisation MOTION 3 The FSB will support Government action to establish a network to transport water from the wet parts of the UK for use in the dry areas and if necessary, build new reservoirs in strategic locations, thereby setting up a national water grid

8 FORM 5 FSB TRAINING CONFERENCE 2013 Conference Committee have arranged two training sessions for members who are proposing or seconding a motion or who maybe speaking FOR or AGAINST a motion at Conference. The aim of the training sessions are to enable FSB members to present motions in a professional way and to ensure that members get their message across to Conference Delegates. Presentation Skills/Presenting Motions at Conference It can be boring listening to a speaker who mumbles, speaks too slowly, runs out of time, speaks too fast, or suffers from stage fright the training sessions have been arranged to help you avoid these pitfalls and should enable you to inform and entertain your audience. Members are welcome to attend both training sessions. However, due to time constraints *rehearsal time in the Conference Hall is restricted to propopers, seconders, and policy speakers. When and Where 1 Training Session 1 will take place on Thursday 21 February venue and time to be confirmed What will I learn? Tips on writing your speech How to prepare your presentation How to Propose or Second a motion How to speak FOR or AGAINST a motion How to speak in Public How to get your message across Presentation Skills When and Where 2 Training session 2 will take place on Thursday 21 March at The Curve Theatre, Leicester, in the Auditorium (time to be notified) What will I learn? How to improve your presentation How to get your message across How to use platform lecterns and microphones How to keep to time using the platform lighting system *Rehearsal time in the Conference Hall a critical and constructive review of your presentation. Both Training sessions are free to members but members are responsible for their travel costs (these may be met by your branch or region). How to book Contact: Helen McDowell at FSB Head Office on: or helen.mcdowell@fsb.org.uk