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Rules

Motion A79 was carried

NEC Attitude: support

Delete existing Rule 9.22 and replace with:

Death benefit of ten times the maximum annual subscription, at 31 December of the year prior to the death, shall be paid to the nominee of an ordinary member who dies whilst a member.

Each year the NEC will implement the amount to be paid the following year, when setting the PCS budget, and advise branches of the rate for the year.

Motion A80 was lost

NEC Attitude: oppose

Conference notes that constitutional seconding of motions is usually a formality and also that large branches can second their own motions. Whilst wishing for the practice of branches to be allowed to indicate that they wish to speak to second a motion should be allowed to continue, conference believes that the formal requirement for motions to be seconded should be removed from the rule book and accordingly agrees to amend rule A3 by deleting 'and seconded immediately after the mover's speech,'; rule A21 by deleting ', and the seconder shall proceed to the vicinity of an alternative rostrum', 'in either case', 'or seconding'.

Motion A81 was remitted

NEC Attitude: remit/oppose

Conference notes that the National President has the power to raise motions from the Group Agendas to the National Agenda. However, experience in Conference 08 taught Conference that this is fraught with danger.

MoD motion X99 was raised in such a way by the National President. As it appeared it was to go on the National Agenda the Branch did not give notice of motion back to Group Conference. On arriving at Group Conference it transpired that the President's office had returned the motion to Group and it was, again X marked and past reference back.

MoD motion A42 was due to be supported by the GEC. It was identical to a D marked National motion D209. The President lifted the motion anyway - despite it duplicating a motion at National - and then Standing Orders D marked the motion behind the identical motion. Unfortunately, attempts by the proposing branch to arrange a meeting with the General Secretary to discuss the motion fell apart at the last minute. The motions have been resubmitted to both Conferences but it could have been MoD Group policy for the last 12 months and MoD GEC could have been campaigning on the issues.

This Conference believes that raising items to National level is fine, however the motion should not be lost from the Group Agenda as a result and calls on the incoming NEC and SOC to ensure that provision is made, in future years, for lifted motions to remain on the originating agenda. If this necessitates a rule change, the NEC to present the rule change to next year's Conference.

Motion A82 was lost

NEC Attitude: oppose

This National ADC agrees to delete National Conference Standing Orders A35 and A36 from the 'SOC Procedural Rules' section of Appendix A of the PCS National Rules and Constitution; and to renumber all subsequent Standing Orders within this section accordingly.

Motion A83 was lost after a card vote

For: 87085 Against: 139657 NEC Attitude: oppose

This Conference recognises that the present Rule 4.17 can be used to restrict activities on which branches may spend their funding, with limited possibilities to secure amendments to the NEC approved list of activities for which branches may make expenditure.

Accordingly Conference agrees to amend supplementary Rule 4.17 as follows:

Constitutional amendment rule 4.17 delete full stop at end insert comma followed by “or on activities which are specifically authorised by Conference”.

Guillotined: A84, A85 and A86)