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A brief guide to the Consultants Conference

• ‘A’ Motions prefixed with ‘A’ are voted on without debate, being in line with accepted BMA policy.
• ‘AR’ motions prefixed ‘AR’ are taken without debate to CCSC for consideration ‘as a reference’. This means that the motions do not become conference policy but are merely passed to the CCSC for further consideration (see point 11 of ‘Tiz’s Top Tips’). Additionally, you may be asked by the Chairman during the course of the debate if you wish your motion to be taken as a reference.
• Topical motions should consider issues which have arisen since the deadline for receipt of motions and which could not have reasonably been considered before that date.
• The final decision on the inclusion of motions on the agenda lies with the Conference Agenda Committee.

• Decide which motions you would like to speak to from the agenda. If it is from your constituency, will you propose one?
• Complete a speaker’s slip for each motion you would like to speak to. Mark as appropriate; proposer, for or against, ‘first time speaker’, any office or expertise.
• Each motion’s proposer should be selected from among the representatives from the constituency that submitted the motion. A ‘Speaker’s Slip’ is still required, however.
• Hand in ‘Speaker’s Slips’ for the motions you would like to speak on to the Agenda Committee table.
• Move to the waiting area near to the podium as your motion’s time approaches in order to minimise delay.
• Be brief but deliver your point: conference will only remember salient points such as actual examples.
• Avoid defamation. A guide will be included in the agenda mailing, please read it.
• Having proposed a motion, listen to and note the debate as you may need to reply before the vote to the points raised.
• If there are concerns from other speakers about parts of your motion, consider taking your motion ‘as a reference’ to the CCSC to see if a part of it can be enacted.
• Vote on the motions and enjoy a day of fulfilling and interesting political debate.

• The Agenda Committee will provide a list of speakers for the Chair. The Conference Chairman balances debate by calling speakers both for and against. The Chairman of CCSC then has the opportunity to respond to the debate.
• The proposer has the right to reply to the debate in up to 2 minutes. However, no new points may be made in the reply. To help move the debate along, proposers may be asked to waive the right of reply.
• An amendment follows the proposition of a motion, and is voted on after 3 minute introduction, and the proposer of the motion leads any debate.
• Debate will then continue on the motion as amended.
• The proposer speaks up to 3 minutes directed by ‘traffic’ lights; other speakers have 2 minutes.
• The traffic lights are a set of green, yellow and red lights on the speaker’s lecturn and on the screen. The lights go from green to yellow when a speaker has a minute left and then red when time has run out.
• Speakers should formally address the Chairman.
• A point of order is limited to the procedural point and a point of information is germane to a debate.
• Debate ends when time runs out or a call ‘the question be now put’, or ‘to pass to next business’ is agreed.
• A vote is taken on the motion. Part motions may be voted on separately.
• The Chairman may order that a count be made. The Chairman has a casting vote.
• 20 representatives rising in their places may request a ‘division’ with formal ballot.
• Most decisions are made upon a simple majority. Proposals requiring a two-thirds majority are: ‘rescinding a resolution of conference’, ‘proceed to the next business’, ‘the question be now put’, ‘Standing Orders be suspended’, or if substantial expenditure of the Association’s funds be incurred.
• The chairman can rule that if a motion is carried linked subsequent motions are either covered or fall.

• Receive the Speaker’s Slips from representatives.
• Assign the slips to the appropriate motions and completing a speakers order form for each motion. Apart from the mover of the motion, speakers are simply listed in order of receipt.
• Pass the speakers order forms to the aide to the Chairman of Conference shortly before the start of the relevant debate. Any additional Speaker’s Slips received for that motion are passed to the aide directly.
• In cases where no-one informs the Agenda Committee that they are going to propose a motion that is likely to be reached, seek out a representative to propose it, preferably from the Committee or Subcommittee that had tabled the motion.
• Provide general support for and liaise with the top table: acting as the link between them and the other conference organisers and the venue management as required.
• Deal with general questions from representatives.
• Receive ballot papers for the ballot on chosen motions and for the election of the Chairman and Deputy Chairman of Conference and members of the Agenda Committee. However, the Agenda Committee plays no part in counting the ballots.

1. Carefully read the Agenda beforehand and decide which motions you would like to speak to. Most attendees will be representing a Constituency such as an RCSC or MSC and ideally there should have been discussions between the representatives as to who is going to present particular motions. If you are the mover of a motion likely to be called, it is a good idea to get your speech ready well in advance and practice it to make sure it adheres to time and attracts the attention of the audience.
2. Arrive at the Conference in good time so that you can cast your vote in the Chosen Motions ballot, complete and hand in Speaker’s Slips for the motions you wish to speak to and to give you time to chat to your fellow representatives over coffee.
3. If this is the first time you have ever spoken at Conference, remember to tick the ‘first time speaker’ box on the Speaker’s Slip. There is more chance of you being chosen to speak if there is a long list of possible speakers to choose from.
4. Also indicate on the Speaker’s Slip any office or expertise you may hold which may mean that you have more to offer during your speech than other potential speakers.
5. You may decide during the Conference that you wish to speak to other motions. If so, you may hand in a Speaker’s Slip at any time, but of course this means that you are composing a speech during other debates. Try to make these ad hoc speeches short and to the point for maximum impact.
6. When it is near to the time of your motion being debated, move to the waiting area near to the podium so that there is no delay when your name is called.
7. During your speech, speak clearly, with emphasis on important words and do not speak too fast or you will lose the interest of the audience.
8. Do not try to cram as much information as possible into your allotted time. Your audience will only remember salient points. It is often useful to give actual examples which illustrate your point, for example, operations which have been cancelled due to lack of beds or finance etc.
9. Make sure you read and understand the information provided on defamation in order to ensure you avoid being accused of it during your speech.
10. If you have proposed a motion, listen carefully to those representatives speaking against as you are likely to be called on to reply to the points raised in opposition to your own.
11. You may also be asked by the Chairman if you wish to take your motion ‘as a reference’. This usually occurs if the phrasing of the motion has made it slightly ambiguous and, therefore, a full vote would end up in the motion being lost completely. By taking it ‘as a reference’ the motion will go to the CCSC to see if a part of it can be enacted.
12. If it all seems very nerve racking, remember it is the same for a lot of the other speakers and even for the officers, so relax and enjoy a day of hopefully fulfilling and interesting political debate.