Harlow Liberal Democrats have submitted two 'urgent issues' for the party's conference to consider on Saturday 4 March in Harrogate. Harlow conference representative David Wright, supported by local leader Cllr Chris Millington, Cllr Robert Thurston and parliamentary spokesman Cllr Lorna Spenceley, has put forward the following two issues for debate.

1: Impact of EU - US "Open skies" air treaty
The "Open skies" treaty aims to liberalise aviation. However Article 14 limits any environmental measures which could affect the free traffic of aircraft. Air travel is a major contributor to global warming, and locally causes noise and air pollution. But under the draft treaty, measures from taxes on aviation fuel, to controls over noise and airport expansion (Stansted, Heathrow etc) would only be permitted with the agreement of all parties to the treaty, including the USA which has consistently opposed such measures. The EU must reject articles which allow foreign commercial interests to veto European environmental measures.

2: The Legislative and Regulatory Reform Bill
The Legislative and Regulatory Reform Bill gives ministers power to alter any law passed by Parliament, provided that in doing so they neither create new crimes incurring a penalty greater than two years imprisonment, nor increase taxation. Backbench MPs' input would be limited to a short committee debate and a ninety minute debate in parliament, with no opportunity to move amendments. This proposal contains fundamental implications for the ability of elected representatives to scrutinise proposed legislation, for the powers of ministers, and for the future of parliamentary democracy itself.