Chance to debate child care

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THERE IS a good chance of a debate on child care at this year's Labour Conference.

There may possibly be debate on abortion rights and on women's right to work.

And if a huge campaign is mounted, there is just a chance of winning a debate on a vital constitutional change that will, if carried, ensure that every year there is, without scheming and plotting, a debate on women's needs.

Seven motions are down already on under fives, providing between them the makings of a good composite.

Two resolutions in the section on unemployment (232 and 235) refer explicitly to women.

Amendments to either of these could call for a massive mobilisation for a demonstration for a woman's right to work, or could call for immediate action to support the fight for jobs and services and urge Labour councils to adopt positive action programmes on women's jobs.

Either or both these points could be tacked on to 232 or 235, simply start "Conference further calls/ declares etc"

There are two motions on abortion rights, aimed at strengthening the chances of a woman's right to choose being included in Labour's Manifesto.

There are also two motions to curb MPs freedom to vote against party policy on abortion.

But these can't all be composited together, as the call to mandate MPs on how to vote is almost certain to be defeated, and should not, therefore, be locked in with the general principle of a woman's right to choose.

Supporting amendments to the. first two motions (372 and 373) could stress immediate campaigning;

joint work and official recognition of the abortion campaigns NAC and LARC;

trade union action to defend threatened facilities; defence of family planning and pregnancy testing services from cuts.

Motion 29 on party organisation calls for the Labour Women's Conference to have the right to submit five motions for debate at Annual Conference.

This doesn't stand much chance of a debate as it is a single resolution, but if there are lots of amendments we can mount a campaign for it to be debated.

The CLPD's model amendment would add at the end of Motion 29:

«This conference also suggests that the NEC set up a working party to investigate other forms of positive disermination in the party to ensure that women ale equally represented at all levels of the party.

RACHEL LEVER, secretary, Women's Fightback