Procedures for dealing with resolutions were drafted by the St Augustine seminar in May last year, which laid out plans for the Conference, and are designed to facilitate debate, the Resolutions Committee Secretary, Mr Philip Mawer, said. Section Three's resolutions will be considered on Thursday, while the remaining resolutions from the regional groups, the Conference pastoral letter and a report from the Spouses' Programme will be presented on Friday. At the opening of each plenary session the section chair or a representative will present a brief outline of the section's discussions, including the draft report, which the Conference will then be asked to receive, Bishop Nuttall said. The wording of the reports produced by the sections will not be open to detailed debate. Speakers wishing to address the resolutions may submit their names either before the plenary or during the discussion.
Debate begins when the chair of the session calls a number of speakers to debate each resolution.
Before a vote is taken, a designated person from the section will reply to the debate. Bishops may also request a secret ballot, he said. Conference planners are asking the bishops to keep Friday afternoon free in case an extra plenary session is needed to handle leftover business.