The proposals, which will be voted on by Lib Dem members at the conference in Brighton, are designed to boost green growth and jobs, support small businesses, open up access to finance, expand apprenticeships and unlock innovation.

The proposals include:

• Expanding the Green Investment Bank’s scale and remit and relaxing restrictions on its borrowing
• Creating Small Business Zones and New Enterprise Hubs
• Facilitating the emergence and growth of new lenders, in particular by restructuring parts of RBS into local and community banks
• Expanding apprenticeships on public infrastructure projects
• Introducing a ‘supply chain buddying’ programme, whereby large companies already engaged in export undertake to support SMEs in their supply chain to find new overseas customers

The proposals are being put forward by Duncan Hames, Parliamentary Private Secretary to Liberal Democrat Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Davey.

Commenting, Duncan Hames said:

“The Liberal Democrats are determined to make this the greenest government ever.

“As we rebuild our economy it is crucial that green jobs and industry are at the heart of our recovery.

“Britain has the opportunity to be a world leader in clean, renewable technologies. Going green is good for business, good for consumers and good for the economy.

“Liberal Democrats want future generations to inherit a prosperous economy that is fair, sustainable and where every individual has a stake in society.”

You can read the policy paper here.

Proposals in three key areas – funding, people and skills, and the role of scientific advice – have been outlined by Liberal Democrat MP for Cambridge, Julian Huppert in a policy motion which will be put to members at the party’s Autumn Conference. Julian was a research scientist at the University of Cambridge before his election to Parliament.

Key proposals include:

• A target to increase the ring-fenced government science budget above inflation over the next 15 years
• A commitment to improve science and maths teaching in schools
• Immigration rules that encourage bona fide students and experts to come to the UK.

Commenting, Julian Huppert said:

“Despite low levels of funding, the UK has outperformed other countries, some which invest almost twice as much in research and development.

“There is clear evidence that government investment in research and development incentivises and creates the conditions for additional private sector investment.

“The UK must also develop an education and training system to produce a highly-skilled workforce that supports research and innovation. Improving science and maths education in schools must be a priority if we are to inspire the next generation.

“Finally, one of the key contributions to the UK’s success in the sciences has been our ability to attract researchers and scientists from across the world, allowing free exchange of knowledge and ideas. If we do not have an immigration system that actively encourages top scientists and academics to come to the UK then they will go elsewhere.

“These proposals challenge the way the government thinks about science, redirecting money to where it benefits the economy, improving our ability to attract the brightest minds and giving the next generation the skills they need to compete in an ever-changing world.”

Click here to download the “Policies for science and research” paper.

Creation of a “snoopers’ charter’ giving law enforcement agencies easy access to details of phone calls and e-mails must be strongly resisted, says Tameside’s Liberal Democrat Euro-MP.

The Coalition Government is consulting on proposals intended to help in the fight against terrorism and organised crime, but Chris Davies says that any new law must include safeguards to respect civil liberties.

The MEP wants a balance struck between the need to detect the few who may plan murder and the right of the great majority to freedom and confidentiality.

He said: “Use of rapidly developing technology means that existing rules must be updated. So long as there are Liberal Democrats in the government I am confident that fundamental liberties will be properly respected.”