The new debate motions and Topic Guides for the Debating Matters 2012/13 Qualifying Rounds are now available to view and download from the Debating Matters website.

Following a summer of writing, researching and debating of our own, the DM team have chosen and written, with some of the competition’s alumni and supporters, 8 contemporary political, social, scientific and cultural issues for students to debate at this autumn’s Qualifying Rounds. Debates include: the morality of tax avoidance in light of the recent political and celebrity scandals; the dash for gas in the wake of the discovery of new gas supplies through fracking; whether copyright law supports or hinders artistic endeavour; and the questions raised by the of screening embryos for genetic defects in the wake of recent scientific developments and techniques in this field; we’re anticipating lively and well researched debates in the coming weeks as the competition expands to 72 Qualifying Rounds across the UK.

Each debate motion is accompanied by the acclaimed Debating Matters Topic Guides which place debates in a social context, providing a framework for students to get to grips with the ideas and issues at stake.

Access each of the 2012/13 Qualifying Rounds Topic Guides below:

Boozy Britain: “Minimum alcohol pricing would be good for Britain”
Copyright and the Arts: “Copyright benefits the arts”
Embryo Screening: “The genetic screening of embryos devalues human life”
Energy Futures: “The UK must avoid a dash for gas”
Factory Farming: “Factory farming is necessary”
Free speech: “Free speech is not an absolute”
Party Funding: “The state should regulate the funding of political parties”
Tax Avoidance: “Tax avoidance is morally wrong”

FURTHER HELP

For more information about Debating Matters Topic Guides, or if you have suggestions for future debate motions, please contact .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). See a full list of all our Topic Guides.