argyrotsipi/train-dataset huggingface dataset:
Sexual Offences (Pardons Etc) Bill — House of Commons, 2016-10-21
Topic: Law and Crime
Kevin John Foster (Conservative, Centre-right): Ultimately, though, we are debating the criminal records. The Bill refers to a blanket pardon, but it only takes effect in terms of someone getting their name off the criminal records, via an application, and the Government’s idea is that their name is got off the criminal records and then they get a formal pardon. That is the fundamental difference. I accept that this could be addressed in Committee. However, after a couple of hours’ debate we all agree with the sentiment and the principle; we are dancing around on a pin.
Sexual Offences (Pardons Etc) Bill — House of Commons, 2016-10-21
Topic: Law and Crime
Samuel Phillip Gyimah (Conservative, Centre-right): The key difference is that the Government want some safeguards around the pardon for the living. The hon. Member for Rhondda (Chris Bryant) spoke about some people with great moral fibre, but the Government want to protect against the situation where, if there is a blanket pardon, someone who had not been pardoned could go around saying that they had. What does one say to the victims of that person if it was non-consensual sex in that case?
Sexual Offences (Pardons Etc) Bill — House of Commons, 2016-10-21
Topic: Law and Crime
Kevin John Foster (Conservative, Centre-right): I hear what the shadow Minister is saying. To be fair to the Minister, he has gone further than anyone has in the last 50 years towards pardoning people, so I am loth to criticise him. As I have said, I will not oppose the Bill, because that would be the wrong step. I will, however, probably find myself abstaining, because I think that the Government are offering something that will make a difference. I say to the Minister that anyone can claim to have been pardoned, but the criminal record checks are the final determinant. I do not think that anyone on either side of the argument is contending that those decisions should be changed unless someone proves that they did not commit a criminal offence Ultimately, we are talking about people who never committed an offence; all that they did was to be who they were. It is unfortunate that we have ended up arguing so strongly over minor points.
Sexual Offences (Pardons Etc) Bill — House of Commons, 2016-10-21
Topic: Law and Crime
Samuel Phillip Gyimah (Conservative, Centre-right): It is important to make it absolutely clear that the Government are not dragging their heels and are not hesitant on this important issue. We want to right this historic wrong as fairly and quickly as possible. That is why we have tabled an amendment to the Policing and Crime Bill.
Sexual Offences (Pardons Etc) Bill — House of Commons, 2016-10-21
Topic: Law and Crime
Alun Craig Williams (Conservative, Centre-right): That is the nub of the debate. We have to think of a way round because the Home Office has rejected several applications for the disregard process where the activity was non-consensual and others where the other party was under 16 at the time. The disregard process has offered a level of safety, but I accept the hon. Gentleman’s point. I ask the Minister to address directly how we reach the demographic that we are talking about and how we ensure that they rightfully get the pardon and, beyond that, the disregard process, which clearly and irrevocably wipes away—
Sexual Offences (Pardons Etc) Bill — House of Commons, 2016-10-21
Topic: Law and Crime
Samuel Phillip Gyimah (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Member for Greenwich and Woolwich (Matthew Pennycook) made a passionate speech. On a point of clarification, section 32 of the Sexual Offences Act 1956, to which he referred and which made soliciting and importuning a crime, was repealed in 2004. However, soliciting still remains a crime.
Sexual Offences (Pardons Etc) Bill — House of Commons, 2016-10-21
Topic: Law and Crime
Alun Craig Williams (Conservative, Centre-right): I have been paying tribute to the tone of the debate, although things seem to be going downhill. What my constituents want is justice and real action, not just words. We can debate rhetoric and words all we want, but my constituents put me here to get justice, and quickly—and yesterday’s agreement to the amendment is the quickest way to achieve that I have quietly trod around the issue of this being an England and Wales Bill and my wanting to see the same justice in Scotland. It is okay for SNP Members to question us on rhetoric and action, even though we agree with most of what is being proposed—we are actually changing something—but the Scottish Government need to go at pace as well. I am not going to sit here and take a lot of abuse on this issue when we are debating real action and the Scottish Government, I am afraid, are being quite slow.
Sexual Offences (Pardons Etc) Bill — House of Commons, 2016-10-21
Topic: Law and Crime
Alun Craig Williams (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Gentleman makes my point for me. You have been in government; you did not need a raffle in Scotland—[Interruption.] Madam Deputy Speaker, you really have me on the ropes now with this "you". I will get to my point: the hon. Gentleman has made my point for me. In Scotland, there was no need for a raffle, so you could have done it I will now sit down after going back to where I started. I pay absolute tribute to the vast majority of the Bill and to the Government for conceding the amendment yesterday and wanting to see justice. I say again that I am so delighted to be a Member of a Parliament in which we discuss these concepts as alien and seek justice as a result.
Sexual Offences (Pardons Etc) Bill — House of Commons, 2016-10-21
Topic: Law and Crime
Philip Andrew Davies (Conservative, Centre-right): I do not disagree with the hon. Gentleman’s sentiment, and I made that clear at the outset. My point is that the hon. Member for East Dunbartonshire has selected a certain group of offences. My hon. Friend the Member for Calder Valley (Craig Whittaker) made a very fair point, which people ought to consider. In the past, many other offences have been committed which I would term victimless crimes.
Sexual Offences (Pardons Etc) Bill — House of Commons, 2016-10-21
Topic: Law and Crime
Philip Andrew Davies (Conservative, Centre-right): The metric martyrs are a prime example. Steve Thoburn sadly died with a criminal conviction for selling produce in imperial measures. That, I would argue, was a victimless crime. The customers were perfectly happy to buy the produce and Steve Thoburn was happy to sell it. There was no victim, but he died with a criminal conviction. He still has a criminal conviction. He has not been posthumously pardoned.
Sexual Offences (Pardons Etc) Bill — House of Commons, 2016-10-21
Topic: Law and Crime
Philip Andrew Davies (Conservative, Centre-right): I was not aware that the hon. Gentleman’s Bill applied only to people who had been chemically castrated and tortured. Is he now saying that that is the case? The point that he is making is a complete nonsense, and he must know that. I was responding to an intervention from the hon. Member for Dundee East (Stewart Hosie), who asked whether there were any examples of victimless crimes committed by people who had a criminal record and had not been pardoned, and I gave him a perfectly good example. Moreover, he was nodding in agreement when I gave him that example. [Interruption.] The Scottish National party has become so dominant in Scotland that SNP Members are not used to hearing alternative opinions. I am sorry that they are so intolerant of anyone who holds a different opinion from theirs. It does not reflect well on them My point is this. I think that the Bill would have been easier to justify if it had included all past offences and all past convictions for crimes which are no longer crimes, and which were victimless. That would have been a perfectly logical thing to do. I think it is very difficult to pick out only certain crimes to justify the Bill, rather than including all convictions for offences of that kind.
Sexual Offences (Pardons Etc) Bill — House of Commons, 2016-10-21
Topic: Law and Crime
Samuel Phillip Gyimah (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank my hon. Friend for giving way so early in his speech. A number of questions have been asked about a blanket pardon for the living, including, "Why don’t the Government just go ahead and do it?" I understand that there might be a closure motion, so I want to put it on the record that the crime was gross indecency and that many other crimes were prosecuted at a much higher level. Therefore, we could be granting a pardon to people who are ostensibly guilty of gross indecency, but some elements of that are still crimes today and go far beyond the scope of the Bill. That is why the Government propose a disregard process for the living followed by a statutory pardon.
Sexual Offences (Pardons Etc) Bill — House of Commons, 2016-10-21
Topic: Law and Crime
Craig Whittaker (Conservative, Centre-right): Something is not clear to me. If someone has previously been committed of having under-age sex, for example, how can we today determine whether such a previous conviction is still a crime? Anyone having sex with a minor today is committing a crime. However, that would not be clear from past criminal activity.
Sexual Offences (Pardons Etc) Bill — House of Commons, 2016-10-21
Topic: Law and Crime
Samuel Phillip Gyimah (Conservative, Centre-right): I have done a number of these private Members’ Bills on Fridays, and it is very unusual to be doing one where the choice before the House is not the private Member’s Bill or no Bill at all, but the private Member’s Bill or a legislative vehicle—the Police and Crime Bill—that will help us achieve our aims much faster so that we can deliver justice. However, there is also an important point. It is not for nothing that they say, "You campaign in poetry, but you govern in prose." Intentions are not good enough when it comes to making law; we have to think through the unintended consequences of law, and that is what the Government’s approach tries to do.
Sexual Offences (Pardons Etc) Bill — House of Commons, 2016-10-21
Topic: Law and Crime
Samuel Phillip Gyimah (Conservative, Centre-right): If you want me to finish, you might as well allow me to get through my speech In 2012, we introduced changes to the law to clear anyone still living and previously convicted of these now-abolished offences under the Home Office disregard process. Disregarding is a powerful tool in changing lives, as it removes any mention of a criminal offence. However, our announcement means that we will go one step further and introduce a new statutory pardon for those who have successfully had offences deleted through the disregard process.
Sexual Offences (Pardons Etc) Bill — House of Commons, 2016-10-21
Topic: Law and Crime
Seema Louise Ghiassi Kennedy (Conservative, Centre-right): The number of convictions compared with the number of people who have taken up the offer of disregards is very low. Do the Government have any plans to publicise the disregard programme so that more people could take up that option?
Sexual Offences (Pardons Etc) Bill — House of Commons, 2016-10-21
Topic: Law and Crime
Samuel Phillip Gyimah (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend makes a very powerful point In the Government’s scheme, the living do not get a blanket pardon but apply for a disregard process. At the start of this debate, I offered to work with the hon. Member for East Dunbartonshire, MOJ officials and the Home Office to make sure that the disregard process is as effective as it can be. In addressing this, we need to think not only about those who were unjustly convicted of a crime but potential victims. Not having a disregard process and offering a blanket pardon means that we do not take into account the needs of potential victims.
Sexual Offences (Pardons Etc) Bill — House of Commons, 2016-10-21
Topic: Law and Crime
Samuel Phillip Gyimah (Conservative, Centre-right): It is a very important point, and the answer is very simple. Someone who is living who received the blanket pardon could volunteer in a school where they committed something that is still an offence—for example, sex with a minor—so there is a bigger onus on us to get this right.
Sexual Offences (Pardons Etc) Bill — House of Commons, 2016-10-21
Topic: Law and Crime
Samuel Phillip Gyimah (Conservative, Centre-right): I need to press on Although it is right that the state enables the vulnerable to be protected from those who pose a risk, it is not right that someone remains affected by a conviction for something that is no longer illegal. The process for the disregard, which has not been discussed in enough detail in this debate, is simple and not bureaucratic. Applicants complete a two-page form giving basic information such as their name and address and the details of the offence to be disregarded. The applicant also supplies photocopies of proof of address and identity. These can be sent by post or email Nothing else is required and the process is free of charge. The outcome of a disregard is a significant step for the individual, who may have had to live with that offence on their record for years.
Sexual Offences (Pardons Etc) Bill — House of Commons, 2016-10-21
Topic: Law and Crime
Samuel Phillip Gyimah (Conservative, Centre-right): I want to press on When a person is successful in obtaining a disregard for a conviction or a caution, that offence is to be treated for all purposes in law as if the person has not committed the offence, been convicted or sentenced or even cautioned. Perhaps this will be of most use to individuals when applying for work or when volunteering for roles that require a criminal records check from the Disclosure and Barring Service. This is incredibly important, because under the disregard process, the offences will quite simply no longer appear on the disclosure, and can have no effect on the person’s chances of obtaining work or the opportunity to volunteer. Any previous barriers will have been removed and the person is no longer affected by the disclosure.
Sexual Offences (Pardons Etc) Bill — House of Commons, 2016-10-21
Topic: Law and Crime
Craig Whittaker (Conservative, Centre-right): To clarify a point, when the age of consent was much higher than today, as it was in 1967, how does the Minister envisage putting checks and balances in place on a blanket pardon where under-age sex has taken place under the age of 16, which is illegal today but is the same charge as when the age of consent was 21?
Sexual Offences (Pardons Etc) Bill — House of Commons, 2016-10-21
Topic: Law and Crime
Samuel Phillip Gyimah (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend continues to make a very persuasive case. Yes, we all want a pardon; yes, we all want to right the wrongs of the past, but we cannot do that without the safeguards being inappropriate in cases where people are still living and there are consequences today. To do that would, I believe, be irresponsible on the part of the Government.
Sexual Offences (Pardons Etc) Bill — House of Commons, 2016-10-21
Topic: Law and Crime
Samuel Phillip Gyimah (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Gentleman makes my point about why a disregard step is essential in this process—[Interruption.] May I respond to the hon. Gentleman’s point? The disregard process means that there will not be a situation where someone has been ostensibly pardoned but the criminal record has not been expunged. The disregard process ensures that the criminal record is expunged and the person gets a statutory pardon. I am sure that Members will agree that such a process provides a meaningful avenue for individuals convicted or cautioned for sexual activity that is no longer regarded as an offence.
Sexual Offences (Pardons Etc) Bill — House of Commons, 2016-10-21
Topic: Law and Crime
Samuel Phillip Gyimah (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Lady has had her time. The process allows people to move on with their lives in a meaningful way A disregard is a much more powerful and useful remedy for someone living than just a pardon. We recognise the force of the symbol of being pardoned, which is why we propose to pardon all of those who are living and were convicted of relevant offences once they have received a disregard. I would urge any individuals who believe that they are eligible for the disregard process to apply through the Home Office to have their records properly assessed. I hope that today’s debate has helped to raise the profile of this process so that those who are not aware can take steps to secure the justice that they deserve Of course, I support the intentions behind the Bill; the hon. Member for East Dunbartonshire and I share the same objectives. The proposed blanket pardon would not provide for robust checks to ensure that only those who clearly meet the criteria can claim to be pardoned. It could lead in some cases to people claiming to be cleared of offences that are still crimes—including sex with a minor and non-consensual sexual activity. Under the disregard process, for example, the Home Office has rejected several applications where the activity was non-consensual and others where the other party was under 16 years old. Those offences were captured under offences such as "gross indecency" at the time, but are still crimes today. It is important that a pardon for the living takes place only after due process to verify—[Interruption.]
Kettering General Hospital — House of Commons, 2016-10-21
Topic: Macroeconomics
Peter William Bone (Conservative, Centre-right): I congratulate my hon. Friend on securing this important debate. Does he agree that one of the frustrations for the people of north Northamptonshire is that the Government have a formula for how much money we should get but they do not give us that amount because they overfund elsewhere? That frustration is felt across the whole of north Northamptonshire.
Rural Broadband — House of Commons, 2016-12-15
Topic: Technology
Matthew John David Hancock (Conservative, Centre-right): Superfast broadband is now available to over 90% of homes and businesses in the UK—up from 45% in 2010—and is on track to reach 95% by the end of 2017. After that, we are bringing in a universal service obligation in the Digital Economy Bill.
Rural Broadband — House of Commons, 2016-12-15
Topic: Technology
Matthew John David Hancock (Conservative, Centre-right): Yes. The plan to bring in a universal service obligation means just that: it is about making sure that superfast broadband is available to all. If the SNP joined us in the Lobby to support the Digital Economy Bill, which is currently passing through its remaining stages in the other place, we would be very grateful.
Rural Broadband — House of Commons, 2016-12-15
Topic: Technology
Peter James Guy Aldous (Conservative, Centre-right): Superfast broadband is available across much of Waveney, but not spots remain, particularly in rural areas. The roll-out of 5G could play an important role in plugging those gaps. I would be grateful if the Minister outlined his plans to fast-track this provision. Will he consider some pilots in the Waveney area?
Rural Broadband — House of Commons, 2016-12-15
Topic: Transportation
Matthew John David Hancock (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend is a ceaseless champion of better connectivity in Lowestoft and throughout Suffolk. Connectivity is improving: there is a licence obligation to cover 90% of the UK landmass by the end of next year. I am sure he will keep fighting for his constituents to make sure that they get a better signal. The £1 billion announced in the autumn statement will help to get us there.
Rural Broadband — House of Commons, 2016-12-15
Topic: Technology
Neil Quentin Gordon Parish (Conservative, Centre-right): Percentages do not mean much to people who do not have broadband, and we just do not have it in many parts of my constituency. This affects not only residents, but businesses, such as the caravan parks that people will not now come to unless there is broadband access. That is the problem.
Rural Broadband — House of Commons, 2016-12-15
Topic: Technology
Matthew John David Hancock (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend is dead right that that is a problem. The universal service obligation is very important in making sure that everybody gets decent access to broadband. In the past few years, that has changed from a "nice to have" to an absolute "must have", and we are delivering to make sure people have the connectivity they need.
British Film Industry — House of Commons, 2016-12-15
Topic: Education
Karen Anne Bradley (Conservative, Centre-right): I am incredibly proud of the creativity of all our young people, no matter which school they went to. Perhaps that was an audition by the hon. Gentleman, given his close links to film. He rightly identifies that there are issues with apprenticeships in the film industry because of the business model in that industry, and particularly because there are so many freelancers and shorter-term contracts. We are working with the Department for Education to make sure we have the right apprenticeships so that young people can get the skills they need to succeed in the global success that is the British film industry.
Sexual Abuse in Sport — House of Commons, 2016-12-15
Topic: Law and Crime
Karen Anne Bradley (Conservative, Centre-right): The Government take these matters very seriously. Yesterday, I co-chaired a meeting with my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary of sports bodies, law enforcement and the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children to ensure that sports are able to deal effectively with allegations of non-recent abuse and have the most robust possible child protection processes in place today.
Sexual Abuse in Sport — House of Commons, 2016-12-15
Topic: Law and Crime
Karen Anne Bradley (Conservative, Centre-right): I agree with my hon. Friend. We want to ensure that parents and young people have the confidence to participate in sport. We need to know what happened. We need to make sure that the victims come forward, that the police have time to carry out the investigations and that there is confidence in the system. The roundtable that I co-chaired yesterday was incredibly helpful in flushing out where we can do more, because we can always do more, and in giving reassurance that much is being done.
Sexual Abuse in Sport — House of Commons, 2016-12-15
Topic: Education
Questions: I am sure that we are all appalled by the allegations of horrific abuse that have come out in recent weeks, which have besmirched the game that many of us love so much. We are aware of the helpline that is available so that people can phone up and relate what happened to them. Has the Secretary of State had conversations with the football authorities about what more can be done proactively to identify people who had contact with the abusers in the past and assist them in every way to make the difficult decision to come forward and relate what happened to them?
Karen Anne Bradley (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend will know that the Department for Education and the Home Office have carried out a joint consultation on mandatory reporting. I understand that the responses are being considered at the moment and that a response will be forthcoming shortly.