argyrotsipi/train-dataset huggingface dataset:
Deaths of Homeless People — House of Commons, 2018-12-20
Topic: Housing
James Peter Brokenshire (Conservative, Centre-right): I recognise the right hon. Gentleman’s passion in relation to this issue, and I take the cases that he highlights hugely seriously. He makes a point about the proper recording of deaths linked to homelessness, and I will certainly take that up with the Ministry of Justice. This is about not only ensuring that we have the data but how we bring about change and learn and apply lessons to see that homelessness is prevented and reduced and that we act to end rough sleeping and save the lives of some of the most vulnerable in our society.
Deaths of Homeless People — House of Commons, 2018-12-20
Topic: Housing
Victoria Grace Ford (Conservative, Centre-right): The people of Chelmsford were very saddened earlier this year by the death of Mr Rob O’Connor in our city centre on a cold winter night, despite the fact that the night shelter had beds available. His case, like many others, was very complex. I was pleased by the Government’s announcement of new Somewhere Safe to Stay centres, which will enable multiple agencies to give individuals the best tailored support. I would love to have one of those in Essex. We have also made bids under the rapid rehousing pathway for more move-on housing, housing navigators and a social lettings agency, to enable faster movement into homes for these complex cases. Will the Secretary of State look favourably on those bids?
Deaths of Homeless People — House of Commons, 2018-12-20
Topic: Housing
Philip Thomas Hollobone (Conservative, Centre-right): I congratulate the hon. Member for Great Grimsby (Melanie Onn) on securing this urgent question, and I thank you, Mr Speaker, for granting it Of the 600 homeless people who died on our streets last year, 85% were men, one third died of drug poisoning and the highest mortality rates were in London and the north-west of England. Will the Secretary of State ensure that, whatever Government help is provided, it is provided to where it will be most effective?
Deaths of Homeless People — House of Commons, 2018-12-20
Topic: Housing
James Peter Brokenshire (Conservative, Centre-right): I can assure my hon. Friend that our rough-sleeping initiative is targeted at the 83 areas with the highest pressure and the highest demand. Obviously we will continue to reflect on that as evidence emerges. If the patterns change, clearly we will redirect resources, but he makes an important point about London and the north-west, where a lot of resource is being provided. Indeed, Manchester is one of the areas where we have our Housing First programme, which is aimed at providing help more quickly.
Deaths of Homeless People — House of Commons, 2018-12-20
Topic: Housing
James Peter Brokenshire (Conservative, Centre-right): I misspoke in my last answer. I should have highlighted that our Housing First programme is also in the west midlands and Liverpool The hon. Lady mentions immediate support, and I would point to the £30 million that is going to local authorities this year. I would also point to the £5 million cold weather fund, which I announced in October and which is about providing support now, for this winter, to ensure that we are providing accommodation to more people. The last figures I saw show that the fund is delivering more than 400 extra beds, on top of the additional support that has been provided. That sense of urgency and purpose is one that I entirely hear and understand.
Deaths of Homeless People — House of Commons, 2018-12-20
Topic: Housing
Kevin John Foster (Conservative, Centre-right): Support services in Torbay do a strong job in reaching out to rough sleepers, but evidence suggests that too many end up back on the street at a later date—which is why we are considering adopting a Housing First approach, which we discussed yesterday with the Under-Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, my hon. Friend the Member for South Derbyshire (Mrs Wheeler). What evidence has the Secretary of State seen emerge from the Government’s major pilots of Housing First, to see whether that will be effective?
Deaths of Homeless People — House of Commons, 2018-12-20
Topic: Housing
James Peter Brokenshire (Conservative, Centre-right): We have seen international evidence that underlines the benefit of the Housing First model, which is why we are piloting it in three areas around the country. Those pilots are getting up and running, and I welcome the fact that in Birmingham the first homes are now being provided. I want to learn from that approach and ensure that we apply good practice and sustain people in their accommodation. We want to provide an opportunity to support and help people, and ensure that they turn their lives around.
Deaths of Homeless People — House of Commons, 2018-12-20
Topic: Housing
James Peter Brokenshire (Conservative, Centre-right): I do, and the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017, which was championed by my hon. Friend the Member for Harrow East (Bob Blackman), is about that duty to refer, and the obligations on public bodies to consider the issues raised by homelessness. The hon. Gentleman highlights a point about custodial settings, and we have pilots in three prisons, supported by the Ministry of Justice, to ensure that someone who is released on a Friday evening when housing services are shut does not simply go out on the street. We must break that and stop it happening, and I take very seriously the point raised by the hon. Gentleman.
Deaths of Homeless People — House of Commons, 2018-12-20
Topic: Housing
James Peter Brokenshire (Conservative, Centre-right): First and foremost, the issue is about individuals—a point made by the hon. Member for Bristol West (Thangam Debbonaire) and other hon. Members. Secondly, there has been a lack of focus and attention on social housing for years, frankly. That is why we are investing through our affordable homes programme and, just as importantly, through the release of borrowing restrictions so that councils can build the next generation of council homes and increase the number of social and affordable homes, to meet need.
Deaths of Homeless People — House of Commons, 2018-12-20
Topic: Housing
James Peter Brokenshire (Conservative, Centre-right): There are clear duties under the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017; obviously, we are carefully considering its implementation, with funding provided to support that activity. I commend the work taking place in Ipswich, which sounds as though it is making a real difference. I would ask the hon. Gentleman’s authority to work closely with our rough-sleeping team at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. We are seeking to provide advice; if there are challenges to meet, that can be done through that team.
Deaths of Homeless People — House of Commons, 2018-12-20
Topic: Housing
James Peter Brokenshire (Conservative, Centre-right): I appreciate the situation in Northern Ireland and the support and accommodation available there. There are different pictures in different parts of our United Kingdom. Part of this is about ensuring we have a strong economy, creating jobs and growth and the prosperity agenda that sits behind all this, so we can and will look forward to the future positively. Equally, I come back to the point, particularly in relation to England and Wales, about longer tenancies and security in tenancies. That is why I am reflecting carefully on the consultation we carried out a few months back.
Rohingya Refugee Crisis — House of Commons, 2018-12-20
Topic: Other
Mark Christopher Field (Conservative, Centre-right): We have tried to get a statement on this issue over the last two or three weeks, but were aware that there was great interest in this Backbench Business Committee debate. Obviously, I would have much preferred it to have taken place on a different day when more Members would have been present, but we have been aware of this and would have had a Government statement other than for the fact that there was a real passion on the subject from many Members including the hon. Gentleman.
Rohingya Refugee Crisis — House of Commons, 2018-12-20
Topic: Immigration
Paul Stuart Scully (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Gentleman makes a powerful point about the children born in the refugee camps. Does he agree that the 13,000 children who were orphaned and then crossed the border on their own face an equally grim future?
Rohingya Refugee Crisis — House of Commons, 2018-12-20
Topic: Other
Eleanor Fulton Laing (Conservative, Centre-right): Order. I hope the hon. Gentleman will forgive me for interrupting him, but it has been my ambition during this year to persuade him to address Members of the House through the Chair. He has now, for the 124th time, addressed the Minister as "you", and I have to admit my failure. I have failed during the whole year to persuade the hon. Gentleman, who speaks in this House every single day, to refer to the Minister as "the Minister" and to use the word "you" only when he is addressing the Chair. I feel a great burden of failure for not having persuaded him to do that during this year. I will start again next year, as I am determined to educate him in the ways of this Chamber. I beg him, please, to call the Minister "the Minister", just this once.
Rohingya Refugee Crisis — House of Commons, 2018-12-20
Topic: Immigration
Paul Stuart Scully (Conservative, Centre-right): As the Minister says, at the moment there is no appetite for going back. There is also a sense of hardening opinions. Whereas a year ago refugees wanted to go back if it was safe, the refugees I spoke to six months ago felt that hope was being lost.
Rohingya Refugee Crisis — House of Commons, 2018-12-20
Topic: Immigration
Mark Christopher Field (Conservative, Centre-right): I agree with my hon. Friend, who has been to the camps on several occasions and has probably seen the degradation of process in that regard. I say again that, for the reasons set out by the hon. Member for Bethnal Green and Bow (Rushanara Ali), we absolutely oppose plans for moving any Rohingya to Bhasan Char, the island in the bay of Bengal. We do not feel that that would be a safe or feasible place, for the reasons that she set out. Any location or relocation of refugees has to be safe, dignified and in accordance with international humanitarian principles, standards and laws As colleagues will know, the Governments of Bangladesh and Burma were preparing to start a refugee repatriation on 15 November. I spoke as a matter of urgency by telephone with Bangladesh’s Foreign Minister and I spoke with both the Bangladeshi State Minister of Foreign Affairs and Burma’s Minister for International Co-operation in advance of that day. I was absolutely clear with each of them that the UK Government shared the assessment of the UN Refugee Agency: that insufficient progress had been made to enable safe returns to northern Rakhine Our concerns were also borne out by the fact, brought up by many hon. Members today, that no Rohingya refugees volunteered to return. I believe that international pressure at that point was a key factor in halting any involuntary repatriations. I welcome the Bangladeshi Government’s subsequent reaffirmation of their commitment to exclusively voluntary returns, but we all know in the international community that we will have to remain vigilant about that point I can reassure Members that the UK will continue to play a full part in supporting Rohingya refugees as a leading donor to the international humanitarian response, to which we have so far donated £129 million.
Rohingya Refugee Crisis — House of Commons, 2018-12-20
Topic: Immigration
Mark Christopher Field (Conservative, Centre-right): I do understand that. What justice amounts to is obviously something that will develop in time, as and when, one hopes, people are able to return to traditional homelands. That is something I am sure we will discuss.
The Source NHS Drop-in Centre — House of Commons, 2018-12-20
Topic: Other
Eleanor Fulton Laing (Conservative, Centre-right): I am sorry to stop the hon. Lady when she is giving good wishes, but I think the hon. Gentleman might like to intervene. He does not have a right to speak again, but I am sure that the Minister will give way if he wishes to intervene.
The Source NHS Drop-in Centre — House of Commons, 2018-12-20
Topic: Other
Eleanor Fulton Laing (Conservative, Centre-right): Thank you. As we approach the Adjournment of the House for the Christmas recess, I would like to thank everyone who works in this building, and in Parliament generally, who supports Members of Parliament in all the work that we do. We could not do without the Clerks, we could not do without all the other people who work here, and we certainly could not do without everyone in the Tea Room. I particularly wish a happy and peaceful Christmas to all Members of Parliament on all sides of the House Question put and agreed to.
Solar Generation — House of Commons, 2018-11-20
Topic: Other
Questions: What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of providing remuneration at a fair market rate for self-generators of solar power putting surplus energy on the networks.
John Simon Bercow (Conservative, Centre-right): Before I call the shadow Minister, I know the House will want to join me in welcoming Speaker Elisabetta Casellati of the Italian Senate—a distinguished parliamentarian and the first female holder of that office. Madam Speaker, we wish you and your colleagues well on this visit and in all the important work that you do.
Nuclear Power — House of Commons, 2018-11-20
Topic: Housing
Gregory David Clark (Conservative, Centre-right): As my hon. Friend knows, in each case the proposals are developer-led, so it is for proponents to come forward. As I have said to our hon. Friend the Member for Copeland (Trudy Harrison), I am very happy, with my officials, to meet anyone who has an interest in doing so.
Asda/Sainsbury Merger — House of Commons, 2018-11-20
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Questions: What assessment he has made of the potential effect of the merger of Asda and Sainsbury’s on (a) workers, (b) supply chains and (c) consumers.
Kelly Jane Tolhurst (Conservative, Centre-right): Sainsbury’s has confirmed that there are no planned store closures as a result of the merger. The independent Competition and Markets Authority is investigating the effects on competition and has until 5 March 2019 to report. The CMA’s investigation is independent of Government and we must not pre-judge the inquiry. The Secretary of State wrote to the CMA in May on this issue and I met with the CEO of Sainsbury’s last month.
Asda/Sainsbury Merger — House of Commons, 2018-11-20
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Questions: What assessment he has made of the potential effect of the merger of Asda and Sainsbury’s on (a) workers, (b) supply chains and (c) consumers.
Kelly Jane Tolhurst (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank my hon. Friend for his question. He is absolutely right: one of the things that we are committed to is making sure that we continue with our world-renowned competition regime. It is right that, even at a ministerial level, we are independent of the CMA, but we work very closely with the CMA on priorities, and looking at supply chains is a key area for all mergers, as is how we protect consumers and markets in future.
Shared Parental Leave: Self-employed People — House of Commons, 2018-11-20
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Benjamin David Bradley (Conservative, Centre-right): I recently met Mike Watkinson from Nottinghamshire’s Federation of Small Businesses to discuss a number of challenges facing business in Mansfield, one of which was support and access to benefits for self-employed people. Does my hon. Friend agree that, as the party of business, it is absolutely vital that we help small business owners and support them to keep the show on the road when they need it?
Industrial Strategy — House of Commons, 2018-11-20
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Richard Harrington (Conservative, Centre-right): Before I saw the light and went into politics, I spent 25 years in the tourism and hospitality industry, and there is nothing I would like more than to conclude a sector deal with it. I have met with officials and industry leaders, have the full support of my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and look forward to concluding a deal in the new year.
Industrial Strategy — House of Commons, 2018-11-20
Topic: Mixed Topics
Richard Harrington (Conservative, Centre-right): Actually, I correct my right hon. Friend. I said that six sector deals had been concluded and more are in the pipeline. They are very complex. They involve a lot of industry money and many industrial partners who have never been involved in deals with the Government before. I would be delighted to meet him at any time to discuss how I am pushing these on as quickly as I can.
Hydraulic Fracturing — House of Commons, 2018-11-20
Topic: Public Lands
Claire Louise Perry (Conservative, Centre-right): It is always a pleasure to answer a question from my mother-in-law’s MP. As he knows, we have always made it clear that any hydraulic fracturing that takes place under current licences must be consistent with our regulatory regime, including the traffic light system, which is the toughest in the world. The Preston New Road site is the most monitored site for seismic activity, and among the 36 events recorded, the 1.1 local magnitude event was the equivalent at the surface of a bag of flour being dropped to the floor.
Starting and Growing Businesses — House of Commons, 2018-11-20
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Questions: What progress he has made on meeting the Government’s ambition to make the UK the best place in the world to start and grow a business.; What progress he has made on meeting the Government’s ambition to make the UK the best place in the world to start and grow a business.; What progress he has made on meeting the Government’s ambition to make the UK the best place in the world to start and grow a business.
Gregory David Clark (Conservative, Centre-right): Our business environment is among the best in the world for small businesses. We have 16.3 million people employed in small businesses and the British Business Bank is supporting small businesses with over £5.5 billion of finance—and colleagues on all sides of the House will wish to support small business Saturday on 1 December.
Starting and Growing Businesses — House of Commons, 2018-11-20
Topic: Mixed Topics
Questions: What progress he has made on meeting the Government’s ambition to make the UK the best place in the world to start and grow a business.; What progress he has made on meeting the Government’s ambition to make the UK the best place in the world to start and grow a business.; What progress he has made on meeting the Government’s ambition to make the UK the best place in the world to start and grow a business.
Gregory David Clark (Conservative, Centre-right): I do indeed, and I congratulate Ideal Foods and the Cornish Cheese Company. Perhaps I can add one of my own: Cornish Charcuterie, based just outside Bude, is one of my favourites, and I know that it has many satisfied customers across the UK and Europe, and increasingly around the world. This shows that, of all the manifold assets that Cornwall has, its food and indeed its drink are something to boast about.
Starting and Growing Businesses — House of Commons, 2018-11-20
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Questions: What progress he has made on meeting the Government’s ambition to make the UK the best place in the world to start and grow a business.; What progress he has made on meeting the Government’s ambition to make the UK the best place in the world to start and grow a business.; What progress he has made on meeting the Government’s ambition to make the UK the best place in the world to start and grow a business.
Rachel Helen Maclean (Conservative, Centre-right): More than 355 new businesses have been started up in my constituency since 2010. Many of them are microbusinesses with only one or two employees, and their needs are very different from those of the larger small and medium-sized businesses. What additional support can the Department give to those microbusinesses to help them to thrive?
Starting and Growing Businesses — House of Commons, 2018-11-20
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Questions: What progress he has made on meeting the Government’s ambition to make the UK the best place in the world to start and grow a business.; What progress he has made on meeting the Government’s ambition to make the UK the best place in the world to start and grow a business.; What progress he has made on meeting the Government’s ambition to make the UK the best place in the world to start and grow a business.
Gregory David Clark (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend is absolutely right to suggest that microbusinesses, and indeed start-ups, sometimes face challenges in accessing finance. The British Business Bank has a programme to focus on microbusinesses. Start-up loans, from which 44 businesses in her constituency have benefited, are also important.
Starting and Growing Businesses — House of Commons, 2018-11-20
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Questions: What progress he has made on meeting the Government’s ambition to make the UK the best place in the world to start and grow a business.; What progress he has made on meeting the Government’s ambition to make the UK the best place in the world to start and grow a business.; What progress he has made on meeting the Government’s ambition to make the UK the best place in the world to start and grow a business.
Gregory David Clark (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend is absolutely right, and she will know that we are taking steps to reinforce in statute some of the measures that have been good practice across the industry. Indeed, the small business commissioner has been appointed to the prompt payment code compliance board to help with that.
Starting and Growing Businesses — House of Commons, 2018-11-20
Topic: Immigration
Questions: What progress he has made on meeting the Government’s ambition to make the UK the best place in the world to start and grow a business.; What progress he has made on meeting the Government’s ambition to make the UK the best place in the world to start and grow a business.; What progress he has made on meeting the Government’s ambition to make the UK the best place in the world to start and grow a business.
Gregory David Clark (Conservative, Centre-right): One of the reasons why companies up and down the country sometimes find it a struggle to recruit people is that we have such a low level of unemployment in this country. I would have thought that the hon. Gentleman would recognise that. He knows that one of the benefits of leaving the European Union is that our migration policy will be set in this country according to the needs of our economy—so it’s over to us.
Pub Closures — House of Commons, 2018-11-20
Topic: Mixed Topics
Questions: What estimate he has made of the number of pubs that closed in 2018; and what assessment he has made of the reasons for those pub closures.
Kelly Jane Tolhurst (Conservative, Centre-right): Pubs make a major contribution to the economy and to community life. That is why the Government are supporting pubs through measures such as the beer duty freeze and the business rates retail discount announced in the Budget.
Pub Closures — House of Commons, 2018-11-20
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Questions: What estimate he has made of the number of pubs that closed in 2018; and what assessment he has made of the reasons for those pub closures.
Kelly Jane Tolhurst (Conservative, Centre-right): I recognise the hon. Gentleman’s concern and his work in this area over a long period of time. He is a champion for the sector. There are several reasons why there may be pub closures, which is why we are acting to freeze beer duty and address small business rate relief. We estimate that 75% of pubs will benefit from the reductions announced in the Budget. To answer his second point, I will happily attend the event on 15 January, if possible.