argyrotsipi/train-dataset huggingface dataset:
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2015-01-20
Topic: International Affairs
Questions: A stable and prosperous Egypt could play an important part in resolving some of the problems in the area. What steps has my hon. Friend taken to develop the economic relationship between the UK and Egypt, and does he agree that political development and economic development in Egypt can be mutually reinforcing?; Earlier this month, some 2,000 people lost their lives in brutal attacks in Nigeria at the hands of Boko Haram. What is the Foreign Secretary’s response to Angela Merkel’s call for the EU to help to fund a force to combat Boko Haram?; My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and I are campaigning hard for a majority Conservative Government at the next election so that we can have a referendum on our membership of the European Union. Should, heaven forfend, despite our best efforts, we fall short of our goal, does he agree that our Conservative party commitment to an EU referendum should be a red line in any coalition negotiation?; This week, as part of the congregation of Stirling Methodist church, I joined other local politicians in writing to the UN about a global climate agreement in Paris. Can the Secretary of State tell us what work is being done on the agreements reached in Lima in December 2014, leading up to the Paris conference in 2015?; The Minister reaffirmed earlier that the Government are in favour of Turkey joining the EU. Have they estimated the additional financial cost to the UK of Turkey joining the EU, and the additional immigration to the UK resulting from Turkey joining the EU, beyond any transitional arrangements; or do they support Turkey’s membership of the EU at any long-term cost to the UK?; I am grateful for the earlier confirmation about the EU referendum if the Prime Minister remains the Prime Minister. Is there now an update on what the date of that referendum might be? Will it be earlier than 2017?; Given this country’s historical strength in soft power and its potential to further our foreign policy objectives, has the time not come to reconsider funding cuts to soft power institutions such as the BBC World Service and the British Council, as well as others?; I congratulate the Government on initiating the resettlement feasibility study of the Chagos islands, which is due to report imminently. May I seek an assurance that that issue will be debated when the findings of the report are known?; On Yemen, taking into account that the Houthis are now in effective control of the country, where does the future of the Friends of Yemen group lie?
Fiona Margaret Mactaggart (Labour, Centre-left): Yesterday a large group of Zimbabweans came to Parliament to express their concerns about human rights in Zimbabwe—I think the Minister joined them later—and about the Home Office delaying decisions on their cases. What action has the Minister been taking to make sure that the Zimbabwean constitution’s commitment to human rights is actually delivered in practice?
Points of Order — House of Commons, 2015-01-20
Topic: Agriculture
Alison Jane Seabeck (Labour, Centre-left): On a point of order, Mr Speaker. On democracy day, I am concerned that the fisheries Minister, the Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the hon. Member for Camborne and Redruth (George Eustice), has made a statement on his personal Facebook page specific to changes in bass fishing, saying that he has made a breakthrough. However, when I checked the Order Paper, the official website of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Marine Management Organisation website, I found no formal statement. The EU website says that the deal has not been finalised, and fishers directly affected are finding out about it from cross-posting from sea anglers. I would welcome your advice on whether it is appropriate for ministerial statements to be put out in this way.
Trident Renewal — House of Commons, 2015-01-20
Topic: Macroeconomics
John Woodcock (Labour, Centre-left): On the basic maths, if the figure of £2.9 billion is right and, as CND’s own estimates say, the £100 billion figure is stretched over the whole lifetime of 50-plus years, could the hon. Gentleman tell me what is £2.9 billion times 50?
Trident Renewal — House of Commons, 2015-01-20
Topic: International Affairs
Paul Phillip Flynn (Labour, Centre-left): Does the hon. Gentleman recall that representatives from NATO came to my constituency last year? I was very happy to welcome them. Of the 28 countries, 25 are non-nuclear states, and they found no difficulty walking with their heads held high.
Trident Renewal — House of Commons, 2015-01-20
Topic: International Affairs
Paul Phillip Flynn (Labour, Centre-left): I know the Baltic states very well: I visited them four times in the ’80s and ’90s. I am not suggesting that we pretend some fantasy nuclear war is going to take place with us as the main participant. Where we have been successful is in humanitarian interventions in places like East Timor and Sierra Leone. Where we have failed is where we have gone into Iraq and Afghanistan with all guns blazing. We are good at humanitarian intervention and that is where our money should be invested.
Trident Renewal — House of Commons, 2015-01-20
Topic: International Affairs
Paul Phillip Flynn (Labour, Centre-left): The hon. Gentleman is being very generous. If he went to Tallinn or Vilnius and asked the people there who they would look to to defend them if Russia attacked, they would say they look to America, not us.
Trident Renewal — House of Commons, 2015-01-20
Topic: International Affairs
Gisela Stuart (Labour, Centre-left): Does the hon. Gentleman also accept that the importance of Ukraine and Kiev is that this is the first time that we have had a unilateral breach of international borders since world war two? It is the kind of thing that we thought would not happen again, and it has, so the context remains the same.
Trident Renewal — House of Commons, 2015-01-20
Topic: International Affairs
Mark Richard Tami (Labour, Centre-left): The hon. Gentleman will no doubt agree that in the preceding period, which is the only thing we can base our evidence on, there was a whole series of European wars with the major powers fighting each other.
Trident Renewal — House of Commons, 2015-01-20
Topic: International Affairs
Gisela Stuart (Labour, Centre-left): Does my hon. Friend acknowledge that we would be in deep breach of not only the principle of deterrence, but the collective international responsibility we currently have through owning Trident and being a member of P5?
Trident Renewal — House of Commons, 2015-01-20
Topic: International Affairs
Kevan David Jones (Labour, Centre-left): I know the hon. Gentleman’s party is clear that it does not want to be part of NATO. Is he comfortable, then, with the fact that his partner on the motion, the SNP, is happy to join NATO and to join the nuclear umbrella which that membership gives?
ISIL (Iraqi Forces) — House of Commons, 2015-01-12
Topic: International Affairs
Vernon Coaker (Labour, Centre-left): The House stands united with the people of France, and, indeed, with all who support the principles of freedom of speech, tolerance and democracy in the face of the barbarity that the world witnessed last week on the streets of Paris. This morning the Defence Secretary attended high-level meetings in Whitehall to discuss the United Kingdom’s response to those tragic events. Given that one of the terrorists said that he was acting on behalf of ISIL, will the right hon. Gentleman update the House on what further steps the Government are taking to combat this threat in Iraq and beyond?
UK Military Base (Bahrain) — House of Commons, 2015-01-12
Topic: International Affairs
Madeleine Moon (Labour, Centre-left): It has been estimated that a three-day closure of the strait of Hormuz, perhaps by a terrorist attack, could lead to a four-year negative impact on the world economy. Has that influenced our decision to increase our capability in the Gulf?
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2015-01-12
Topic: Technology
Questions: The closure of RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk represents a staggering £0.2 billion loss to the Suffolk economy, including the loss of more than 700 civilian jobs. I know that the Minister for Business and Enterprise, my right hon. Friend the Member for West Suffolk (Matthew Hancock) is chairing the taskforce on trying to continue economic activity in some form at RAF Mildenhall, but will the Minister tell me what steps he will be taking to help fill the massive economic void that will result from this regrettable closure?; According to recent reports in The Times, Ministers are presiding over not only a stalling reserves recruitment programme but a crisis in recruitment to the regular forces. Can any of the Ministers reassure the House that the targets for recruitment to the regular Army forces will be met this year?; Returning to the question of the issuing of a national defence medal, will the Minister join me in paying tribute to my constituent, Mr Martin Halligan, who has done an inestimable and unstinting job on promoting the campaign for the medal nationally? Despite the review that has taken place, will she take on board the feeling expressed by many current and former service personnel that the issuing of such a medal would not undermine previous protocols and conventions or take away from specific acts of courage, leadership and honour, which are rightly recognised at present?
Russell Leslie Brown (Labour, Centre-left): The Minister said earlier that the Cabinet Office has a role to play in cyber-policy. If that is to be a strong and robust policy, will he tell the House when a ministerial representative from the MOD last met the Home Office, Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to discuss the issue? What was the outcome of the meeting?
Nigeria — House of Commons, 2015-01-12
Topic: International Affairs
John Francis Spellar (Labour, Centre-left): I thank the hon. Member for Brent Central (Sarah Teather) for asking this question and you, Mr Speaker, for granting it The whole House will be shocked and outraged by reports that up to 2,000 people were killed in northern Nigeria last week following a series of brutal and deadly attacks by Boko Haram extremists. Most recently, we have heard reports of 23 people killed in a bomb attack involving three young girls, one of whom is reported to have been just 10 years old. Eyewitness reports suggest that after one such murderous attack hundreds of their victims’ bodies were left strewn across the town of Baga, including those of children, women and the elderly As the Minister highlighted, that follows months of violence across northern Nigeria with killings, mass abductions and attacks on innocent civilians. These attacks and brutality have been rightly condemned around the world, and although many people have rightly praised the moving solidarity seen across Europe this week, there can be no doubt about the need for solidarity across continents in the wake of such appalling attacks. That includes the atrocity in the school in Peshawar; we welcome its reopening today, striking a blow against terrorism everywhere. The world must not simply stand back and tolerate Boko Haram’s brutal campaign of violence Here in the UK there is cross-party support for Britain to continue to provide support alongside our allies to the Nigerian authorities in their efforts to tackle Boko Haram. Will the Minister update the House on the level of that support and say whether there have been any additional requests for British advice and expertise from the Nigerian Government? The Minister rightly reminded us of the appalling kidnappings in Chibok, which brought much needed global attention to the security situation in northern Nigeria and the vulnerability of civilians, in particular women and girls, at the hands of Boko Haram The recent testimonies collected by Human Rights Watch from victims who escaped or who were released show the appalling extent of the violent and brutal conditions in the Boko Haram camps where women and girls are held. In October the Nigerian authorities announced that they had agreed a ceasefire with Boko Haram, which was supposed to see the schoolgirls safely returned, but this agreement was shattered by the horrific news of the suicide bomber wearing a school uniform who set off a backpack full of explosives in the middle of a school assembly. Can the Minister provide the House with an assessment of the current plight of the girls who have been kidnapped by Boko Haram? What discussions has his Department held with the Nigerian authorities on working together to secure their release?
Nigeria — House of Commons, 2015-01-12
Topic: International Affairs
David Julian Winnick (Labour, Centre-left): The vast demonstrations in Paris and in other French cities against murderous religious fascism were among the most impressive in my lifetime. Is there not genuine concern that the authorities in Nigeria are simply inadequate to deal with this terrible threat? Time and again when the Nigerian President has been under a good deal of international pressure, and rightly so, his response has been such that one can conclude only that the commitment to fight the terrorism and atrocities in that country is not as it should be.
Nigeria — House of Commons, 2015-01-12
Topic: International Affairs
Diane Julie Abbott (Labour, Centre-left): I draw the House’s attention to the Register of Members’ Financial Interests, where I have registered visits to Nigeria over the years. The Minister will be aware that the situation in Nigeria is a matter of great concern to the British people. It is also of concern to the tens of thousands of our constituents with strong family connections in Nigeria who want to know what the British Government are doing for their friends and family. As he pointed out, Nigeria has the capacity to deal with Boko Haram if it so chose. After all, it has the largest GDP on the continent and spends huge amounts of money on arms and weaponry, and it was very effective in relation to Ebola. Does he agree that people want to know what the British Government are doing to put maximum political pressure on the Nigerian Government to make them aware that people all over the world are watching them and want them to step up to this crisis?
Nigeria — House of Commons, 2015-01-12
Topic: International Affairs
Margaret Olivia Hillier (Labour, Centre-left): I should declare that I chair the all-party group on Nigeria. Although I do not want to play down the evils of Boko Haram, we know that the security forces and the Nigerian police have themselves caused problems while tackling its actions. I know that the Foreign Office has met the Metropolitan police’s Nigerian police forum—there are nearly 900 Nigerian-origin police officers in the Met. Will the Minister update the House on those discussions and on whether there is a role for the Metropolitan police and other police in the UK to help embed human rights policing in Nigeria?
Nigeria — House of Commons, 2015-01-12
Topic: International Affairs
Chinyelu Susan Onwurah (Labour, Centre-left): It is a sobering thought that the deaths of so many hundreds and thousands of Nigerians last week warranted so little attention in this country. My right hon. Friend the Member for Warley (Mr Spellar) spoke of the need for solidarity across continents. In the discussions that will undoubtedly happen in the wake of yesterday’s moving show of solidarity across the channel, will the Minister see how the UK and France can work together to provide security assistance—particularly at the porous border between Nigeria and Niger, which enables Boko Haram to melt back after its atrocious crimes?
Nigeria — House of Commons, 2015-01-12
Topic: International Affairs
Jeremy Bernard Corbyn (Labour, Centre-left): The House owes a debt of thanks to the hon. Member for Brent Central (Sarah Teather) for ensuring that this question was asked today. Millions turned out across Europe yesterday, particularly in France, because of the atrocious killings in Paris; millions more need to turn out all over the world over the deaths of innocent people in Nigeria. Does the Minister not think that it is important for all Governments—and all Parliaments, for that matter—to send the message that a human life lost because of such atrocities is equally awful in France, Nigeria or anywhere else, and that every human life is a human life that should not be taken?
Nigeria — House of Commons, 2015-01-12
Topic: International Affairs
Gisela Stuart (Labour, Centre-left): It has been reported that the French have an initiative whereby they are trying to create a multinational taskforce comprising Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon and Chad, but so far none of those countries has been prepared to provide the troops required. Is the United Kingdom supporting the French Government in that initiative, which must surely be the way forward?
Stamp Duty Land Tax Bill — House of Commons, 2015-01-12
Topic: Macroeconomics
Shabana Mahmood (Labour, Centre-left): It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mrs Riordan I thank the Minister for his introduction to clause 1 and schedule 1. Let me confirm from the outset that we support these measures, as we did in the previous two debates on the Bill. We will do so again today. As I say, we have already had a couple of debates and it is a small Bill, so many of the issues have been debated thoroughly before. I am grateful to the Minister for dealing with some of the questions that arose on Second Reading. I have just a couple of points on which I would like to press him, and I will be grateful to hear his response in his summing up First, can the Minister provide us with an update on HMRC’s handling of the queries that arose when these measures were announced? Can he confirm the number of queries that HMRC had to deal with, clarify the nature of the queries that the public or their advisers raised and confirm whether all outstanding queries have been dealt with Secondly, let me press the Minister a little further on the revenue. I put some points to him on Second Reading about the expectations of revenue, but that matter has not been fully covered by the responses we have received. The Minister knows that these measures are expected to cost £395 million in 2014-15, rising to £760 million in 2015-16. Research by Lonres and Dataloft has found that more homes changed hands on the day of the autumn statement than on any other day in the past decade, so one in six of all homes sold in London’s most expensive areas in the last three months of the year changed hands on 3 December. The research by Lonres and Dataloft estimates that, as a result, buyers saved £9.4 million in taxes. Is that in the order of the behavioural change that was expected, as modelled by the Treasury in its costings? I am sure the Minister will repeat that they have been independently certified by the Office for Budget Responsibility I should like to know whether the number of transactions and the cost in Exchequer revenue after the announcement of the measures in the autumn statement are along the lines that the Government were expecting. As the Minister knows, the Office for Budget Responsibility, which applies a rating system to the "certainty" of costings, has said that it considers the costings to be medium to high risk. How confident is he about the numbers, and about the extent of the behavioural change that is expected?
Consumer Rights Bill — House of Commons, 2015-01-12
Topic: Government Operations
Sharon Hodgson (Labour, Centre-left): Let me make this extra clear, because that might clear up some of the points that Members are trying to make—if not, I will let them intervene. We have tabled a small amendment to the clause that the Government could easily adopt today to allay their own fears. This is simply about transparency—that is all. Who could argue against creating a more transparent marketplace other than those who benefit from the murkiness and muddiness that we have at the moment?
Consumer Rights Bill — House of Commons, 2015-01-12
Topic: Law and Crime
Clive Stanley Efford (Labour, Centre-left): I am answering the hon. Gentleman’s point and he can come back to me on it in a minute, although I am going to shut up quite soon Some of the people purchasing these tickets are clearly involved in criminal gangs, as shown in the report on Operation Podium from the Metropolitan police. That report was given to the Government and they were warned that it was not just a question of people making a few bob on the secondary ticketing market. The people who set up these botnets to swamp the market when tickets are first offered for sale are often involved in criminal gangs associated with drugs and firearms. The Metropolitan police have raised serious concerns about this and we ignore them at our peril. What kind of free market wants to perpetuate such activity? I am interested in that.
Consumer Rights Bill (Carry-Over Extension) — House of Commons, 2015-01-12
Topic: Transportation
Stella Judith Creasy (Labour, Centre-left): I simply rise to agree that this is an important Bill, and we are looking forward to progress being made and the Government finally agreeing with us in the Lords on ticket touting. We look forward to its return to this House for us to approve it.
Consumer Rights Bill (Carry-Over Extension) — House of Commons, 2015-01-12
Topic: Government Operations
Kevan David Jones (Labour, Centre-left): Does my right hon. Friend agree that since the introduction of fixed five-year Parliaments, there is no excuse for not knowing when the general election will be, meaning that the proper programming of Bills should be a piece of cake for the Government?