argyrotsipi/train-dataset huggingface dataset:
Valedictory Debate — House of Commons, 2015-03-26
Topic: Other
David Hamilton (Labour, Centre-left): I am mindful of the time, Mr Speaker, but I think it important to remember that, while one role of the Whips is to enforce the position of the party that they represent, the second role—the role that is not seen—is the compassionate role. May I suggest a change that could be made by the two major parties? They should appoint a senior Whip to be in charge of the welfare of Members, and—with the greatest respect—that person should not be the Chief Whip, or the Deputy Chief Whip, or the pairing Whip.
Valedictory Debate — House of Commons, 2015-03-26
Topic: Other
Michael Connarty (Labour, Centre-left): On a point of order, Mr Speaker. I echo the sentiments expressed by the retiring Member, the right hon. Member for North West Hampshire (Sir George Young) Yesterday, while I was asking a question, you intervened, Mr Speaker, because a Conservative Member shouted, "SNP gain". I could have said, "Well, that’s exactly what the Conservative Members want—more SNP Members down here", but I did not respond because traditionally if a Member does not respond to a sedentary intervention, it does not get recorded. In fact, however, I find it was entered in Hansard in column 1429. I denied myself that political point, because I wanted to concentrate, as you know, on the serious question facing my constituents. Will you look at this matter again, Mr Speaker? It has been said that someone else referred to the incident three questions later and therefore it was entered into the record.
Bank Bonuses — House of Commons, 2015-01-27
Topic: Mixed Topics
Kerry Gillian McCarthy (Labour, Centre-left): Can the Minister tell the House how much the Chancellor spent on legal fees alone in that failed legal challenge? Was that not a huge waste of money when the priority should have been to help those people most in need?
Business Support — House of Commons, 2015-01-27
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Andrew McCulloch Love (Labour, Centre-left): Figures published by the Bank of England last week show that net lending to business is still negative. After four and a half years of this Government, when can we expect the figures to go positive, and will we see out the last 100 days of this failed Government, who need a fresh Government to do the job for them?
Business Support — House of Commons, 2015-01-27
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Margaret Patricia Munn (Labour, Centre-left): What discussions has the Minister had with her colleagues in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills who, in answer to a recent question, admitted that they expect to spend less than £1 million of the employer ownership fund, which was allocated £30 million to help businesses? What will she do about this failure to help businesses?
Corporation Tax (Northern Ireland) Bill — House of Commons, 2015-01-27
Topic: Mixed Topics
Ivan Lewis (Labour, Centre-left): I pay tribute to the right hon. Gentleman for the work that he did in Northern Ireland. People have a great deal of respect for the contribution that he made May I ask the right hon. Gentleman a specific question? If, at the same time as corporation tax is devolved, the skills budget is slashed and there is inadequate investment in Northern Ireland’s infrastructure, what will the consequences be for the foreign direct investment that he keeps going on about?
Young People in Care — House of Commons, 2015-01-27
Topic: Mixed Topics
Lisa Eva Nandy (Labour, Centre-left): I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for giving way and to the Education Committee for producing this important report. It is more than a decade since I worked with Hammersmith and Fulham council to phase out the use of bed-and-breakfast accommodation for vulnerable 16 and 17-year-olds, including care leavers. Given our special and unique responsibility to these young people who rely on the state to keep them safe, and the fact that councils such as Hammersmith and Fulham showed over a decade ago that it could be done, surely the time has come to outlaw the use of bed-and-breakfast accommodation for these young people. Does the hon. Gentleman agree that such accommodation is entirely unsuitable?
Young People in Care — House of Commons, 2015-01-27
Topic: Mixed Topics
Stephen James McCabe (Labour, Centre-left): I would welcome that, and I urge the Minister to think again Finally, there is general consensus that bed-and-breakfast accommodation is unacceptable and that a deadline must be set for phasing it out altogether, although I acknowledge that that cannot happen until more work has been done on developing alternatives. I welcome the fact that the Minister has set a maximum of two days for the time a child can spend in a bed and breakfast. How will that guideline be monitored, because that will be the first test of whether it is having any impact I must say that I am disappointed that the Minister does not seem to have accepted the need to set a date by which the use of bed and breakfasts must be phased out. I welcome the decision to collect more data on the use of this arrangement, although I am not clear why he did not accept the suggestion that the Department simply mirror the current arrangement for housing authorities to report to the Department for Communities and Local Government. It seems to me that that is a tried and tested system, so it would make sense and be quite helpful to repeat it Will the Minister say when the Department will commence work with stakeholders to understand the issues better, as was mentioned in the Government response? When can we expect to see substantial progress? The use of bed and breakfasts for vulnerable young people who need care must rank alongside other great housing scandals of the past, such as those highlighted by the drama "Cathy Come Home". I do not accept that it has a continuing place in the plans to care for vulnerable young people I again thank the Committee for its excellent report and the Minister for the Government response, but I feel that there is more to do before we can be satisfied that the arrangements for children over the age of 16—for whom we, the state, are responsible—are adequately cared for
Young People in Care — House of Commons, 2015-01-27
Topic: Housing
Alexander Cunningham (Labour, Centre-left): The Minister will recollect the story that the Chair and I shared about the young woman in extremely unsuitable accommodation. She was there for some time, with men braying at the door trying to gain entry. If the current inspection regime is not stopping that sort of thing, what will the Minister do to ensure that it does not happen again in future?
Counter-Terrorism: Conflict Zones — House of Commons, 2015-03-02
Topic: Mixed Topics
Keith Anthony Vaz (Labour, Centre-left): I am sure that the Home Secretary has heard the anguished pleas of the parents of Shamina, Kadiza and Amira, the three London schoolgirls who have left this country. They left on the Tuesday, but the Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey says that the Turkish authorities in Istanbul were not informed until three days later. I accept that the embassy in London may have been alerted, but this is something that should have gone straight to Istanbul. Will she look again at the circumstances so that we know exactly what the facts are, and will she look at a recommendation made by the Home Affairs Committee, which is that police spotters need to be placed in Istanbul, a destination of concern, so that immediate action can be taken if young girls disappear in this way?
Counter-Terrorism: Conflict Zones — House of Commons, 2015-03-02
Topic: Immigration
Stephen John Doughty (Labour, Centre-left): The Home Secretary failed to answer the question from my right hon. Friend the Member for Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford (Yvette Cooper) about airlines and airline checks. A number of Members from all parties have been raising this concern for some months; I raised it in relation to constituents of mine who had travelled to Syria, tragically, to fight. Will the Home Secretary explain whether specific arrangements are in place with commercial airlines flying to Turkey and Cyprus, specifically with Turkish airlines?
Devolution in England — House of Commons, 2015-03-02
Topic: Mixed Topics
Deborah Angela Elspeth Marie Abrahams (Labour, Centre-left): Is my hon. Friend concerned about how the Government have pushed through this undemocratic process in terms of what has happened in Greater Manchester and the NHS, because it seems to be completely at odds with the process of increasing democratic involvement?
Defence and Security Review (NATO) — House of Commons, 2015-03-02
Topic: Mixed Topics
Michael John Gapes (Labour, Centre-left): The hon. Gentleman referred to Estonia. Clearly, under article 5 of the NATO treaty all the other 27 member states would have an obligation to respond to an armed attack on Estonia, but there is a level of ambiguity, given the hybrid warfare that the Russians are engaged in and have been engaged in—cyber-attacks and others. Given that Putin does not necessarily wish to invoke a major military conflict, how does NATO deal with those hybrid attacks?
Defence and Security Review (NATO) — House of Commons, 2015-03-02
Topic: Other
Lindsay Harvey Hoyle (Labour, Centre-left): Order. I am going to have to put a time limit on speeches, because we are drifting, and it was suggested earlier that Members should speak for up to 10 minutes. Sir Hugh, I assume that you will soon be coming to the end of your speech.
Flood Defences — House of Commons, 2015-03-12
Topic: Public Lands
Questions: I am grateful to the Secretary of State for publishing the flood protection investment figures as official statistics, for which I asked in the House more than a year ago. They show, as I claimed, that over the past three years the Government have cut the amount spent on flood protection by £350 million, compared with the amount they inherited. The really interesting thing is that although the figures show the amount rising this year to £469 million, they show it falling immediately after the election to £370 million. Is that because the Government believe flood risks will fall by 20% next year—or is it just pre-election cynicism?
Ian Lavery (Labour, Centre-left): The residents of Morpeth in my constituency are delighted with the actions of the Environment Agency and the near completion of the flood alleviation scheme, but they are really concerned about flood risk insurance. What stage are we at in the discussions and negotiations on Flood Re and other affordable insurance schemes?
Hunting Act 2004 — House of Commons, 2015-03-12
Topic: Mixed Topics
Paul Phillip Flynn (Labour, Centre-left): Despite Tory hysteria, the Hunting Act did not reduce the pageantry of hunting or result in the mass slaughter of horses or hounds. What it did do was reduce greatly the sadistic torment of the chase and the kill. Is the nasty party really going to campaign in the election to bring cruelty back into hunting?
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2015-03-12
Topic: Mixed Topics
Questions: Will the Secretary of State confirm that her Department is on course to have cut red tape for farmers by cutting guidance by 80% and by reducing the number of farm inspections by 34,000 during this Parliament? When she is returned after 7 May, will she ensure that cutting red tape includes making it easier and cheaper for my Nottinghamshire farmers and riparian owners to maintain the streams and rivers that protect the countryside?; I hope that the Minister’s office passed on notice of my question; I appreciate that it is quite obscure. Musicians face anxiety when they travel to the United States because if their instruments contain even small amounts of ivory they fall foul of the convention on international trade in endangered species regulations. Will the Minister assure me that CITES certificates will be recognised by the US authorities and, in the longer term, may we perhaps look at an exemption for vintage instruments? I think that mother of pearl as well as ivory is an issue.; So much done, so much still to do. Will my right hon. Friend commit to giving statutory status as consultees to water companies for fracking, major developments and houses and roads? In the time available, what will she look back on and see as her Department’s major achievement over the past five years?; With so many large infrastructure projects in the pipeline, what input has the Secretary of State had in looking at the cumulative environmental impact of projects such as High Speed 2 and airport expansion? How many meetings has she had with the Department for Transport and HS2 Ltd, and how regular are those meetings?
Ian Lavery (Labour, Centre-left): The Minister will be aware of the current price war in the supermarkets with regard to the price of a loaf of bread. Sainsbury’s is selling Hovis at 75p a loaf. What can Ministers do to ensure that that does not adversely impact people working in the baking industry?
Living Wage — House of Commons, 2015-03-12
Topic: Civil Rights
Benjamin Peter James Bradshaw (Labour, Centre-left): Given that completely satisfactory answer, Mr Speaker, may I dispense with my supplementary question and simply, through you, thank the right hon. Gentleman for the superb job he has done as Second Church Estates Commissioner? He should be aware that millions of Anglicans and non-Anglicans across the world, but particularly our fantastic women priests, have him to thank for having saved the Church of England from itself in its original debacle over women bishops. On their behalf, thank you.
Petrochemical Companies — House of Commons, 2015-03-12
Topic: Civil Rights
Kerry Gillian McCarthy (Labour, Centre-left): I thank the right hon. Gentleman for that reply. It is an honour to be the last person ever to ask him a question. It is just a shame that we are not talking about bats, as we usually do I know that the right hon. Gentleman feels that some progress has been made on this issue, but others have said that the Church of England is rather dragging its feet. Will he heed the calls of Archbishop Desmond Tutu to show strong moral leadership on this issue and report back sooner rather than later?
Defence Spending — House of Commons, 2015-03-12
Topic: Mixed Topics
Paul Phillip Flynn (Labour, Centre-left): I am following the hon. Gentleman’s speech with great admiration. He talks about banishing demons. There are 632 demons that we cannot banish: those who will be commemorated tomorrow; those who died as a result of terrible mistakes made in this Chamber that sent them to Helmand and Iraq. Should we not acknowledge the dreadful delusions, under which we have been operating for the past 12 years, which created those disasters, before we repeat them?
Defence Spending — House of Commons, 2015-03-12
Topic: Other
Dawn Primarolo (Labour, Centre-left): Order. May I remind hon. Members that we need to conclude the debate by 3.30 pm to allow for the Front-Bench contributions? That means that we have about an hour, with six speakers in the Chamber at the moment. If each Member aims for about eight minutes, we will comfortably get there; otherwise the last few speakers will have their time severely squeezed. That would not be particularly fair, so I ask for co-operation.
Education Regulations and Faith Schools — House of Commons, 2015-03-12
Topic: Civil Rights
Kevin Denis Brennan (Labour, Centre-left): Does the hon. Gentleman agree that the problems have arisen partly because of the knee-jerk way with which British values were introduced last summer? In fact, the requirement is actively to promote not other faiths, but respect for, and tolerance of, other faiths. If this had not been introduced in such a rush and with such a knee-jerk reaction, perhaps that would be better understood throughout the system.
Foreign Criminals (Deportation) — House of Commons, 2015-02-09
Topic: Immigration
James Ian Mearns (Labour, Centre-left): In response to my hon. Friend the Member for Huddersfield (Mr Sheerman) a couple of weeks ago, the Leader of the House was good enough to recognise the importance of the rights of children in deportation and removal cases. Does the Minister think it right that the Government are having more success in removing innocent children born in this country than in removing criminals from outside the country?
Modern Slavery — House of Commons, 2015-02-09
Topic: Immigration
Stephen James McCabe (Labour, Centre-left): Is the Minister at all concerned at the failure to ensure that the monitoring of private fostering arrangements for children from abroad actually takes place, which means that we could be missing completely a potential level of modern slavery?
Terrorism — House of Commons, 2015-02-09
Topic: Civil Rights
Questions: On tackling extremism and terrorism, will the Government work according to the 2013 report on tackling extremism, which emphasised the need for freedom of expression and respect for faiths? If that is the case, does the Home Secretary agree that we need to be careful not to mock people’s faith, as this can lead to intolerance and play into the hands of extremists and terrorists
Katherine Anne Green (Labour, Centre-left): Since the appalling attacks in Paris, my Muslim constituents have been talking to me about the climate of suspicion and hostility in which some of them feel they are living. We also know that Jewish communities are feeling more victimised and fearful of anti-Semitic attacks. What can the Government do to promote and strengthen relationships among our many very valued communities? Of course the deradicalisation and Prevent programmes are important, but there is a very important positive programme to be promoted as well.
Radicalisation and Extremism — House of Commons, 2015-02-09
Topic: Civil Rights
Jeremy Bernard Corbyn (Labour, Centre-left): Will the Minister join me in congratulating the many voluntary organisations that stand up against racism, anti-Semitism and Islamophobia? Does he agree that we all have a duty to stand up against all such forms of racism and extremism, as well as against those far right extremists who are promoting racism within our society at the present time?
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2015-02-09
Topic: Civil Rights
Questions: May I take this opportunity to welcome the Government’s Serious Crime Bill? Among other measures, it will improve the safety of my constituents on the Isle of Wight and in other coastal communities by giving police and others the powers they need to really go after the Mr Bigs and organised crime gangs, including those that import illegal drugs?; I suspected earlier that the Home Secretary would seek to blame somebody else for her cuts, but she is responsible for a reduction in Greater Manchester police’s budget of £134 million with a further £157 million to come out in the next three years. Will she acknowledge that it does not free up police time for officers to parade in one part of the division only to have to travel to another part of the division for their beat? Or is it that her mantra of freeing up police time is precisely what I suspect it is—bluster?; My right hon. Friend will be aware that in Harlow we have had more than 100 illegal Traveller encampments over the past year, causing huge amounts of misery for local residents. The chief constable of Essex says that he does not have enough powers to deal with that and cites the human rights of the Travellers. Will my right hon. Friend meet the chief constable and set out what powers there are for him to deal with this problem?; The Home Secretary will recall that working towards departure dates was a key strategy in dealing with last year’s passport crisis. My constituent, Mr Reed, applied for his passport this year well within the time scale. When it did not arrive, he contacted my office. We contacted the Passport Office with a week to go and were told that the Passport Office is no longer working to departure dates but has reverted to processing passports on the basis of when they are received, rather than when they are needed. As a result, my constituent lost his holiday. Another summer is coming. Will the Passport Office be using departure dates in an effort to avoid the crisis that we saw last year?; I welcome my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary’s announcement today of a review of visa arrangements for people coming from overseas to work in people’s homes. Can she provide the House with a few more details about the review, including timings?
Jeremy Bernard Corbyn (Labour, Centre-left): In 2010 the House passed the Equality Act, which required the Department to undertake research into discrimination by caste and descent in the UK. Such discrimination has been proved by the research, but no regulation has yet been introduced and, as I understand it, the Department is consulting for a further two years or more in order to avoid placing regulations before the House. Will the Home Secretary give an undertaking that those regulations will be brought forward to outlaw this form of discrimination in this country?
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2015-02-09
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Questions: May I take this opportunity to welcome the Government’s Serious Crime Bill? Among other measures, it will improve the safety of my constituents on the Isle of Wight and in other coastal communities by giving police and others the powers they need to really go after the Mr Bigs and organised crime gangs, including those that import illegal drugs?; I suspected earlier that the Home Secretary would seek to blame somebody else for her cuts, but she is responsible for a reduction in Greater Manchester police’s budget of £134 million with a further £157 million to come out in the next three years. Will she acknowledge that it does not free up police time for officers to parade in one part of the division only to have to travel to another part of the division for their beat? Or is it that her mantra of freeing up police time is precisely what I suspect it is—bluster?; My right hon. Friend will be aware that in Harlow we have had more than 100 illegal Traveller encampments over the past year, causing huge amounts of misery for local residents. The chief constable of Essex says that he does not have enough powers to deal with that and cites the human rights of the Travellers. Will my right hon. Friend meet the chief constable and set out what powers there are for him to deal with this problem?; The Home Secretary will recall that working towards departure dates was a key strategy in dealing with last year’s passport crisis. My constituent, Mr Reed, applied for his passport this year well within the time scale. When it did not arrive, he contacted my office. We contacted the Passport Office with a week to go and were told that the Passport Office is no longer working to departure dates but has reverted to processing passports on the basis of when they are received, rather than when they are needed. As a result, my constituent lost his holiday. Another summer is coming. Will the Passport Office be using departure dates in an effort to avoid the crisis that we saw last year?; I welcome my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary’s announcement today of a review of visa arrangements for people coming from overseas to work in people’s homes. Can she provide the House with a few more details about the review, including timings?
Fiona Margaret Mactaggart (Labour, Centre-left): The Minister will be aware that one in 20 cardholders in Britain have been victims of plastic fraud and that levels of fraud reported by Action Fraud have gone up by 10% over the past year. She says that she is trying hard to do something. When will she succeed?
Tax Avoidance (HSBC) — House of Commons, 2015-02-09
Topic: Other
Jenny Chapman (Labour, Centre-left): Will the Minister confirm that he first received the files on this issue in 2010, and explain why in the past five years he has not seen fit to come to the House and share information about it? Indeed, he would not be here today had he not been dragged here by the Opposition.