argyrotsipi/train-dataset huggingface dataset:
Syria: Refugees and Counter-terrorism — House of Commons, 2015-09-07
Topic: International Affairs
William Nigel Paul Cash (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend the Member for Reigate (Crispin Blunt) was quite right to emphasise the World Food Programme and the fact that many other European countries have simply not subscribed enough. The website for the World Food Programme demonstrates that the United Kingdom has given twice as much as Germany over the past year and 45% more than Germany over the past five years. Perhaps that is something the Prime Minister would like to take up with Angela Merkel.
Syria: Refugees and Counter-terrorism — House of Commons, 2015-09-07
Topic: International Affairs
David William Donald Cameron (Conservative, Centre-right): Everyone in Europe is taking action, and it is important that, collectively, we work together to deliver what is needed. On the issue of providing resources not just to the World Food Programme and to Syrian refugee camps but to the countries from which these people are coming in order to stabilise them, there is no doubt in my mind that Britain is leading the way.
Syria: Refugees and Counter-terrorism — House of Commons, 2015-09-07
Topic: International Affairs
Julian Murray Lewis (Conservative, Centre-right): My right hon. Friends the Members for Sutton Coldfield (Mr Mitchell) and for North Somerset (Dr Fox) have both raised the possibility of safe havens in Syria itself to stem the flow of refugees at source. If this is to work, it would require a United Nations mandate, which would require the support of Russia. Do the Government recognise that remaining fixated on removing Assad puts a bar on any solution of this sort? Will the Government make up their mind that the main threat to our interest is Daesh? If so, we can then proceed to have a genuinely international coalition and agreement against that main threat.
Syria: Refugees and Counter-terrorism — House of Commons, 2015-09-07
Topic: International Affairs
David William Donald Cameron (Conservative, Centre-right): I very much respect my right hon. Friend’s views, but on this occasion I do not agree with him on two grounds. I do not think it is right to look at Syria and say that we have to choose between ISIL or Assad. It would be a great mistake to think that because Assad is perhaps the lesser of two evils we should back him. Assad is one of the chief recruiting sergeants for ISIL because of the butchery of his own people. I do not think there is a workable proposal for safe havens as things stand today, but it has been possible in past times to intervene in that way to try to keep people safe. If you were acting to try to alleviate a humanitarian emergency, you could act in that way, but the problem is that safe havens would require a large military intervention, and a large military intervention that I do not currently believe is the right answer.
Syria: Refugees and Counter-terrorism — House of Commons, 2015-09-07
Topic: International Affairs
James Gerald Douglas Howarth (Conservative, Centre-right): May I commend the Prime Minister for his measured and reasonable response to what has sometimes been an hysterical clamour for something to be done without a specific plan for what that something should be. I can tell him that in Aldershot we have no spare accommodation; I spoke to my local authority this morning and was told that it has no assets, and the private rented market is completely saturated. That is the reality there. My right hon. Friend the Member for New Forest East (Dr Lewis) is absolutely right that if we are to deliver a comprehensive solution, which is what the Prime Minister has called for, we need to resolve the problem in Syria. Unless we engage with Russia, which has made it crystal clear that it will not resile from its support for Assad, and get everyone around the table—regional leaders, the Americans and ourselves—we will not be able to do that. I commend the Prime Minister. He has a job to do, and I think that he will do it brilliantly.
Syria: Refugees and Counter-terrorism — House of Commons, 2015-09-07
Topic: International Affairs
David William Donald Cameron (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank my hon. Friend. He is right that resolving the problem in Syria will take engagement with all the parties he mentioned. The argument that I would make to the Russians is that nobody benefits from the immense boost that is being given to Islamist extremist violence by what is happening in Syria. Russia, in time, will feel the pain of that just as we do, so I think that there are some common interests. He is right that, as well as showing heart and welcoming people to our country, we now need to go through all the practicalities of making sure that we can give them that very good welcome.
Syria: Refugees and Counter-terrorism — House of Commons, 2015-09-07
Topic: International Affairs
David William Donald Cameron (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right to draw the House’s attention to the fact that President Assad and his forces are still using chemical weapons against their own people and that barrel bombs have been used on a number of occasions. I came to the House after seeing pictures of dead children who had been gassed by Assad, and I suggested that we take military action. The House did not agree on that occasion, but I hope that when it comes to future discussions we will think very carefully about our national interests and how to keep this country safe, how to defeat terrorism and how to give the people of Syria the chance of a better future.
Syria: Refugees and Counter-terrorism — House of Commons, 2015-09-07
Topic: International Affairs
Daniel Robert Kawczynski (Conservative, Centre-right): I well remember when the Prime Minister came to this House to ask for authority to take action against President Assad. This Parliament decided to block him in that quest and has allowed President Assad to ethnically cleanse his own country. Does my right hon. Friend agree with me that his job in preventing Assad’s genocide is now much more difficult than it was two years ago, when he first proposed those measures?
Syria: Refugees and Counter-terrorism — House of Commons, 2015-09-07
Topic: International Affairs
David William Donald Cameron (Conservative, Centre-right): I am grateful for what my hon. Friend says, but we have to deal with the situation that faces us now. No one is arguing that military action is the only answer to the problem. We need a comprehensive solution, but at the end of the day, I am sure, the removal of ISIL from Syria will be in this nation’s interests.
Syria: Refugees and Counter-terrorism — House of Commons, 2015-09-07
Topic: Law and Crime
David William Donald Cameron (Conservative, Centre-right): The right hon. Gentleman is absolutely right about Europol, and we are putting in investment and working very closely with it. We are also putting National Crime Agency officials into the operations in Sicily and elsewhere to break up the criminal gangs. I would be very cautious, however, about his suggestion about Calais. Anything that suggests that Calais will become a processing centre for people to come to the United Kingdom would simply make the situation there worse. We need to explain to people that coming to Calais and trying to get through the tunnel is not the way to get to the United Kingdom. That is what all the security and the defences are about, and we should keep them up.
Syria: Refugees and Counter-terrorism — House of Commons, 2015-09-07
Topic: International Affairs
David William Donald Cameron (Conservative, Centre-right): The right hon. Lady is right to draw attention to the connection between what happens in Kobane, with the liberation of that town by Kurdish forces, and the opportunity for people to return. There is a connection between what happens on the ground in Syria militarily and this refugee crisis The second point I would make is that Britain’s generosity on this issue did not start five minutes, five days or five weeks ago. Our generosity started with our decision to pursue 0.7% of GDP for aid, even at a time of austerity, and our decision to be the second largest bilateral aid donor to those Syrian refugee camps—beaten only by the United States of America. We give more than Germany, more than France and many times more than most other major European countries. This money is a measure of our compassion and sympathy, because it has saved many, many lives.
Syria: Refugees and Counter-terrorism — House of Commons, 2015-09-07
Topic: International Affairs
Jonathan Simon Djanogly (Conservative, Centre-right): For clarification, is my right hon. Friend saying that in the event of the destruction of Daesh the flow of refugees from Syria is unlikely to recede unless we also see the end of Assad’s regime?
Syria: Refugees and Counter-terrorism — House of Commons, 2015-09-07
Topic: International Affairs
David William Donald Cameron (Conservative, Centre-right): We will certainly look at that. As I have said, we should look at vulnerable groups. That can include Yazidis, Christians and others who are vulnerable not just in Syria right now but, potentially, in the situations in which they find themselves outside Syria.
Syria: Refugees and Counter-terrorism — House of Commons, 2015-09-07
Topic: International Affairs
Stephen Charles Brine (Conservative, Centre-right): My constituents will warmly welcome what the Prime Minister has said today. They do care that we are generous and I know that they will do their bit if they can. He spoke about causes. There is no question but that the exodus from Syria is down to the chaos that reigns in that country. There has been a lot of talk of moral obligations in my postbag over the past few weeks. Does this country have a moral obligation to join the military coalition that is operating in Syria?
Syria: Refugees and Counter-terrorism — House of Commons, 2015-09-07
Topic: International Affairs
David William Donald Cameron (Conservative, Centre-right): I think that we have an obligation to act in a way that will reduce the pressure on these people and that will further our national interests and make us more safe. We therefore have to debate and discuss in this House not only how many refugees we should take and what we are doing in terms of humanitarian aid, but what we can do to help degrade and ultimately destroy ISIL. There is no doubt that the ISIL fanatics are dedicated to doing us harm. Therefore, what we are doing in Iraq is right, it is right that we support the action that others are taking in Syria, and we need a debate about whether we should do more to help with that.
Syria: Refugees and Counter-terrorism — House of Commons, 2015-09-07
Topic: International Affairs
Alec Shelbrooke (Conservative, Centre-right): ISIL does not recognise the boundaries of Syria and any Russian intervention would be to support the Assad regime alone. On that basis, will my right hon. Friend assure the House that we will carry on supporting the countries that surround Syria, such as Lebanon and Jordan, which are taking in the refugees?
Syria: Refugees and Counter-terrorism — House of Commons, 2015-09-07
Topic: International Affairs
Andrew Tyrie (Conservative, Centre-right): Given that at least part of the humanitarian crisis derives from regional instability caused by the Iraq war, I welcome the Prime Minister’s statement, because we bear a particular responsibility for it. Does he agree that the US, which contributes only half as much as the UK in Syrian aid as a proportion of GDP, and which has accepted scarcely any asylum seekers at all, should now also respond and do more, and will he ask the US Administration to do so?
Syria: Refugees and Counter-terrorism — House of Commons, 2015-09-07
Topic: International Affairs
David William Donald Cameron (Conservative, Centre-right): I obviously look forward to discussing this matter with President Obama, but let us be fair, the US is the largest aid donor to Syria, and I am sure we will go on encouraging it and others to do more, just as we have kept our promise about the 0.7%.
Syria: Refugees and Counter-terrorism — House of Commons, 2015-09-07
Topic: Law and Crime
David William Donald Cameron (Conservative, Centre-right): I can certainly give that assurance. It is important to select people who are genuinely vulnerable and need to be saved. We will be careful not to accept people who might support extremist or terrorist views.
Syria: Refugees and Counter-terrorism — House of Commons, 2015-09-07
Topic: International Affairs
Oliver James Dowden (Conservative, Centre-right): I welcome the Prime Minister’s willingness to use the aid budget for exactly what it was intended to achieve—helping people in crisis right now. Will he ensure that as the aid budget, thanks to our strong economy, continues to grow, he retains the flexibility to use it for similar crises in the future?
Syria: Refugees and Counter-terrorism — House of Commons, 2015-09-07
Topic: International Affairs
David William Donald Cameron (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend is absolutely right. The aid budget is there to help the most vulnerable, the weak and the poorest in our world, and that should include the first-year costs of people to whom our country is giving refuge and asylum. Yes, we will go on making sure—this will be part of the spending review—that the aid budget addresses some of the causes of instability and insecurity in our world, because that is a way of stopping some of these problems before they happen.
Syria: Refugees and Counter-terrorism — House of Commons, 2015-09-07
Topic: International Affairs
David William Donald Cameron (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend is right. In order to solve the problem, we need to see an end to ISIL in Iraq and Syria. This is a terrorist state: it is a state that terrorises its people, that throws gay people off buildings, that terrorises women. No wonder people are fleeing from it. It is unthinkable, in my view, that we will ever see a solution to the problems in Syria and Iraq while ISIL still exists. The role that we are playing at the moment is that of helping those who are taking direct military action, while providing military action in Iraq, but of course we must discuss and debate in the House whether we are to go further.
Syria: Refugees and Counter-terrorism — House of Commons, 2015-09-07
Topic: Social Welfare
David William Donald Cameron (Conservative, Centre-right): I think that, apart from the last bit, the hon. Lady has made a very good point. We will ensure—for instance, through the devolved Administrations—that the scheme that we come up with with local councils enables voluntary groups and others who want to volunteer to try to harness their enthusiasm.
Syria: Refugees and Counter-terrorism — House of Commons, 2015-09-07
Topic: International Affairs
Jason McCartney (Conservative, Centre-right): I welcome my right hon. Friend’s statement. What more can be done to encourage Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar to play a greater role? Will my right hon. Friend join me in praising the Kurdistan Regional Government, who are currently supporting 1.8 million Syrian refugees and other displaced people who are currently in northern Iraq, in various refugee camps?
Syria: Refugees and Counter-terrorism — House of Commons, 2015-09-07
Topic: Law and Crime
David William Donald Cameron (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend is absolutely right to highlight that issue. We are working with European partners, particularly through the operation centre in Sicily, where we are bringing to bear our expertise in combating the people traffickers. European action, of which we are part, is under way.
Syria: Refugees and Counter-terrorism — House of Commons, 2015-09-07
Topic: Government Operations
David William Donald Cameron (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend makes an excellent suggestion. The point of the committee chaired by the Home Secretary and the Communities Secretary will be to take into account what local authorities can do and what voluntary bodies and charities can do, but also to listen to the suggestions of hon. Members.
Syria: Refugees and Counter-terrorism — House of Commons, 2015-09-07
Topic: International Affairs
John Luther Mercer (Conservative, Centre-right): I warmly welcome the Prime Minister’s statement, and may I take this opportunity to pay tribute to the operators and those who endure what we ask them to in order to execute these strikes? Does the Prime Minister agree that we now have to win the argument about dealing with ISIS? We have seen the tragic events over the past few months, and we must now use that momentum to push ahead, win this debate and deal with the core cause of this: ISIS and President Assad.
Syria: Refugees and Counter-terrorism — House of Commons, 2015-09-07
Topic: International Affairs
David William Donald Cameron (Conservative, Centre-right): I commend my hon. Friend for what he has written and said about this, and I thank him for what he says now I believe that we will benefit if ISIL is degraded in Iraq and Syria. We are taking an active part in Iraq and helping in Syria; the question is, should we go further? I feel that one of the problems of the last debate was that many colleagues on both sides of the House said to me, "I simply felt I couldn’t vote for this action against Assad and chemical weapons because of what happened over Iraq." I totally understand that, but we have now got to get over that and recognise that it is in our interests as a country for ISIL to be degraded and ultimately destroyed. We are playing a proud part, but I would like us to do more. Let us separate this from the issue of the Iraq war and act in our national interest now, with partners, to get rid of this dreadful terrorist organisation.
Syria: Refugees and Counter-terrorism — House of Commons, 2015-09-07
Topic: International Affairs
David Henry Rutley (Conservative, Centre-right): What steps are being taken to warn President Putin about the implications of his plans further to support the Assad regime, which will only lead to the expansion of Islamic terrorism? It is bad news for the middle east, for the UK and for Russia.
Syria: Refugees and Counter-terrorism — House of Commons, 2015-09-07
Topic: International Affairs
David William Donald Cameron (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend is absolutely right. We need to continue discussions with the Russians. As I have said, in the long run the growth of Islamist extremist violence is bad for Russia, just as it is bad for the United Kingdom.
Syria: Refugees and Counter-terrorism — House of Commons, 2015-09-07
Topic: International Affairs
David William Donald Cameron (Conservative, Centre-right): Obviously, we will start with the use of the aid budget, which covers the first year, and then the committee, to be chaired by the Home Secretary and the Communities Secretary, will look at what more needs to be done to make sure that these people can be properly looked after.
Syria: Refugees and Counter-terrorism — House of Commons, 2015-09-07
Topic: International Affairs
Jeremy John Elton Lefroy (Conservative, Centre-right): May I warmly thank the Prime Minister for his decision and will he join me in thanking, alongside the Kurdish Regional Government, the people of Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, Turkey and other countries that have taken in millions, supported by the UK and other countries, over the past four years?
Syria: Refugees and Counter-terrorism — House of Commons, 2015-09-07
Topic: International Affairs
Graham Evans (Conservative, Centre-right): I welcome my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister’s statement, and I am sure that the whole House welcomes the £1 billion of British taxpayers’ money that is being committed to humanitarian aid in and around Syria. Does he agree that the French and the Germans need to match that commitment, and more? Does he also agree that Germany’s open-door policy gives a green light to the human traffickers who are directly responsible for so much human tragedy in the Mediterranean?
Syria: Refugees and Counter-terrorism — House of Commons, 2015-09-07
Topic: International Affairs
Atta-Ur-Rehman Chishti (Conservative, Centre-right): The Prime Minister said that the thinking on safe havens was the "right sort of thinking". On 28 November 2011, I asked the then Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether we could have safe havens in Syria for the protection of civilians. He replied that there was no "imminent plan" for such safe havens. Why did we not push harder for safe havens at that time? Which countries objected to them? And what is the timeline for the present plan for safe havens that would allow people to be protected on their doorstep from Assad and from Daesh?
Syria: Refugees and Counter-terrorism — House of Commons, 2015-09-07
Topic: International Affairs
Thomas Georg John Tugendhat (Conservative, Centre-right): I welcome my right hon. Friend’s comments on the generosity of the British people through the aid budget. It is extremely welcome that, as the second biggest donor, we are finally getting recognised for the efforts that we have made alongside the Turks, the Lebanese, the Jordanians and the Iraqis. May I urge him to work with our regional NATO partners in the area to enable them to do more, not only financially but militarily? They are capable, and they have the necessary troops and weapons to do more.
Syria: Refugees and Counter-terrorism — House of Commons, 2015-09-07
Topic: International Affairs
David William Donald Cameron (Conservative, Centre-right): I will tell the hon. Gentleman the action that this country and this Government have taken: meeting the 0.7% of GDP for our aid budget when no other major country in the world has done it. That has saved countless lives and this country can be proud of it. Before we listen to all these lectures about acting too late, we should recall that it was this Government who put the money into the refugee camps and sorted out the 0.7% of GDP, and it is this Government who are now saying we should take 20,000 Syrian refugees.
Syria: Refugees and Counter-terrorism — House of Commons, 2015-09-07
Topic: Law and Crime
David William Donald Cameron (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend makes a very good point; that is a key part of our work against these criminal gangs, and an increasing number of countries are looking at the legislation passed here to see whether they can imitate it.
Syria: Refugees and Counter-terrorism — House of Commons, 2015-09-07
Topic: International Affairs
David William Donald Cameron (Conservative, Centre-right): The difference is that, of course, in Iraq there is at least a Government who govern part of that country, and there are safe spaces to go in that country, whereas in Syria people are caught between the horrors of ISIL and the terrors of Assad.
Syria: Refugees and Counter-terrorism — House of Commons, 2015-09-07
Topic: International Affairs
Helen Olivia Bicknell Whately (Conservative, Centre-right): As the Prime Minister has pointed out, the vast majority of refugees are in camps near Syria, and I welcome his long-term commitment to substantial aid for these people. Will he advise us on whether a share of that aid can be used to help refugees develop the skills that will be needed to rebuild Syria in due course, as everything possible needs to be done to bring about a durable peace when, eventually, military conflict ends?
Syria: Refugees and Counter-terrorism — House of Commons, 2015-09-07
Topic: Social Welfare
Rebecca Faye Clark (Pow) (Conservative, Centre-right): I commend the Prime Minister for giving children, especially orphans, priority in today’s statement. We have had heart-rending pictures and stories of children, and I have been contacted by many of my constituents, all reiterating that we must be humanitarian, as children are our future. Will the Prime Minister please reiterate his assurances that we will do our very best for those orphans and children?