argyrotsipi/train-dataset huggingface dataset:
Engagements — House of Commons, 2016-07-06
Topic: International Affairs
Questions: On a day when significant questions have been levelled at the collective decision making of politicians, military leaders and intelligence services, many of our constituents will be seeking reassurance that the lives of their loved ones were not given in vain, and that the mistakes that were made will never happen again. Will the Prime Minister ensure that the lessons learned will be fully examined and acted upon so that the tragic mistakes made over a decade ago can never be repeated?
Angus Robertson (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): The Chilcot report catalogues the failures in planning for post-conflict Iraq and then concludes that: "The UK did not achieve its objectives" That lack of planning has also been evident in relation to Afghanistan, Libya, Syria and, most recently, with no plan whatsoever, to Brexit. When will the UK Government actually start learning from the mistakes of the past so that we are not condemned to repeating them in future?
Report of the Iraq Inquiry — House of Commons, 2016-07-06
Topic: International Affairs
Alexander Elliot Anderson Salmond (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): Chilcot has concluded that this country did not go to war as a last resort, that the authority of the United Nations was undermined and that the chaos and carnage that has ensued can partly be explained by the complete lack of planning for the aftermath. Given that we now know from Chilcot of the memo written by the then Prime Minister on 28 July to George W. Bush, saying, "I will be with you, whatever", I do not understand how that is in any way compatible with what was said to Parliament and people at the time. Amid all this stuff about improving processes, which I acknowledge as fantastically important, is it not at the end of the day people who make decisions, and in our search for responsibility would it not help if individuals who were responsible were held to account?
Report of the Iraq Inquiry — House of Commons, 2016-07-06
Topic: International Affairs
Brendan O'Hara (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): As the right hon. Member for Haltemprice and Howden (Mr Davis) said earlier, John Chilcot today confirmed the existence of a dirty deal between Tony Blair and President Bush to pursue regime change in Iraq months before the matter came to the Floor of this House. Given that, will the Prime Minister join me in demanding that Tony Blair apologise unreservedly to the families of the 179 UK service personnel killed and to the hundreds of thousands of Iraqi civilians who also died? Will the Prime Minister also join me in asking Mr Blair to apologise to the British public, whose faith in the democratic process has been fatally undermined by this whole sorry affair?
Report of the Iraq Inquiry — House of Commons, 2016-07-06
Topic: International Affairs
Peter Wishart (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): Hundreds of thousands of deaths, a region destabilised, a generation radicalised, a House deceived by a fabricated case for war—all of that is indelibly linked with one man, who may as well have "Iraq" tattooed on his forehead. Someone must be held to account for what has happened over the course of the past few years.
Report of the Iraq Inquiry — House of Commons, 2016-07-06
Topic: International Affairs
Alan Brown (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): With regard to lessons learned, may I ask the Prime Minister to reflect on the situation in Syria? The original proposal was for airstrikes against Assad, but later there was a vote for airstrikes against Daesh. Voices in the House today have said that it was the inaction the first time that left the chaos in Syria just now, which is just inconceivable. With regard to post-conflict planning, I urge the Prime Minister to ensure that there is a properly costed plan in place for post-conflict Syria, and one to which all foreign powers have signed up and pledged the right amount of financial support.
Points of Order — House of Commons, 2016-07-06
Topic: Social Welfare
Alison Emily Thewliss (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. Earlier, in my question to the Prime Minister on tax credits, I specifically mentioned the two-child policy and the rape clause. I am sure he did not mean to mislead the House in his answer, but he said that the Scottish Parliament would be getting specific powers on welfare to cover those particular issues. In fact, that is not the case. The Scottish Parliament is getting only 15% of welfare powers, and the power to modify the tax credit system is not among those. I wonder, Madam Deputy Speaker, whether you could obtain an answer from the Prime Minister to put the record straight.
EU Nationals in the UK — House of Commons, 2016-07-06
Topic: Education
Joanna Catherine Cherry (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): My hon. Friend has talked about us cutting off our nose to spite our face. I met the principal of Edinburgh Napier University in my constituency last Friday and she has been advised that potential staff members from other EU countries are withdrawing from job offers. Does my hon. Friend agree that if this uncertainty is allowed to continue, it will seriously damage the university sector in Scotland and across the United Kingdom?
EU Nationals in the UK — House of Commons, 2016-07-06
Topic: Macroeconomics
William Arthur Roger Mullin (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): I always thought that it was rather fanciful thinking on the Government’s part that they knew what a long-term economic plan might look like. We need not a long-term economic plan, but short-term and immediate action for every EU national who lives in this country One lady wrote to me in concern because her husband is from Denmark and is anxious about what will happen to them. She asked, "Will our family be split up?" These are anxieties and the Minister might say, "Well, some of those anxieties are ill-founded." But the anxieties are not ill-founded if the Government lack clarity. If the Government decline to give the clarity and certainty they need, people’s uncertainty and their worries are perfectly legitimate. Minister, it is time to act. It is not too late: do the right thing, and do it now.
NHS Spending — House of Commons, 2016-07-06
Topic: Environment
Philippa Whitford (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): I was not on the planet in 1956, so I do not quite remember. We know from the recent cheating that there is a lot more work to be done on the control of car emissions, which cause a lot of ill health, but some of the progress in that area has come from EU regulation. Problems such as poor air quality and climate change cannot be dealt with by one country alone; we need to work together. In a health sense, we have had massive gains in the past 40 years, but politicians have never talked about that The EU has been a great whipping boy. All that the public have heard about the EU in the last 40 years is, "It wasnae my fault; the EU made me do it," or stories about straight bananas. That is the responsibility of everyone who has had access to a microphone or spoken in this place about the EU. We should not be surprised that when people had the £350 million figure drummed into them by it being on that bus and on the news every night, they would fall for it. The mainstream media have a lot to answer for in not challenging these figures and not asking, "Exactly what is your plan? Exactly where is that money going to come from?" We should not blame people who want extra money for the NHS for wishfully accepting those claims, even when the cracks appeared around the edges Part of the problem has been the quality of the debate. Several of my colleagues warned people who believed in remain not just to go for a "Project Fear" type campaign, and I think that running such a campaign was a mistake. People think that "Project Fear" worked in Scotland, but in actual fact Better Together support started, as a percentage, in the mid-60s and fell to 55%. We started at 27%, and we ended up at 45%. "Project Armageddon" clawed back a little bit in the last two weeks, when we were told that the supermarkets would go and the banks would go, and that we would have no money and no food to buy, but a negative campaign of saying that the sky will fall does not lead to success.
NHS Spending — House of Commons, 2016-07-06
Topic: International Affairs
Kirsty Ann Blackman (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): Throughout this referendum campaign, there were numerous times when the campaigns were deceitful. There were numerous times when things that could not be promised were promised. Today, the Vote Leave official Twitter page still has a headline that says: "We send the EU £350 million a week. Let’s fund our NHS instead." That is still on the Vote Leave Twitter page. In fact, they have not posted since the 23rd; I think they have screwed things up and run away I was a bit surprised that the Labour party’s motion did not mention the right hon. Member for Birmingham, Edgbaston (Ms Stuart), because when I looked up the £350 million claim, the first quote that came up was: "Every week we send £350 million to Brussels. I’d rather that we control how to spend that money, and if I had that control I would spend it on the NHS." That was said by the right hon. Lady, and it was patently untrue. BBC Radio 4’s "More or Less" looked at the statistics. For anyone who does not listen to the programme, I should say that it is rather excellent and tends to debunk what politicians say on a regular basis. It does not usually say something is actually false, however; it will say "It’s not quite right." But with this claim, it said that it was false.
Cross-examination of Vulnerable Witnesses — House of Commons, 2016-07-06
Topic: Law and Crime
Lisa Cameron (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): It is extremely important that children are able to give good and reliable evidence. Does the hon. Member agree that, as research indicates that children are suggestible, leading questions should not be used in the court process?
Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union — House of Commons, 2016-07-21
Topic: International Affairs
Martyn Day (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): The Prime Minister has stated that Brexit means Brexit, and the First Minister of Scotland has stated that, for us, remain means remain. Does the right hon. and learned Gentleman agree that the Scottish people have spoken and that therefore their sovereignty should be respected?
Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union — House of Commons, 2016-07-21
Topic: International Affairs
Alison Emily Thewliss (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): The Prime Minister has indicated that she will not trigger article 50 in the UK until there is a UK approach to Brexit. Does the right hon. and learned Gentleman agree that a legislative consent motion is required before the Government have the legal authority to trigger article 50?
Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union — House of Commons, 2016-07-21
Topic: International Affairs
Peter Grant (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): At a time when Brexit is already causing more than enough confusion, the Prime Minister is saying that article 50 will definitely not be triggered before the end of the year, but the Brexit Minister has said that it definitely will be. Will the Attorney General clarify for us who is correct in articulating present Government policy?
Single-tier State Pension — House of Commons, 2016-07-21
Topic: Labor
Gavin Andrew Stuart Newlands (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): I thank the Minister for that answer and welcome her to her place The new state pension will mean 350,000 women born between 1951 and 1953 retire on the old system, just before the new proposals come into force, whereas a man born on the same day will retire slightly later but receive a pension under the new arrangements. Does she agree that a pensions commission must urgently be established to end such inequalities?
Single-tier State Pension — House of Commons, 2016-07-21
Topic: Labor
Margaret Ferrier (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): The current review of the state pension age by John Cridland is critical to ensuring that the existing inequalities in the current pension system do not plague future retirees. Does the Minister agree that discrepancies in life expectancy, including among some of the poorest women in society and across the UK regions, must be closely examined to prevent gender inequalities?
Single-tier State Pension — House of Commons, 2016-07-21
Topic: Labor
Alan Brown (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): Forget the triple lock and the other measures to protect pensions that the Minister has just promoted; the simple fact is that according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies in future 14% of women will receive a lower income at state pension age than they would have under the current system. What discussions is the Minister having with colleagues from the Department for Work and Pensions to try to prevent that?
Welfare Policy: Gender Equality — House of Commons, 2016-07-21
Topic: Social Welfare
Alison Emily Thewliss (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): Engender has said that, since 2010, £26 billion of cuts to benefits, tax credits, pay and pensions have been made, and that 85% of that figure has come from women’s income. The statement made yesterday by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions confirms that the two-child policy and, presumably, the rape clause are carrying on. They will also have an effect on women’s incomes. What is the Minister doing to redress the balance?
Welfare Policy: Gender Equality — House of Commons, 2016-07-21
Topic: Macroeconomics
Angela Crawley (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): I welcome the Secretary of State and Ministers, new and existing, to their places. Prior to Brexit, the Secretary of State said that leaving the EU would cost the economy "a £36bn hit to tax receipts every year - it won’t just be public services squeezed, it will be our jobs, especially the livelihoods of people on lower incomes." We already know that 80% of welfare cuts fall on women. Can the Minister assure me that these cuts will not fall on women’s shoulders?
Welfare Policies: Effect on Disabled People — House of Commons, 2016-07-21
Topic: Social Welfare
Deidre Leanne Brock (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): The UN committee on economic, social and cultural rights recently called for the Government’s regressive cuts to social security to be reversed and for a comprehensive assessment of their impact on vulnerable women, children and disabled people. How would the Minister respond to these calls from the international community? Will she commit to raising these concerns with her colleagues in the Department for Work and Pensions so that these shameful cuts can be abandoned?
Welfare Policies: Effect on Disabled People — House of Commons, 2016-07-21
Topic: Labor
Marion Fellows (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): I welcome the Minister, a former colleague on the Education Select Committee, to her position. She will be aware of the Government’s long-promised Work and Health programme and of how disabled people are still awaiting publication of the Green Paper to map out what employment support will be made available for those with disabilities. Does she agree that her Government must now map out the timeline for publication and ensure that sufficient funding is made available for disabled people, who have borne the brunt of Tory austerity cuts?
Snares — House of Commons, 2016-07-21
Topic: Environment
Kirsten Frances Oswald (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): In all the matters that the hon. Gentleman has just laid out, the key concern for me and for the many constituents who contacted me is the welfare of wildlife. Does he agree that we should put that at the top of our priority list?
Snares — House of Commons, 2016-07-21
Topic: Law and Crime
Patrick John Grady (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): As the hon. Gentleman will be aware, much of this issue is devolved to the Scottish Parliament, but it remains a concern to many of our constituents and has been the subject of many complaints. Since 2013 it has been an offence to set a snare in Scotland unless the operator has successfully completed a snaring training course run by an approved body. Does the hon. Gentleman consider that an appropriate measure to help counter some of the issues that he has identified?
Snares — House of Commons, 2016-07-21
Topic: Law and Crime
Margaret Ferrier (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): Snare users in Scotland are required to have approved accreditation and must receive a personal identification number from the police, so snaring without an ID number is an illegal activity. Does the hon. Gentleman agree that that prudent measure should be implemented south of the border?
School Standards — House of Commons, 2016-04-25
Topic: Education
Carol Frances Monaghan (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): Much of the quality assurance in schools is driven and carried out by local authorities. That means that self-evaluation and improvement is a continuous cycle, with only the occasional visit from Her Majesty’s inspectorate of education in Scotland, or Ofsted in England, to rubber-stamp the work already done. With the move to academies, how does the Secretary of State envisage quality assurance being monitored locally, and what budget has she set aside for the increased number of inspectors required to drive improvement?
Teacher Recruitment and Retention — House of Commons, 2016-04-25
Topic: Education
Carol Frances Monaghan (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): At Education questions on 7 March I asked the Minister for Schools about the £35,000 income threshold for non-EU nationals and how it would impact on the recruitment and retention of STEM-qualified teachers. He told me that there was an ongoing consultation with the Home Office, but no new announcements appear to have been made on this issue. Will he answer my question today: what steps has he taken to ensure that qualified teachers will be exempt from the £35,000 threshold on earnings?
Shipbuilding on the Clyde — House of Commons, 2016-04-25
Topic: Labor
Christopher Charles Stephens (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): As someone with the privilege of representing the Govan shipyard, may I first tell the Minister that a meeting between an employer and trade unions, with 800 jobs at risk, is not "a routine meeting" by any standard? I hope he will reflect on his earlier remarks. Will the Minister confirm that the original date for cutting steel for the Type 26 was May 2016, and will he explain the reasons for the delay? Finally, what message does the Minister have for the trade unions and the workforce on the Clyde, who view the national shipbuilding strategy with suspicion and as an attempt to reduce the role of shipbuilding on the Clyde? Are the fears of the workforce unfounded, or is that another betrayal that is still to come?
Shipbuilding on the Clyde — House of Commons, 2016-04-25
Topic: Labor
Thomas Sheppard (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): The Minister said earlier that he is still confident that the Department’s orders will provide job security for decades to come, but that will be of little benefit to anyone who is made redundant between now and when the Department makes up its mind what it is going to do. May I ask him again the question that he has not so far answered: will he give a commitment that there will be no compulsory redundancies on the Clyde as a result of these delays?
Shipbuilding on the Clyde — House of Commons, 2016-04-25
Topic: Labor
Gavin Andrew Stuart Newlands (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): There is a growing sense of anger and frustration on the Clyde, and many of those hard-working and highly skilled workers are starting to feel as though they have been used as constitutional pawns. What does the Minister say in response to the secretary of GMB Scotland, who said that the UK Government’s recent actions in the Clyde are "a total betrayal of the upper Clyde workforce"?
Shipbuilding on the Clyde — House of Commons, 2016-04-25
Topic: Labor
Peter Grant (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): Nicola Sturgeon, the First Minister, has today written to the Prime Minister saying: "The BAE yards on the Clyde require a cast iron commitment from your government that you will deliver the contract as promised, with the full scale up of the workforce without any risk to employment at the yards." Will the Minister recommend that the Government reply positively to that request?
Shipbuilding on the Clyde — House of Commons, 2016-04-25
Topic: Labor
Ian Blackford (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): Thank you, Mr Speaker, but perhaps, like the workers on the Clyde, we on the Scottish National party Benches are beginning gently to simmer. I reflect on the Minister’s words: he said that the demonstration phase is now going to continue to June 2017. Is the cat not now out of the bag—he is putting back the construction process? Why does he not give a guarantee to the workforce that their jobs are safe? We can all now reflect on what Better Together meant—duping the people of Scotland once again.
BHS — House of Commons, 2016-04-25
Topic: Labor
Hannah Mary Bardell (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): Let me associate myself and the Scottish National party with the comments made in relation to the BHS workers and families, and express our concerns for them. One of Scotland’s larger stores is in my constituency, and the store and workforce are well known and widely respected in the local community. We stand in solidarity with them today, and we are thinking of all the BHS workers and their families across the UK at this very difficult time The SNP is deeply concerned about job losses now that BHS has gone into administration. We acknowledge the centrality of loyal customers to a store which has been part of our high streets since 1928. Behind every closure and job loss will be a personal story. BHS workers have a diverse range of skills and many of them have given long service. In some respects, BHS’s predicament has more to do with the UK Government’s failure to stimulate economic recovery and the confidence of people across these isles than with Sunday trading, and I am shocked and surprised that the Minister, in one breath, tells Labour not to resort to political point scoring and, in the second, resorts to political point scoring herself Dig a little deeper into today’s media commentary and one finds some very worrying claims emerging. In a blog published this morning, the Financial Times asked: "Would 11,000 BHS workers still have jobs if Tina Green hadn’t siphoned £1bn out of the business?" The tax and business affairs of BHS and the gap in its pensions fund merit serious investigation, so I hope that the Minister and the Government will look carefully at this issue. Will she please tell the House, the nations of the UK and, most importantly, the workers of BHS what the UK Government will do to facilitate the sale? The Scottish Government will do all they can to support the workers in Scotland, but we want a commitment to leave no avenue unconsidered in a bid to secure the future of BHS and its workers.
BHS — House of Commons, 2016-04-25
Topic: Labor
Alison Emily Thewliss (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): I represent Glasgow city centre, which has a great retail sector and two BHS stores, one on Sauchiehall Street and one in the St Enoch shopping centre. My sympathies go out to the workers in those stores who face an uncertain future. I understand that around 1,500 subcontractors are employed by Compass, which does the cleaning and catering, within the stores, and there are also connected supply chain jobs. What is the Minister doing to ensure job security for those workers, in addition to those directly employed by BHS, and will she work closely with the Scottish Government to ensure that those workers have the best possible future?