argyrotsipi/train-dataset huggingface dataset:
Aviation Security — House of Commons, 2015-11-05
Topic: International Affairs
Patrick McLoughlin (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank the hon. Lady for the Opposition’s general support. She is absolutely right that the decision was not taken lightly; it was taken after careful consideration of the details that the Government had received The hon. Lady asked about numbers. It is estimated that there are 20,000 in the Sharm el-Sheikh area, but that is not a specific, accurate figure and there will be some people there who are not on package holidays and the like. We have a consul team, which is being expanded, at the airport and available to give the sort of information she wants. Also, obviously, the contact details of the Foreign Office are available to all Members of Parliament The hon. Lady asks how we will keep the House updated. I will give further consideration to that. As I said, I hope to see some flights leaving tomorrow, but that will not include people flying out to Sharm el-Sheikh; it will be people being brought back home. We are in discussions with the airlines at this very moment about the implications and the safety measures we will take, and those meetings are ongoing. I will look at ways of keeping her and other colleagues in touch.
Aviation Security — House of Commons, 2015-11-05
Topic: Transportation
Alan Haselhurst (Conservative, Centre-right): Having once had to witness the possibility of my young son’s teddy bear being slit open at airport security, one understands that levels of security can vary according to the perceived level of threat, but should not this terrible tragedy remind us that a common standard of security has to apply across all the airports of the world, so that whoever we are—from whichever country, travelling to or fro—we know what the standard is, what to expect and that it will be applied?
Aviation Security — House of Commons, 2015-11-05
Topic: International Affairs
Patrick McLoughlin (Conservative, Centre-right): I would like to say yes to most of the questions the hon. Gentleman put to me. The Foreign Office has deployed people—and is deploying more today—to the airport and is working with the tour operators as well. I understand what he says about websites, and indeed social media, giving information which can sometimes be misleading; some of the information put out has turned out not to be correct. It is therefore important for people to check with tour operators and Foreign Office officials there. We are working to ensure that everybody can get home when they wish to do so.
Aviation Security — House of Commons, 2015-11-05
Topic: International Affairs
James Gerald Douglas Howarth (Conservative, Centre-right): I warmly welcome my right hon. Friend’s statement. I do not believe the British Government had any alternative but to take the action they have taken. However, as he knows, it will affect the economy of Egypt. Does he agree that the enhanced security measures will serve to boost confidence among tourists, tour operators and airlines in the belief that Sharm el-Sheikh is a safe place to go? If we are providing British security advisers to help the Egyptian authorities, may I suggest that the air accidents investigation branch based in Farnborough in my constituency—the finest air accident investigators in the world—help the Russians and the French in their analysis of the wreckage of this aircraft, because all the experience they had with the 747 at Lockerbie would be highly relevant to this investigation?
Aviation Security — House of Commons, 2015-11-05
Topic: International Affairs
Patrick McLoughlin (Conservative, Centre-right): My right hon. Friends the Foreign Secretary and the Prime Minister will be meeting the President of Egypt very shortly and will be discussing such issues. I fully agree with my hon. Friend about the expertise in the AAIB. There are set rules for international investigations of aviation accidents, but I will certainly offer any help that the AAIB can give.
Aviation Security — House of Commons, 2015-11-05
Topic: Transportation
Patrick McLoughlin (Conservative, Centre-right): I am grateful for the hon. Lady’s support. I know that as Chair of the Transport Committee she may wish to return to this subject in due course. We have received excellent co-operation not only across our domestic Government, as she would expect, but from the Egyptian Government, who are dealing with this with the seriousness that it requires.
Aviation Security — House of Commons, 2015-11-05
Topic: Law and Crime
Patrick McLoughlin (Conservative, Centre-right): I agree with my hon. Friend. I do not think there is any desire on anybody’s part to dissemble or cover up, because others are also involved in the investigation—the Irish, for instance, because that is where the plane was originally registered. This is not just being investigated by one party; there are much wider investigations.
Aviation Security — House of Commons, 2015-11-05
Topic: International Affairs
Patrick McLoughlin (Conservative, Centre-right): The right hon. Gentleman makes several good observations. It is the Prime Minister’s intention to speak to President Putin this afternoon—that call is going to take place. The right hon. Gentleman is obviously right to say that people who try to do these things to aircraft put all Governments under a huge amount of stress and pressure, but we have to take the right decisions to protect our citizens.
Aviation Security — House of Commons, 2015-11-05
Topic: Transportation
Karen Lumley (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank the Secretary of State for taking this action to ensure the safety of British nationals. Does he agree that Birmingham international airport has a standard of security that we should expect from all international airports across the world?
Aviation Security — House of Commons, 2015-11-05
Topic: Transportation
Patrick McLoughlin (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend never misses a chance to promote her local airport. I would add that that standard applies to airports across the whole of the United Kingdom and to other countries as well. All countries give such security a very high priority, but when we see one failing to reach the high standards that we expect, we must point that out and hope that action will be taken. If no such action is taken, the Government have no alternative but to stop flights going to that destination.
Aviation Security — House of Commons, 2015-11-05
Topic: Transportation
Patrick McLoughlin (Conservative, Centre-right): We have deployed people from several Departments, not least the Department for Transport and the Foreign Office, so we are not short of the kind of officials and professional advice that are needed in the immediate situation. As I have said, the long-term aim is to re-establish the flights as soon as we possibly can.
Aviation Security — House of Commons, 2015-11-05
Topic: Law and Crime
Mark Andrew Pritchard (Conservative, Centre-right): Do not these tragic events underline the importance of being able to counter terrorism on the sea, in the air and on land, and the importance of being able to intercept electronic communications in order to keep British citizens safe?
Aviation Security — House of Commons, 2015-11-05
Topic: Transportation
Patrick McLoughlin (Conservative, Centre-right): We are always reviewing safety at British airports; that does not stop. Indeed, people who use them sometimes complain about the level of intrusiveness in those airports. Of course we keep security under review. As I have said, in this particular case we were not satisfied about the way in which some of the security measures were being carried out.
Aviation Security — House of Commons, 2015-11-05
Topic: Transportation
Henry Edward Millar Smith (Conservative, Centre-right): I commend the Government for putting the safety of British citizens first by stopping flights to and from Sharm el-Sheikh after the Russian air incident. What advice is the Secretary of State giving to airports such as Gatwick, in my constituency, and to the air operators that fly to the region from there, such as EasyJet and Thomson, to enable them to give better help to their passengers?
Aviation Security — House of Commons, 2015-11-05
Topic: Transportation
Patrick McLoughlin (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend mentions two airlines, Thomson and EasyJet. When I left the Department for Transport to come here, representatives of both those companies were at the Department going through the arrangements that we need to put into operation. They are being kept very much informed, as they play an important part in what we are doing, and they are being extremely helpful. I should like to place on record my thanks to the airlines for responding so quickly to the situation we found ourselves in yesterday.
Aviation Security — House of Commons, 2015-11-05
Topic: Foreign Trade
Patrick McLoughlin (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend is absolutely right, and I have no doubt about the importance of trade to these countries. I can confirm that we do what he has outlined; we are in constant talks with our ambassadors and the like, as they, in turn, are with the Governments in those countries. If we have concerns, it is right that we flag them up.
Aviation Security — House of Commons, 2015-11-05
Topic: International Affairs
Patrick McLoughlin (Conservative, Centre-right): The answer to that is yes. Obviously, we are looking at security at all the airports where we have any concerns whatsoever, but the hon. Gentleman is absolutely right about the information and the warning from yesterday being specific to one airport. I very much hope that we can work with the Egyptian Government to make sure that the measures that would give us confidence about screening and the like are undertaken and that this advice will be removed as soon as possible.
Aviation Security — House of Commons, 2015-11-05
Topic: Transportation
Patrick McLoughlin (Conservative, Centre-right): Yes, I agree with my hon. Friend. As I said in answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Crawley (Henry Smith), I would like to thank the travel industry and the airline operators for the way in which they have responded in helping us to work out the solutions that we will be putting in place over the next few days and in the interim and then to look to the longer-term solutions, so that this airport can be regarded again as one where we can remove the current travel advice.
Aviation Security — House of Commons, 2015-11-05
Topic: International Affairs
Patrick McLoughlin (Conservative, Centre-right): I hope the hon. Gentleman will accept that for the past 24 hours we have been heavily involved in talking to the airlines and doing what we needed to do immediately, especially given that the Egyptian President is in the country. The hon. Gentleman is right about information getting to devolved Ministers, and I am pleased to hear what he says about the Scottish First Minister. I look forward to working with all the devolved Administrations if there are other things that we need to do as far as they are concerned.
Points of Order — House of Commons, 2015-11-05
Topic: Law and Crime
Robert James MacGillivray Neill (Conservative, Centre-right): On a point of order, Mr Speaker. I rise to seek your guidance as to the way in which Members of this House should approach correspondence with the Director of Public Prosecutions. Earlier today, we saw the release of further correspondence between the hon. Member for West Bromwich East (Mr Watson), to whom I have given notice of my intention to raise the point of order, and the DPP and previous DPP. What guidance can you give as to the propriety or otherwise of Members of the House seeking to influence the conduct of specific criminal cases by the DPP or the Crown Prosecution Service, bearing in the mind the DPP’s constitutional independence and the importance of the CPS adhering to the statutory-based code of conduct for Crown prosecutors? Is it therefore appropriate for a Member of this House to seek to ask the DPP to have a named senior Crown prosecutor removed from an investigation and from doing all other child sex abuse cases until an investigation has taken place, and to seek a review of all such work that had happened since they had been in the CPS—all on the basis of matters found by the CPS, upon investigation, not to be borne out by the evidence? Secondly, is it appropriate for Members to do that in cases where the complainant or those involved in the case are not the Member’s constituents?
Royal Bank of Scotland — House of Commons, 2015-11-05
Topic: Macroeconomics
Jeremy Mark Quin (Conservative, Centre-right): I have a lot of faith in the regulatory system that Ministers have put in place over the past five or six years under the coalition Government and this Government. What we need to focus on, as a House, is ensuring that we have the regulatory system that will deliver the results for our constituents and for the broader UK economy. I am nervous that the motion proposed by the hon. Member for Edmonton, although well intentioned, would delay support going into the economy I was serving in the Treasury when the stake in RBS was originally taken. I know that no hon. Member would be under any illusion that that stake was ever taken in a leisurely manner with a view to getting a tidy investment. The decision was taken by Labour with the very best of intentions, and it was the right decision to support the UK economy and the UK banking system at an absolutely critical moment.
Royal Bank of Scotland — House of Commons, 2015-11-05
Topic: Macroeconomics
Jeremy Mark Quin (Conservative, Centre-right): I understand the attraction of that argument. The hon. Gentleman is an economist of fine standing, and his point, which was also made by the hon. Member for Edmonton, is one to which we would all like the answer yes, but it is not as simple as that. The reality is that the value of a share is what people are prepared to pay for it. We know what the value of RBS is at present. A lot of actions were taken within RBS that might have been right for the UK economy but not have added to the value of the share price. If we are expecting RBS to act in the interests of the UK, that may not always be right for their share price.
Royal Bank of Scotland — House of Commons, 2015-11-05
Topic: Macroeconomics
Jeremy Mark Quin (Conservative, Centre-right): As the hon. Gentleman says, the wrong kinds of bonds in the wrong kinds of markets also inflated the credit bubble I fear that there are no overseas alternatives that would act as a panacea. There is no reason why we should not do something by ourselves, but I am worried that it would be a distraction at a time when we really want money to be flowing out of banks and into the real economy. For that reason, no matter how lonely it makes me, I oppose the motion.
Royal Bank of Scotland — House of Commons, 2015-11-05
Topic: Law and Crime
Guto ap Owain Bebb (Conservative, Centre-right): If criminal behaviour has been identified, there should be criminal sanctions. My hon. Friend the Member for Bedford (Richard Fuller) stated clearly that the banking issue would not be resolved in the eyes of the British public until somebody had gone to jail. I am not advocating sending any innocent person to prison, but if criminal acts have been identified they should be pursued in the same way as any other UK citizen would face criminal sanction if they had committed a criminal act.
Dog Meat Trade — House of Commons, 2015-11-05
Topic: International Affairs
Miriam Jane Alice Davies (Conservative, Centre-right): I declare an interest, in that I am a dog owner, admirer and lover. Of course we have recently seen the wonderful pets in Parliament. Does the hon. Gentleman agree that we should hope and expect that British Ministers and diplomats will continue to make the case when working on our behalf in the countries that continue with these practices that they are not appropriate in our view? Does he agree that that could bring about the change we seek?
Dog Meat Trade — House of Commons, 2015-11-05
Topic: Agriculture
James Philip Duddridge (Conservative, Centre-right): I am more than happy, when writing to the ambassadors, to convey the connections that have been made in the Chamber today as fair representations of the way a large number of the British public feel about these issues The hon. Member for East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow (Dr Cameron) raised a number of important issues. I think that she was the first Member today to refer to the Yulin festival, although many others did so subsequently. I was unaware that Yulin province has the highest rate of rabies, which is an important connection. My hon. Friend the Member for North Dorset (Simon Hoare) suggested in an intervention that health concerns are one way of tackling this issue, rather than what my hon. Friend the Member for Hendon (Dr Offord) later referred to as ideological imperialism. I think that raising health concerns is an incredibly effective way of changing behaviours that are already changing The hon. Member for Stockton North (Alex Cunningham), in summing up for Her Majesty’s official Opposition, referred to evidence of a twentyfold increase in the incidence of rabies among people who have consumed dog meat. That is quite a powerful reason not to eat dog meat, even if it is a cultural norm in one’s community. The hon. Member for Croydon North (Mr Reed) described the total lack of scientific evidence that dog meat has any beneficial effect, either to general health or as a so-called cooling food, or indeed in improving sexual virility. Not only is there no positive evidence, but there is lots of negative evidence that it can damage health I will mention four countries. In China we continue to work alongside the authorities to help protect the welfare of stray animals—specifically stray dogs—and farm animals. At the recent state visit we agreed a joint statement on tackling the illegal wildlife trade, which demonstrates that we are able to have these difficult discussions across cultural divides. Thailand’s Legislative Assembly passed an animal welfare law in 2014 making it illegal to produce or sell dog meat. The Philippines passed legislation in 1998 banning the sale and consumption of dog meat. The Minister of State, my right hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire), raised the important issue of animal welfare during his visit to Vietnam in February. We will continue to raise these important issues in the most effective way possible, which is not always through megaphone diplomacy, although sometimes speaking loudly is needed. Where it is needed, we are prepared to speak loudly.
Driver First Assist — House of Commons, 2015-11-05
Topic: Transportation
Andrew Hanson Jones (Conservative, Centre-right): I congratulate the hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent South (Robert Flello) on securing this debate about the work of Driver First Assist. He made some very valuable points about road safety. I know that he is a champion of the haulage sector, and I consider myself to be one, too. That really important sector in our economy can sometimes be a little overlooked Let me start by commenting on the hon. Gentleman’s important points about road safety. The UK remains one of the world leaders on road safety, as measured by deaths per mile travelled; overall, our road safety record is second only to Sweden’s. Second is good, but it is not good enough: I want our roads to be the safest in the world. To quantify what that means, although there were 1,775 road deaths in 2014—a rise of 4% on the previous year—that is the third lowest annual total on record after 2012 and 2013. That figure should be seen against an increase in traffic volumes of 2.4% between 2013 and 2014, which was the highest rate of growth of motor vehicle traffic since 1996 The winter weather has also played its part, but taking into account last winter’s severe conditions by adjusting for average winter temperatures and rainfall, there were 43 fewer deaths in 2014. I am cautious about taking one data point as evidence of a trend, as there is very little merit in that. If we take a pace back and look at the record over time, however, we can see that there were 45% fewer fatalities in 2014 than a decade earlier, in 2005 Although we have one of the best road safety records in the world, we can certainly do more to prevent deaths and serious injuries. We ought also to remember that the consequences of road collisions can be absolutely devastating. We talk about the statistics, but behind every statistic is a shattered family. This is personal: it is really serious and it matters I thought it would be helpful if I detailed how we are working to improve driver skills, knowledge and attitudes through campaigns, such as the THINK! campaign, which will contribute significantly. We are ensuring that drivers and vehicles are licensed and safe, and bringing in laws to make roads safer. Sadly, road traffic collisions sometimes result in people suffering life-threatening injuries, and every minute counts in terms of their chances of survival. Providing professional drivers, who are often the first to witness or come across such incidents, with some of the basic life-support training and the knowledge to know what to do will ultimately mean that patients get the care they need while the emergency services are en route. I therefore support the work of Driver First Assist very strongly. I am happy to encourage more drivers to take such training, and I will certainly ask my Department to consider all possible avenues.
Driver First Assist — House of Commons, 2015-11-05
Topic: Transportation
Andrew Hanson Jones (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Gentleman makes a valid point. I will come on to some practical suggestions later, in which I will broadly agree with what he has said I will ensure that we take every opportunity to promote the work of Driver First Assist. As the hon. Gentleman says, members of Driver First Assist are drawn from the ranks of professional drivers and those who drive regularly as part of their profession. It has established an excellent working relationship with the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives and has the endorsement of the fire and rescue service, the police service and the traffic commissioners Driver First Assist equips drivers with skills and resources to manage the scene at a road traffic accident and deliver life-saving first aid in advance of the arrival of the emergency services. It estimates that 46% of road traffic accident fatalities could be avoided if first aid was available early at the scene. That is a powerful statistic. The scheme gives us the opportunity radically to reduce human misery through the application of simple first aid training and the good will of professional drivers Many deaths occur from little more than a blocked airway—a condition that, with the right training, is relatively easy to treat. Death from a blocked airway occurs in about four minutes. As the hon. Gentleman said, the target time for an ambulance is eight minutes. Some 50% of road traffic accident deaths occur before the emergency services arrive, which means that Driver First Assist trained drivers can make a vital difference in the first crucial moments Drivers are required, as part of their certificate of professional competence, to undertake 35 hours of periodic training every five years. That training can and often does include first aid training. Anecdotal evidence suggests that first aid training is a popular choice for drivers undertaking their periodic CPC training. Of the 3,370 CPC periodic training courses approved by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, 738 are specifically named as a first aid course or a variation on one. That is 21% of all courses and the percentage could be much higher because some other courses feature an element of first aid. In 2014-15 almost 8.5 million hours of periodic training were recorded by the DVSA. It estimates that that equates to about 1.8 million hours of first aid training across the country.