argyrotsipi/train-dataset huggingface dataset:
Universal Credit Sanctions — House of Commons, 2017-12-04
Topic: Mixed Topics
James McMahon (Labour, Centre-left): That is absolutely the experience of people who have been affected, including people who are far away from the job market. The treatment of people who are in work on low wages and in insecure employment is wrong, but we should have a welfare state that supports people into employment, and it just does not do that in the way we want. Universal credit might force people into a job regardless of what the job is and regardless of its suitability, and it does not take into account people’s real desire to make an active contribution and to feel that their life is going somewhere. That is the real cruelty of the current system. According to the DWP’s own data, Greater Manchester saw a staggering 34,000 sanctions in the 12 months to June 2017, with 3,420 of those sanctions in Oldham alone. Unsurprisingly, December 2016 saw sanction rates hit their peak at 4,200, which is hardly surprising given that the Christmas period knocks appointments out of sync, meaning that people might not be able to attend My plea, and it has been made a number of times, is that if we believe in the foundations of a fair society, we have to have rights and obligations, but we also have to have a state that recognises it has a role to play. The foundations cannot be taken for granted. When they were brought in, they were brought in because the country was in a state and we recognised that something dramatic had to happen to build the type of Britain we want. The idea that those brave decisions can be undone by a Government who seem completely indifferent to human suffering is worrying More than that, the challenge our country faces as we embark on leaving the European Union is one of the biggest in generations. It could cause economic shock and social shock, and we do not quite know yet what the consequences will be. A person might think that the Government would take this opportunity to re-establish their vision for the type of Britain that will exist after Brexit. Core to that has to be decent public services, a social security system that is there when people need it and an employment system in which we invest in industry and make sure that the next generation has the chance, which has unfortunately been taken away from too many, to do better, get on in life and have a decent life living in this country The Government need to step up. Time is ticking. Generations are passing by. I do not want the current system for my children, and nobody in this House should want it for their children or for their constituents, either.
Leaving the EU: Food Prices — House of Commons, 2017-12-07
Topic: Mixed Topics
Gillian Furniss (Labour, Centre-left): During the EU referendum campaign, the Secretary of State claimed that food prices would fall after a vote for Brexit, yet new data from the Office for National Statistics shows that food prices last month were up by 4.2% on 12 months earlier. My constituents will be feeling the pinch of those increases this Christmas. Will the Minister confirm that an analysis of food prices has been conducted, and that it is not just in his imagination? If he has published that analysis, when will it be in the public domain?
Flood Defences — House of Commons, 2017-12-07
Topic: Public Lands
Rachael Helen Maskell (Labour, Centre-left): It is two years since the devastating floods hit York, yet last week the residents of Clementhorpe learned that their barriers were going to be further delayed and that they will not have protection until at least 2019. What will the Minister do to ensure not only that that programme is speeded up, but that the residents of York are protected in the intervening period?
Flood Defences — House of Commons, 2017-12-07
Topic: Public Lands
Holly Jamie Walker-Lynch (Labour, Centre-left): Following Storm Desmond and Storm Eva in 2015, the Government made welcome direct payments for resilience work to residents who had been devastated by the flooding. Following the floods in Galgate last month, however, the Government told Lancaster City Council that that flooding was not severe enough to warrant the same assistance, despite 143 homes being vacated because of flood damage. Will the Minister make representations to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and urge him to allocate money to fund essential flood resilience work in flood-affected communities like Galgate, right across the country?
Marriage Certificates: Equal Registration — House of Commons, 2017-12-07
Topic: Civil Rights
Questions: What recent discussions the Church of England has had with the Government on enabling mothers to be registered on an equal basis with fathers on marriage certificates.; What recent discussions the Church of England has had with the Government on enabling mothers to be registered on an equal basis with fathers on marriage certificates.; What recent discussions the Church of England has had with the Government on enabling mothers to be registered on an equal basis with fathers on marriage certificates.
David Drew (Labour, Centre-left): It is good to hear what the right hon. Lady has to say. Will she also talk to the Church about making it easier for people to get married in church and, indeed, to have their children baptised? That would be real equality.
EU Referendum: Electoral Commission Resources — House of Commons, 2017-12-07
Topic: Mixed Topics
Questions: What assessment has been made of the adequacy of resources available to the Electoral Commission to undertake multiple investigations into the EU referendum campaign.
Benjamin Peter James Bradshaw (Labour, Centre-left): I hope that the Speaker’s Committee will ensure that the Electoral Commission has all the resources it needs to do this important work. As well as investigating Russian interference, which the Electoral Commission’s chairman, John Holmes, confirmed it was doing yesterday, will my hon. Friend comment on whether the commission is examining whether there was any collusion between Vote Leave, Leave.EU, Labour Leave, BeLeave, the Democratic Unionist party and Veterans for Britain? Will she also comment on whether the role of the United States hedge fund billionaire, Robert Mercer, is being investigated?
Social Care — House of Commons, 2017-12-07
Topic: Other
Lindsay Harvey Hoyle (Labour, Centre-left): Order. I say to the Government Whip that I think I can control the Chamber. I thank him for his help, but I have already told him once that he does not need to worry. [Interruption.] Order. The Whip is well aware that he is testing my patience. I do not need any help.
Social Care — House of Commons, 2017-12-07
Topic: Mixed Topics
Madeleine Moon (Labour, Centre-left): A recent Barnardo’s report showed that two thirds of child carers start caring in primary school, some as young as four, with long-term damage to their mental and emotional health. Will the Minister ensure that one of the Government’s primary responsibilities is to tackle the issue of child carers and take them out of a responsibility that we really should not be placing upon them?
Prison Reform and Safety — House of Commons, 2017-12-07
Topic: Mixed Topics
Karen Patricia Buck (Labour, Centre-left): The hon. Gentleman rightly emphasises the importance of education and rehabilitation, but may I add to that the critical aspect of access to family? May I also commend to him the report on mental health in prisons by the Joint Committee on Human Rights, and the work that we did in particular to look at the risks to young people and offenders with mental health problems? Such people were not always guaranteed access to family support at critical times when they were self-harming or at risk of suicide?
Prison Reform and Safety — House of Commons, 2017-12-07
Topic: Housing
Karen Patricia Buck (Labour, Centre-left): The borough of Westminster has the highest incidence of rough sleeping in the country. Does the hon. Lady share my concern that those involved in Westminster Council’s rough sleeping strategy have found that one in three rough sleepers have been released from prison? We have to make finding a stable and secure home central to the issue of prisoner release.
Prison Reform and Safety — House of Commons, 2017-12-07
Topic: Other
Lindsay Harvey Hoyle (Labour, Centre-left): Order. Can I be honest? We need shorter interventions. The hon. Gentleman was hoping to get two minutes at the end of the debate; he is eating into those two minutes, and he will understand if he does not get them.
UK Fishing Industry — House of Commons, 2017-12-07
Topic: Mixed Topics
Melanie Onn (Labour, Centre-left): I thank the hon. Lady for sharing that point. It just goes to show how important it is, in all areas of the country and in all our coastal communities, that every effort is made to make sure that our local communities do not suffer as the outcome of Brexit becomes ever clearer About one in five of the industry’s skilled workforce comes from overseas. Training needs to be much more widely available if freedom of movement is no longer going to apply to this country after we leave the European Union. With that in mind, I invite the Minister to visit the fantastic Modal Training facility in my constituency, which provides training for maritime, port and marine workers. I hope that he will take me up on that offer to see the modern training methods that are being used to maintain these essential maritime skills.
Leaving the EU: Trade — House of Commons, 2017-12-13
Topic: Mixed Topics
Christopher Philip James Elmore (Labour, Centre-left): One of the trading opportunities we already have is at Ford in Bridgend, which is at risk of closure after Jaguar Land Rover’s contract ended early. The Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy met me at Ford yesterday. What is the Secretary of State for Wales doing to help to secure those jobs for the future?
Universal Credit — House of Commons, 2017-12-13
Topic: Mixed Topics
Questions: What discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on the time taken for universal credit payments to be made in Wales.
Laura Smith (Labour, Centre-left): The Department for Work and Pensions’ own analysis shows that half of those with rent arrears under universal credit said they had gone into arrears after making a claim. Is the Secretary of State content with the fact that more Welsh families who are currently not in arrears will begin 2018 in debt once they have made their UC claim?
Engagements — House of Commons, 2017-12-13
Topic: Housing
Jeremy Bernard Corbyn (Labour, Centre-left): This week does indeed mark six months since the avoidable and tragic fire at Grenfell Tower that took the lives of 71 people and injured and traumatised many more. I, too, will be at the service in memory of them tomorrow That fire also shone a light on the neglect of working-class communities all over this country. Since the Government came to power, homelessness is up by 50% and rough sleeping has doubled. Homelessness and rough sleeping have risen every single year since 2010. Will the Prime Minister pledge today that 2018 will be the year when homelessness starts to go down?
Engagements — House of Commons, 2017-12-13
Topic: Housing
Jeremy Bernard Corbyn (Labour, Centre-left): The last Labour Government cut homelessness by two thirds during their time in office, and when Labour left office, the number of children in temporary accommodation was a lot lower than it is now. I asked the Prime Minister for a pledge to reduce the amount of homelessness next year; that pledge was not forthcoming. One hundred and twenty-eight thousand children will spend Christmas without a home to call their own—that is up 60% on 2010. It is too late for this Christmas, but will the Prime Minister promise that by Christmas 2018, fewer children will be without a home to call their own?
Engagements — House of Commons, 2017-12-13
Topic: Housing
Jeremy Bernard Corbyn (Labour, Centre-left): The sad reality is that one in every 100 children in this country are homeless at any one time. That is a national disgrace, and it is getting worse. For all the Prime Minister says about the private rented sector, I shall quote from a letter I received this week from Rachael, who says: "I have a knot in my stomach every New Year period when we are due to sign a new tenancy agreement…After renting the same flat for ten years, never being in arrears and keeping the property in good order we were given notice to quit out of the blue" Will the Prime Minister help people like Rachael and back secure three-year tenancies for all private renters?
Engagements — House of Commons, 2017-12-13
Topic: Housing
Jeremy Bernard Corbyn (Labour, Centre-left): Evictions by private landlords have quadrupled since 2010. There is no security in the private rented sector, and the Prime Minister well knows it. She also promised one-for-one replacement of council housing sold off through the right to buy, but just one in five council homes have been replaced. Hundreds of thousands of people are on housing waiting lists. Will the Prime Minister apologise for what she said and tell the House when she will deliver this one-for-one replacement?
Engagements — House of Commons, 2017-12-13
Topic: Housing
Jeremy Bernard Corbyn (Labour, Centre-left): If only that were true. Under the Tories, home ownership has fallen by 200,000. Under Labour, it rose by 1 million. Forty per cent. of all homes sold through right to buy are now in the private rented sector. The latest figures show that a quarter of all privately rented homes are not up to decent standards, which means that many families are living in homes with damp, that are not secure and that are very poorly insulated. Does the Prime Minister support homes being fit for human habitation?
Engagements — House of Commons, 2017-12-13
Topic: Housing
Jeremy Bernard Corbyn (Labour, Centre-left): I would just remind the Prime Minister that 1 million homes were brought up to the decent homes standard under Labour. I would also assume from what she has said that she will be here on 19 January to support the Bill tabled by my hon. Friend the Member for Westminster North (Ms Buck) to make privately rented homes fit for human habitation When it comes to housing, this Government have been an absolute disgrace. After seven years, more people are living on the streets, more families are in temporary accommodation and homes not fit for human habitation, and fewer people own their own home. When are this Government going to get out of the pockets of property speculators and rogue landlords, and get on the side of tenants and people without a home of their own this Christmas?
European Union (Withdrawal) Bill — House of Commons, 2017-12-13
Topic: Mixed Topics
Yvette Cooper (Labour, Centre-left): My hon. Friend is right, and that again shows the importance of having these commitments in the Bill, so that there can be no doubt and no possibility of the Government using clause 9 to start implementing an agreement on which there has been no meaningful vote.
European Union (Withdrawal) Bill — House of Commons, 2017-12-13
Topic: Mixed Topics
Matthew Thomas Pennycook (Labour, Centre-left): I agree with my hon. Friend’s point about services. I say to all hon. Members who are happy to contemplate a scenario in which the Government walk away from the negotiations and this House is merely a spectator in that outcome, that that is not acceptable and this House should not accept it.
European Union (Withdrawal) Bill — House of Commons, 2017-12-13
Topic: Other
Christopher John Bryant (Labour, Centre-left): I hope that means the right hon. Gentleman is now calling on the Government not to move that clause 9 stand part of the Bill, and that, if they do not do that and instead insist that clause 9 does stand part of the Bill, he will vote against it. That is the obvious logic of what he is saying.
European Union (Withdrawal) Bill — House of Commons, 2017-12-13
Topic: Other
Christopher John Bryant (Labour, Centre-left): I agree. As I have said before, I also believe that there is a significant degree of agreement among all parties in this House, and probably in the House of Lords as well, about what the final agreement should look like. If the Government abandoned the strategy that they have so far adopted and decided to search for that consensus—"We’re going to try to get 650 MPs through the Division Lobby in favour of the final deal"—they would stand a better chance of getting the best deal for Parliament.
European Union (Withdrawal) Bill — House of Commons, 2017-12-13
Topic: Mixed Topics
Patrick Bosco McFadden (Labour, Centre-left): The Minister said that the House would vote on a resolution. This morning’s written ministerial statement also refers to the House voting on a resolution on the final agreement. What would the Government’s response be if the House were to vote against that resolution? What would it mean for Parliament and for the country?
European Union (Withdrawal) Bill — House of Commons, 2017-12-13
Topic: Mixed Topics
Yvette Cooper (Labour, Centre-left): Timing is the crucial issue. Given that there are many examples of an accelerated process being used to get primary legislation through this place on many different matters, including in a single day when that has been necessary, why would it not be possible, if time was starting to run out, to have a very simple one or two-clause Bill that would do the bits of things on which the Minister needs to get agreement and to put the secondary powers in place, and therefore at least have a vote on primary legislation? Why is it not possible to do that very quickly to deal with the concerns that have been expressed?
European Union (Withdrawal) Bill — House of Commons, 2017-12-13
Topic: Other
Catharine Letitia Hoey (Labour, Centre-left): I am sure that a lot of people are looking at this debate and seeing it as being conducted very much in legal terms, with lawyers versus lawyers. Will the Minister outline in very simple terms why there is no necessity for amendment 7 to be voted on tonight?
European Union (Withdrawal) Bill — House of Commons, 2017-12-13
Topic: Other
Stephen Nathan Kinnock (Labour, Centre-left): I am afraid I must push on, because we are moving towards the deadline Having paid tribute to those right hon. and hon. Members for what they are doing this evening, I commend the terms of amendment 7 to the Committee. I will be honoured to go through the Division Lobby with those right hon. and hon. Members this evening.
European Union (Withdrawal) Bill — House of Commons, 2017-12-13
Topic: Mixed Topics
Lindsay Harvey Hoyle (Labour, Centre-left): With this it will be convenient to discuss the following: Amendment 345, in clause 8, page 6, line 32, at end insert— "(2A) Regulations under subsection (1) may, in particular, include regulations to match or exceed World Health Organisation air quality standards." This amendment is intended to ensure that the UK continues to meet international air quality standards after withdrawal from the EU. Amendment 292, page 6, line 38, at end insert— "(e) impose or increase taxation" This amendment would prevent the imposition or increase of a tax by regulations made under Clause 8 to comply with international obligations. Amendment 390, page 6, line 38, at end insert— "(e) confer a power to legislate (other than a power to make rules of procedure for a court or tribunal)." Amendment 352, page 6, line 40, at end insert— "(5) Any power to make, confirm or approve subordinate legislation conferred or modified under this Act and its schedules must be used, and may only be used, insofar as is necessary to ensure that standards of equalities, environmental protection and employment protection, and consumer standards will continue to remain in all respects equivalent to those extant in the EU (6) In particular, no agreement relating to international trade or investment with the EU or with a third-party state or states shall be made that permits or requires standards of equalities, environmental protection and employment protection, and consumer standards to fall below those extant in the EU at the time." This amendment would ensure that in exercising the powers under this provision, the Government maintains equivalent standards to the EU, and in particular, in making trade agreements. Clause 8 stand part.
European Union (Withdrawal) Bill — House of Commons, 2017-12-13
Topic: Other
Christopher Michael Leslie (Labour, Centre-left): What a privilege it is to have the opportunity to speak on such a momentous evening when Parliament has had the guts and foresight to stand up to the Executive, take back control and give hope to those who thought that all hope was lost, and to see Members from all parties working together in the national interest.
European Union (Withdrawal) Bill — House of Commons, 2017-12-13
Topic: Other
Christopher Michael Leslie (Labour, Centre-left): I think that the Minister might actually have been tweeting his respect for the result of the vote on amendment 7 that we have just had. I shall look at Twitter later to check that he was absolutely respecting the fact that Parliament wants to take back control.
European Union (Withdrawal) Bill — House of Commons, 2017-12-13
Topic: Mixed Topics
Christopher Michael Leslie (Labour, Centre-left): I want to make a bit of progress as others want to speak We in the UK are thinking that we must replace a lot of these treaties. When we leave the EU, our exit will affect not just us but the EU, because a great many of its treaties, obligations and agreements with third countries around the world were predicated on the existence of 28 members. Minus the UK, the other members may need to renegotiate their treaties as well. Ministers might not give two hoots about the implications of that, but those on the EU side of the negotiating table probably do care about it, and that will have ramifications for our negotiations Of course, the Foreign Secretary was always telling us that all the other countries around the world were queuing up to do deals with us. He had to fight them off as they asked, "Please may we have a new trade agreement with you?" I have not personally seen that particular queue, but perhaps when the Minister winds up the debate he will be able to tell us how many countries have been knocking on our door seeking new trade agreements.
European Union (Withdrawal) Bill — House of Commons, 2017-12-13
Topic: Other
Mary Helen Creagh (Labour, Centre-left): I do have a speech on clause 8 and I would like to raise some specific points, but I am slightly concerned that the Minister might now be about to speak for 15 minutes, in the tradition that he started yesterday, and I am worried that he will not be able to respond to my specific points.
Jobcentre Closures — House of Commons, 2017-10-25
Topic: Civil Rights
Lesley Margaret Langan Laird (Labour, Centre-left): I thank the Minister for that answer, but I am afraid it is not very convincing or particularly reassuring. He knows full well that equality impact assessments have been conducted, as the Secretary of State for Scotland told me in response to my letter. The Secretary of State also said in his letter that if I wanted to access that equality information, I would have to make individual freedom of information requests for every single jobcentre. It is outrageous that the Government are covering up this vital information. They claim to value openness and transparency, but they refuse to publish information that should be freely available, no matter how much it shames them. I have in my hand an FOI request—
Oil and Gas Industry — House of Commons, 2017-10-25
Topic: Mixed Topics
Ian Murray (Labour, Centre-left): It is difficult to see how we can support the oil and gas industry in Scotland when the Secretary of State refuses to release the assessment of the impact of Brexit on the Scottish economy. Will he tell the House whether the Secretary of State for Brexit was correct today at the Exiting the European Union Committee that that assessment has been shared with the Scottish Government? When will it be shared with the Scottish people?