argyrotsipi/train-dataset huggingface dataset:
Psychoactive Substances Bill [HL] — House of Lords, 2015-06-30
Topic: Law and Crime
Michael Bates (Conservative, Centre-right): In response to those two points, I think I am right in saying that where we came from on this was to try to get consistency with the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, where "children" is stated as an aggravating factor. We are therefore continuing that into the present. There will come a point where if you then add in certain types of locations and places, where do you stop? Will the courts then be unsure as to what the Government were trying to tackle in introducing the legislation? There is a duty on sentencing judges to follow sentencing guidelines, so the point can be dealt with through that route. We have certainly tightened up the laws with regard to drug use in prison through the Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015 and the Serious Crime Act 2015. As I say, I certainly understand the comments that have been made and I will reflect particularly on the point about children between now and Report, with the assistance of that meeting.
Psychoactive Substances Bill [HL] — House of Lords, 2015-06-30
Topic: Law and Crime
Michael Bates (Conservative, Centre-right): I shall take that last point first. From time to time, new and very dangerous chemical compounds come into the market in the UK, as we know from the whole experience of tackling new psychoactive substances. The provision is there to allow the possibility, in extreme circumstances, the likes of which we cannot envisage at this stage, on scientific advice and on advice from the police on a new substance coming into the UK and putting lives at risk, that we can act in a prompt way.
Psychoactive Substances Bill [HL] — House of Lords, 2015-06-30
Topic: Law and Crime
Michael Bates (Conservative, Centre-right): I respect the noble Lord in taking that position but it is a different position from that which the Government have arrived at after taking advice on this. The Local Government Association, which has to wrestle with these problems, has seen numerous examples over recent months of local authorities using a range of powers to shut down head shops in, for example, Lincoln, Portsmouth, Newcastle, Kent and Medway as a result of anti-social behaviour in and around these premises. I am not aware of any local authority or police force that welcomes head shops in its community Before I have letters flooding my way from the Australian high commissioner, I should point out that the government of Western Australia introduced legislation last month but it has not yet been passed. I hope that clarifies the position, and I hope that the noble Lord is reassured and feels able to withdraw his amendment.
Psychoactive Substances Bill [HL] — House of Lords, 2015-06-30
Topic: Law and Crime
Michael Bates (Conservative, Centre-right): My Lords, as the noble Baroness explained, these amendments relate to the issuing of a prohibition notice and a premises notice under Clauses 12 and 13 I begin by saying that the Government fully support the principle of these amendments, so much so that the Bill already contains similar provisions which seek the same thing. A prohibition notice can be issued under Clause 12 where a, "senior officer or local authority reasonably believes that the person is carrying on, or is likely to carry on, a prohibited activity", and, "that it is necessary and proportionate to give the prohibition notice for the purpose of preventing the person from carrying on any prohibited activity" A premises notice in Clause 13 can be issued where a senior police officer or local authority reasonably believes that a prohibited activity, as defined in Clause 11, "is being, or is likely to be, carried on at particular premises, and … the person owns, leases, occupies, controls or operates the premises". Amendments 55 and 58 seek to amend Clauses 12 and 13 respectively to require the relevant senior police officer or local authority to set out the reasons in support of their reasonable belief that the respondent is carrying on, or is likely to carry on, a prohibited activity Clause 14 contains supplementary provisions in respect of prohibition notices and premises notices. In particular, subsection (2)(a) of Clause 14 requires that a notice must, "set out the grounds for giving the notice", as well as the consequences of failure to comply. The Government envisage that the grounds specified in the notice will be those supporting the reasonable belief Amendments 57 and 60 seek to ensure that the respondent is fully informed of the consequences of a failure to comply with a notice. Again, this is already addressed in Clause 14—the relevant provision being in subsection (2)(b) In relation to Amendment 60B, the possible consequences of a failure to comply with a notice are unlikely to vary according to the grounds on which a notice was issued. Essentially, the possible consequences are twofold: either a prosecution is pursued for the relevant offence in Clauses 4 to 8 of the Bill, or the relevant law enforcement agency makes an application for a prohibition order or premises order, as appropriate. On the basis that the Bill already delivers the outcome sought by these amendments, I trust that the noble Baroness, Lady Hamwee, will feel able to withdraw the amendment.
Psychoactive Substances Bill [HL] — House of Lords, 2015-06-30
Topic: Law and Crime
Caroline Chisholm (Conservative, Centre-right): My Lords, the amendments in this group make a number of changes to the provisions in the Bill relating to notices and orders. The most significant amendments—Amendments 75, 76 and 77—insert three new clauses which make further provision in respect of access prohibitions Clause 21 enables a prohibition order or premises order to include an access prohibition, barring or restricting access to specified premises. Such a provision would, for example, enable the closure of a head shop selling psychoactive substances, initially for up to three months. This approach is based upon the provisions in the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 relating to anti-social behaviour closure powers. Although a number of elements of that regime are already in the Bill, the Government feel that a number of additional elements of the 2014 Act should also be replicated For the civil sanctions in the Bill to be effective, they must be adhered to. Therefore, sanctions must be included to deter those who would otherwise choose to breach the terms of an access prohibition The other amendments are largely of a technical or drafting nature, and I would be happy to provide further details if necessary. I trust noble Lords will agree that these are all sensible refinements to the existing provisions in the Bill and on that basis I beg to move.
Childcare Bill [HL] — House of Lords, 2015-07-06
Topic: Social Welfare
Natalie Evans (Conservative, Centre-right): My Lords, I will speak to Amendment 34, moved by the noble Baroness, Lady Pinnock. I recognise that, following recent announcements, noble Lords will be seeking to debate the wider issue of child poverty in the fullest way and I have no doubt that there will be further opportunities in the future. As the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions confirmed in the other place last Wednesday, the Government will be bringing forward legislation to remove the existing measures and targets in the Child Poverty Act, as well as the other duties and provisions. When this legislation is brought forward, there will of course be further opportunities to debate the many specific details. However, the legislation will at the same time introduce a statutory duty to report on measures of worklessness and educational attainment. We do not underestimate the importance of income and its impact on children’s life chances, but we are clear that the current low-income measures do not drive the right action to tackle the root causes of child poverty, which are what we really need to focus on. That is why we have set out our proposals for new measures.
Childcare Bill [HL] — House of Lords, 2015-07-06
Topic: Government Operations
Nicholas True (Conservative, Centre-right): My Lords, I apologise to my noble friend. She looked around to see whether I was still in my place. I share the concern of noble Lords who are coming in about the trauma being inflicted on the people of Greece by the euro project, and I have moved along to allow other people to come in and make a point. I have to leave after this stage I am very grateful to my noble friend for what she said. It is important always to remember, before every piece of legislation that comes before this House, that the need for one local government officer at a relatively low grade across the 32 boroughs of London alone costs £1 million. That is besides the rest of the country and is a minimum sum, so noble Lords will understand why I am concerned that no regulatory demand should place pressure on local authorities to employ even more I am very grateful for the undertaking that we can have discussions on this and I am very grateful for the spirit in which my noble friend responded to the amendment. I beg leave to withdraw the amendment.
Childcare Bill [HL] — House of Lords, 2015-07-06
Topic: Education
John Nash (Conservative, Centre-right): In Amendment 39, the noble Baroness, Lady Pinnock, seeks assurance that the Government will monitor and report on the impact of the entitlement. She spoke with passion about the importance of supporting low-income working families with the cost of childcare, which is the subject of today’s debate, and I will confine my remarks to the subject of today’s discussion. I agree that it is extremely important and must be kept in mind at all stages of policy development in the early years The Government have ably and amply demonstrated their commitment to supporting low-income working families with the cost of childcare and to improving the educational outcomes of all children, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds. As my noble friend and I have set out in this debate and in previous discussions, the Government have committed to increasing childcare support within universal credit by around £350 million to provide 85% of childcare costs from 2016 where the lone parent or both parents in a couple are in work. The Government have introduced an entitlement to free early education for the most disadvantaged two year-olds, while the early years pupil premium will provide more support to improve outcomes for disadvantaged three and four year-olds The Government have demonstrated their commitment to understanding the impact of the provision of free childcare through previous projects such as the Effective Pre-School, Primary and Secondary Education project and the new longitudinal study of early education and development, as my noble friend and I mentioned previously. The Government also collect a range of data on the take-up of the existing entitlements, including the number of children taking up a place. The most recent data were published on 25 June. They reflect the position in January of this year and are extremely encouraging. As detail of the new entitlement is developed further, we will consider what further data should be collected to enable effective monitoring of the new entitlement The Government recognise the benefits and importance of evaluating the impact of significant policies such as this but do not believe that it is necessary or appropriate to legislate for the production of a report or to define the timeline and content of such a report. I therefore urge the noble Baroness, Lady Pinnock, to withdraw her amendment.
Greece — House of Lords, 2015-07-06
Topic: Macroeconomics
Nigel Lawson (Conservative, Centre-right): My Lords, we are fortunate in this House in having a Treasury Minister of exceptional financial expertise and understanding. He will be well aware that Greece should never have entered the eurozone in the first place. He will also be well aware that there is no solution to the Greek problem without a substantial write-off of Greek debt—what the noble Lord, Lord Davies, referred to somewhat euphemistically as a "restructuring". Is the Minister not also aware that there will be no solution to the Greek crisis without Greece leaving the eurozone altogether? That is necessary for Greece and for the eurozone. It is important that this exit should be conducted in as orderly a way as possible.
Greece — House of Lords, 2015-07-06
Topic: Macroeconomics
Terence Langley Higgins (Conservative, Centre-right): My Lords, I understand the point made by my noble friend, but none the less, it is very important that the Chancellor’s expertise and our own in this matter should be fed in, at any rate behind the scenes, perhaps to try to pour oil on troubled waters, which up to now has been very difficult. I previously expressed in your Lordships’ House a view similar to that of my noble friend Lord Lawson. The economic reality which Greece is facing is that it is locked into an uncompetitive exchange rate, and it is not going to become competitive. No amount of bailing out or assistance otherwise will prevent that happening. If it is patched up now, we will be back in the same situation in a comparatively short time None the less, I urge my noble friend to make two points in these discussions, if need be behind the scenes. First, it is very important to make clear to Greece, and for our European partners to do so, that leaving the eurozone does not mean that it has to leave the European Union, the political implications of which would be very serious indeed. Secondly, if we get to a situation where Greece leaves the eurozone, it will be tremendously difficult to sustain the new exchange rate, and it would be advisable for the financial assistance that would otherwise be given in the form of bailout to be given to sustain Greece so that after leaving the eurozone it did not end up in a constant cycle of inflation and devaluation. Such a situation would have to be stabilised, and we should do all we can to ensure that it would be. Will my noble friend seek to ensure that that would happen?
Greece — House of Lords, 2015-07-06
Topic: International Affairs
Terence O'Neill (Conservative, Centre-right): My Lords, Greece has already missed a payment to the IMF, as everybody knows, and has fallen into arrears with the fund, which is not technically a default. The IMF has said that its shareholders will not suffer losses, saying: "Notwithstanding the overdue obligations, member countries’ claims on the IMF are fully secure and the IMF will continue to meet its obligations to members and lenders". Greece has, of course, an existing IMF programme and it is important that future support for Greece helps it to meet the conditions necessary to continue with that programme, including the agreements of conditionality, sufficient financing assurances and the clearance of any arrears.
Greece — House of Lords, 2015-07-06
Topic: International Affairs
Terence O'Neill (Conservative, Centre-right): My Lords, let me reassure Members of this House that—as I said in my prepared comments and in repeating my right honourable friend the Chancellor’s Statement—we will do whatever is possible to make sure that any tourists or businesses going to Greece get the right guidance and advice. As to the issues on the ground for the Greek people, raised in the noble Lord’s question, we will be looking for further updated guidance over coming days, pending how the discussions go tonight and tomorrow on the financial and economic relationship between Greece and the rest of the eurozone. But, of course, we would all like to think that we will try whatever is within our means to help the Greek people in potentially challenging circumstances if they were to deteriorate further.
Greece — House of Lords, 2015-07-06
Topic: International Affairs
David Arthur Russell Howell (Conservative, Centre-right): My Lords, one idea that has been widely referred to but was not mentioned in the discussions in the other place this afternoon is that Greece could temporarily leave the eurozone and return if and when matters settle down later. I do not expect my noble friend to give an opinion on that now, but will he see that that point is looked at in the considerations in the coming days? Can he give us any guidance—possibly he cannot—on the treaty-changing implications of that or any other proposal connected with this growing crisis?
Greece — House of Lords, 2015-07-06
Topic: International Affairs
Terence O'Neill (Conservative, Centre-right): My Lords, while I am sure an offer of Russian help could appear, it is within the aspirations of both Greece and its European colleagues and friends to solve the outstanding challenges between them, whatever is offered from Russia With respect to the further questions of the noble Lord, Lord West, we should be careful about what specifics we suggest we may offer until we see further evidence of what may emerge from the discussions tonight and tomorrow. As the Chancellor has said, we should be prepared for the worst but should actively seek to be in a position to help the Greek people and, of course, to protect our own economic interests.
Greece — House of Lords, 2015-07-06
Topic: Macroeconomics
Terence O'Neill (Conservative, Centre-right): My Lords, as my noble friend says, these opinions have been offered by many people, including in the past week or so, according to media reports, the IMF. It is not of great help in resolving issues today to reflect on what might or might not have happened in 2010. However, in the discussions that take place this evening and tomorrow, all sorts of options and ideas will be pursued to, I hope successfully, bring these growing economic risks and challenges under better control.
Greece — House of Lords, 2015-07-06
Topic: International Affairs
Terence O'Neill (Conservative, Centre-right): My Lords, my reaction, possibly based on my past experience, is as with a number of other questions that have been put to me. Ahead of such important discussions, I do not think it is particularly useful for me as the Minister, or for anybody in similar areas of government, to speculate idly about what is right or wrong. A lot of information is available about events that have led up to this crisis. It is the responsibility of the Greek authorities, having taken their stance to the Greek people over the weekend, together with eurozone Finance Ministers and their leaders, to try to bring this crisis to a better resolution in the next couple of days.
Greece — House of Lords, 2015-07-06
Topic: International Affairs
Terence O'Neill (Conservative, Centre-right): My Lords, the right reverend Prelate asks, again, a slightly delicate question. I mentioned in my formal comments that the Prime Minister and the Chancellor in particular had a number of discussions with key participants from the eurozone and the head of the IMF earlier today and this afternoon. I suspect that there will be further discussions during this evening and tomorrow. We are obviously aware of our position as an EU member relative to those inside the eurogroup, and we will offer in private the views that we think may be of some use in helping them come to the right resolution.
Greece — House of Lords, 2015-07-06
Topic: Macroeconomics
Terence O'Neill (Conservative, Centre-right): My Lords, it is important to remain focused. In terms of our own policies, we must focus on what we can do about the future of our own economy and, in the context of this crisis, make sure that we are protected from any potential further contagion in the best way that we can. As I also said, in private, we will offer discussion and ideas as and when we are asked. But the key for us is to make sure that we have the right control over the levers that we can control ourselves and that are relevant to the performance of the UK economy.
Concessionary Television Licences — House of Lords, 2015-07-06
Topic: Technology
James Stopford (Conservative, Centre-right): My right honourable friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer will be making his Budget Statement on Wednesday, but in the light of the news reports on Sunday, I want to take this opportunity to confirm details of the agreement that we have reached with the BBC. The Government have reached agreement with the BBC that it will take on the cost of providing free television licences. This will be phased in from 2018-19, with the BBC taking on the full costs from 2020-21. Having inherited a challenging fiscal position, the Government are pleased that the BBC has agreed to play its part in contributing to reductions in spending like much of the rest of the public sector, while at the same time further reducing its overall reliance on taxpayers As part of these new arrangements, the Government will ensure that the BBC can adapt to a changing media landscape. The Government will bring forward legislation in the next year to modernise the licence fee to cover public service broadcast catch-up television. In addition, the Government will reduce the broadband ring-fence to £80 million in 2017-18, £20 million in 2018-19, £10 million in 2019-20 and zero in 2020-21 The Government will consider carefully the case for decriminalisation in the light of the Perry report and the need for the BBC to be funded appropriately. No decision will be taken in advance of charter renewal. The Government anticipate that the licence fee will rise in line with the CPI over the next charter review period, subject to the conclusions of the charter review in relation to the purposes and scope of the BBC and its demonstrating that it is undertaking efficiency savings at least equivalent to those in other parts of the public sector The commitment made in the Conservative manifesto that all households with an over-75 year-old will be eligible for a free TV licence will be honoured throughout this Parliament. As requested by the BBC, it will take responsibility for this policy from then on. Charter review will include an opportunity to consider wider issues relating to the purposes and scope of the BBC, and we look forward to using that to engage on the full range of issues with the public, industry and this House. I will make an announcement about the process for the review in due course.
Concessionary Television Licences — House of Lords, 2015-07-06
Topic: Technology
James Stopford (Conservative, Centre-right): My Lords, the noble Lord made a number of points but he specifically asked about the input on charter renewal discussions. There are 18 months until the current charter expires, and the Government are committed to a thorough and open process where all aspects of the BBC will be up for discussion. That debate with the public and with the BBC will continue as planned, and an announcement on how charter review will be run will be made in due course. The noble Lord mentioned Channel 4. There are no current plans to privatise Channel 4. He mentioned S4C. The Government are committed to the provision of minority language broadcasting. This settlement for the BBC will mean it has to make some choices about how the licence fee funds are spent.
Concessionary Television Licences — House of Lords, 2015-07-06
Topic: Technology
Peter Fowler (Conservative, Centre-right): My Lords, this is a surprising Statement. Does it mean that the continuance of the BBC licence fee has now been confirmed, that this is off the table and that there is no question of it being reopened in the charter discussions? Otherwise, it would seem that much of what the Minister said does not have a vast amount of meaning. He says no decision will be taken prior to the charter review. Surely a massive decision has been taken prior to the charter review, in that an indiscriminate cut of £0.5 billion is being made in the BBC budget without any thought being given to the effect upon programming and news coverage. Surely, as the noble Lord opposite said, if free television licences for all those over 75 is government policy, it should be funded by the Government and not just passed on to the BBC.