argyrotsipi/train-dataset huggingface dataset:
Leaving the EU: Data Protection — House of Commons, 2017-10-12
Topic: International Affairs
Jeremy John Elton Lefroy (Conservative, Centre-right): Given my hon. Friend’s experience in the European Parliament, does she agree that it is not only vital that we get the right agreement as we come out of the EU, but that we establish the right arrangements for the ongoing updating of our law in co-operation with other jurisdictions such as the EU or the USA? It is not just a one-off task; it has to be ongoing and the Government need to ensure that the right systems are in place so that it is ongoing after we leave the EU.
Leaving the EU: Data Protection — House of Commons, 2017-10-12
Topic: International Affairs
Victoria Grace Ford (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend is spot-on correct. We need not only to get things right and workable on the day of exit, but to maintain an ongoing relationship. As the Prime Minister has said many times, we are not leaving Europe; its countries will remain our closest neighbours and currently account for nearly half our trade. Ongoing co-operation on issues such as data protection is not only vital for our future but will help us to continue to lead the global dialogue in this policy area Some people seem to think that European politicians want no deal; I do not believe that to be true. From the conversations I have had, I believe that the vast majority of politicians throughout Europe want an ongoing, deep, bespoke partnership with the UK, and data is just one of the many areas in which they want that. Just this morning I welcomed to the House a colleague from the European Parliament: the Spanish lady MEP who helped me to deliver, through the EU, the end of mobile phone roaming charges. She is a leading light in digital policy and an excellent ally on digital issues. She explained to me how right now, throughout Europe, they are looking at the free flow of non-personal data. The UK called for legislation in this area, and Europe is now delivering. The leadership on the issue in the European Parliament has just been allocated to a member of the European Conservatives and Reformists—the Government’s European sister party We continue to want to lead and work on these issues, not only up to the time of Brexit but in co-operation thereafter. I say again: crashing out of Europe with no deal will not be good for the UK or for Europe, and it is not what the vast majority on this or the other side of the channel wants.
Leaving the EU: Data Protection — House of Commons, 2017-10-12
Topic: International Affairs
Matthew John David Hancock (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Gentleman speaks like a true lawyer. The hon. Member for Cardiff West said that the hon. Gentleman had been outed as a lawyer during this debate—my goodness, he outs himself as a lawyer from the first moment he strikes his posture in this Chamber. He is obviously a lawyer and that latest point only proves it further. The ICO has already said that, and it is well worth reading the Information Commissioner’s Cambridge speech from a couple of months ago, which set out that reassurance. The hon. Gentleman asked about timing and complained about there not being an agreement already. We want to get on and discuss the future relationship, and the Government have made that clear; it is the European side that is blocking progressing on to the future relationship. I hope that we can get on and discuss it forthwith.
UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities — House of Commons, 2017-10-12
Topic: Labor
Penelope Mary Mordaunt (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank the hon. Lady for her intervention, and perhaps I can just digress to answer it. From memory, in the case that she raised on the Floor of the House, she alleged some unacceptable behaviour by one of our call assistants. In any case that any hon. Member raises with me, I will investigate fully. I obtained a transcript of the conversation, and it was absolutely not the case that what was alleged to have occurred did. I do not in any way criticise the hon. Lady, because she had this third hand, and she was quite right to raise the concerns that she did. However, where hon. Members raise issues with me as the Minister or with any of the Department for Work and Pensions team, we will investigate them fully, and any unacceptable behaviour will be dealt with.
Swansea Main Line: Electrification — House of Commons, 2017-11-01
Topic: Transportation
Questions: What recent assessment he has made of the effect on the Welsh economy of the Government’s decision not to electrify the main line to Swansea.; What recent assessment he has made of the effect on the Welsh economy of the Government’s decision not to electrify the main line to Swansea.; What recent assessment he has made of the effect on the Welsh economy of the Government’s decision not to electrify the main line to Swansea.
Alun Hugh Cairns (Conservative, Centre-right): Before I respond to questions, I would like to convey the thoughts and prayers of the whole House to the families and community in Llangammarch Wells following the tragic fire earlier this week The Government are delivering the biggest rail investment programme for more than a century. The Great Western modernisation programme includes £5.7 billion of investment in new trains. It will cut journey times from south Wales to London by 15 minutes, which will make south Wales more attractive to investors, and bring significant benefits to our economy and passengers alike.
Swansea Main Line: Electrification — House of Commons, 2017-11-01
Topic: Transportation
Questions: What recent assessment he has made of the effect on the Welsh economy of the Government’s decision not to electrify the main line to Swansea.; What recent assessment he has made of the effect on the Welsh economy of the Government’s decision not to electrify the main line to Swansea.; What recent assessment he has made of the effect on the Welsh economy of the Government’s decision not to electrify the main line to Swansea.
Alun Hugh Cairns (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Lady will be well aware that advances in bimodal technology mean that electrification between Cardiff and Swansea would not save passengers any significant journey time. She makes an interesting point about north Wales, and I hope that she is aware of the £43 million of signalling improvement that has taken place in north Wales to improve speed and reliability along the line. In addition, the Crewe hub offers great potential for bringing the benefits of HS2, a major UK rail investment programme, to north Wales as well as to the north of England.
Swansea Main Line: Electrification — House of Commons, 2017-11-01
Topic: Transportation
Questions: What recent assessment he has made of the effect on the Welsh economy of the Government’s decision not to electrify the main line to Swansea.; What recent assessment he has made of the effect on the Welsh economy of the Government’s decision not to electrify the main line to Swansea.; What recent assessment he has made of the effect on the Welsh economy of the Government’s decision not to electrify the main line to Swansea.
Alun Hugh Cairns (Conservative, Centre-right): A major multibillion investment programme is benefiting rail passengers in Wales. Earlier this year, the Public Accounts Committee asked us to reassess the electrification programme on a stage-by-stage basis, and that was what we did. We are therefore using the latest advances in modern technology to ensure that passengers in Swansea and west Wales get the benefits of the most modern trains on the network immediately, rather than perhaps waiting for the traditional technology of electric-only trains.
Swansea Main Line: Electrification — House of Commons, 2017-11-01
Topic: Transportation
Questions: What recent assessment he has made of the effect on the Welsh economy of the Government’s decision not to electrify the main line to Swansea.; What recent assessment he has made of the effect on the Welsh economy of the Government’s decision not to electrify the main line to Swansea.; What recent assessment he has made of the effect on the Welsh economy of the Government’s decision not to electrify the main line to Swansea.
Alun Hugh Cairns (Conservative, Centre-right): One of the strong advocates for electrification was Professor Mark Barry, but he said that the bimodal fleet neutralised the case. The hon. Gentleman makes an interesting point about diesel trains because these bimodal trains will use the latest and most environmentally friendly diesel generators. The latest trains can even exceed the maximum speed that could be achieved between Cardiff and Swansea. Of course they will stick to the maximum speed along that route, but that demonstrates their flexibility.
Swansea Main Line: Electrification — House of Commons, 2017-11-01
Topic: Transportation
Questions: What recent assessment he has made of the effect on the Welsh economy of the Government’s decision not to electrify the main line to Swansea.; What recent assessment he has made of the effect on the Welsh economy of the Government’s decision not to electrify the main line to Swansea.; What recent assessment he has made of the effect on the Welsh economy of the Government’s decision not to electrify the main line to Swansea.
Antoinette Geraldine Sherratt (Sandbach) (Conservative, Centre-right): The benefits of the Crewe hub station rely on a business case of five trains an hour to deliver improvements to not only to my constituents in Eddisbury, but north Wales. What is the Secretary of State doing to support that case?
Swansea Main Line: Electrification — House of Commons, 2017-11-01
Topic: Transportation
Questions: What recent assessment he has made of the effect on the Welsh economy of the Government’s decision not to electrify the main line to Swansea.; What recent assessment he has made of the effect on the Welsh economy of the Government’s decision not to electrify the main line to Swansea.; What recent assessment he has made of the effect on the Welsh economy of the Government’s decision not to electrify the main line to Swansea.
Alun Hugh Cairns (Conservative, Centre-right): My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport and I meet regularly to discuss the whole range of rail infrastructure programmes in Wales. The integrated way in which the network works via the Crewe hub offers potential not only to my hon. Friend’s constituency, but to north Wales, because bringing the benefits of high-speed rail to Crewe will benefit north Wales as well.
Swansea Main Line: Electrification — House of Commons, 2017-11-01
Topic: Transportation
Questions: What recent assessment he has made of the effect on the Welsh economy of the Government’s decision not to electrify the main line to Swansea.; What recent assessment he has made of the effect on the Welsh economy of the Government’s decision not to electrify the main line to Swansea.; What recent assessment he has made of the effect on the Welsh economy of the Government’s decision not to electrify the main line to Swansea.
Kevin John Foster (Conservative, Centre-right): I was a member of the Public Accounts Committee when it came up with its cross-party recommendations in February, so I am pleased to hear the Secretary of State cite them. Does he agree that any future electrification needs to be based on a robust assessment? It is worth bearing in mind that the bimodal trains that he proposes for Swansea are exactly what most other parts of the Great Western network, including Plymouth and Torbay, will be getting anyway.
Swansea Main Line: Electrification — House of Commons, 2017-11-01
Topic: Transportation
Questions: What recent assessment he has made of the effect on the Welsh economy of the Government’s decision not to electrify the main line to Swansea.; What recent assessment he has made of the effect on the Welsh economy of the Government’s decision not to electrify the main line to Swansea.; What recent assessment he has made of the effect on the Welsh economy of the Government’s decision not to electrify the main line to Swansea.
Alun Hugh Cairns (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend makes a logical, reasonable and helpful point in recognising that by using the latest technology we are offering more capacity and much faster trains, which is a major benefit to Swansea and to west Wales. Criticising the decision to use the latest technology on the line to Swansea does nothing more than undermine investment in the city.
Swansea Main Line: Electrification — House of Commons, 2017-11-01
Topic: Transportation
Questions: What recent assessment he has made of the effect on the Welsh economy of the Government’s decision not to electrify the main line to Swansea.; What recent assessment he has made of the effect on the Welsh economy of the Government’s decision not to electrify the main line to Swansea.; What recent assessment he has made of the effect on the Welsh economy of the Government’s decision not to electrify the main line to Swansea.; Rail electrification from London to Cardiff will save 15 minutes of journey time, but the new Swansea metro proposal would save half an hour between Cardiff and Swansea. What is more, the city deal will create 10,000 jobs and more passenger demand. Will the Secretary of State look again at the business case for an electrified metro between Swansea and Cardiff that will provide an environmentally friendly and stronger future, and offset the negative impacts of HS2 on investment in south Wales?
Alun Hugh Cairns (Conservative, Centre-right): Clearly the Swansea metro is a different proposal, but I am keen to meet Professor Mark Barry to discuss its potential. It is an interesting addition to a wide-ranging debate in which there are also proposals to improve the frequency of trains to Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire. At the moment, passengers from west Wales often drive to Port Talbot to get on the train, but I think that we can come up with much more imaginative solutions. The metro is an additional solution to consider as part of that debate.
Swansea Main Line: Electrification — House of Commons, 2017-11-01
Topic: Transportation
Questions: What recent assessment he has made of the effect on the Welsh economy of the Government’s decision not to electrify the main line to Swansea.; What recent assessment he has made of the effect on the Welsh economy of the Government’s decision not to electrify the main line to Swansea.; What recent assessment he has made of the effect on the Welsh economy of the Government’s decision not to electrify the main line to Swansea.; Rail electrification from London to Cardiff will save 15 minutes of journey time, but the new Swansea metro proposal would save half an hour between Cardiff and Swansea. What is more, the city deal will create 10,000 jobs and more passenger demand. Will the Secretary of State look again at the business case for an electrified metro between Swansea and Cardiff that will provide an environmentally friendly and stronger future, and offset the negative impacts of HS2 on investment in south Wales?
Alun Hugh Cairns (Conservative, Centre-right): I have noted the public statements that have been made by the Welsh Government and the comments that the hon. Gentleman has made, and I suggest that he raises the matter with First Great Western. Arriva is also making a change. Clearly this is a matter for the operators, but I think that the proposal is positive.
Swansea Main Line: Electrification — House of Commons, 2017-11-01
Topic: Transportation
Questions: What recent assessment he has made of the effect on the Welsh economy of the Government’s decision not to electrify the main line to Swansea.; What recent assessment he has made of the effect on the Welsh economy of the Government’s decision not to electrify the main line to Swansea.; What recent assessment he has made of the effect on the Welsh economy of the Government’s decision not to electrify the main line to Swansea.; Rail electrification from London to Cardiff will save 15 minutes of journey time, but the new Swansea metro proposal would save half an hour between Cardiff and Swansea. What is more, the city deal will create 10,000 jobs and more passenger demand. Will the Secretary of State look again at the business case for an electrified metro between Swansea and Cardiff that will provide an environmentally friendly and stronger future, and offset the negative impacts of HS2 on investment in south Wales?
Alun Hugh Cairns (Conservative, Centre-right): I hope that the hon. Lady recognises that we are using the latest technology so that we have more capacity and faster trains going to Swansea. She needs to consider the fact that the original plans involved 15-minute savings between Swansea and Paddington, but the bimodal trains will still bring about 15-minute savings. We are bringing in the most modern technology and the most modern bimodal trains on the network now, rather than waiting another couple of years and causing Swansea additional disruption.
Swansea Main Line: Electrification — House of Commons, 2017-11-01
Topic: Transportation
Questions: What recent assessment he has made of the effect on the Welsh economy of the Government’s decision not to electrify the main line to Swansea.; What recent assessment he has made of the effect on the Welsh economy of the Government’s decision not to electrify the main line to Swansea.; What recent assessment he has made of the effect on the Welsh economy of the Government’s decision not to electrify the main line to Swansea.; Rail electrification from London to Cardiff will save 15 minutes of journey time, but the new Swansea metro proposal would save half an hour between Cardiff and Swansea. What is more, the city deal will create 10,000 jobs and more passenger demand. Will the Secretary of State look again at the business case for an electrified metro between Swansea and Cardiff that will provide an environmentally friendly and stronger future, and offset the negative impacts of HS2 on investment in south Wales?
Alun Hugh Cairns (Conservative, Centre-right): I am surprised by the hon. Gentleman’s tone because the bimodal trains will improve connectivity to his constituency and west Wales. His constituents would not have benefited from the previous proposal for electric-only trains to Swansea. Of course, the network in Wales is part of the UK network, and when he compares spending, he needs to think logically. For example, he has been supportive of the Halton curve, which is in England but will bring major benefits to the network between north Wales and Liverpool.
Heathrow Expansion — House of Commons, 2017-11-01
Topic: Transportation
Guto ap Owain Bebb (Conservative, Centre-right): My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a range of different UK investment projects, including the proposed expansion of Heathrow airport. Estimates suggest that Heathrow’s proposed expansion would require 370,000 tonnes of UK steel, securing 700 British steel jobs, which would be welcome news for communities such as Port Talbot.
Heathrow Expansion — House of Commons, 2017-11-01
Topic: Transportation
Paul Masterton (Conservative, Centre-right): In addition to the benefits to Wales from construction related to the expansion of Heathrow, does my hon. Friend agree that there are opportunities for Welsh industry to support the ongoing operation of Heathrow when the expansion is complete, as many of my constituents in East Ren do for nearby Glasgow airport?
Heathrow Expansion — House of Commons, 2017-11-01
Topic: Transportation
Guto ap Owain Bebb (Conservative, Centre-right): I agree entirely with my hon. Friend. The development of Heathrow offers significant opportunities for Wales and for the supply chain in Wales. That is why the Wales Office, working with the Welsh Government, have been involved in ensuring that we have roundtable discussions and "meet the buyer" events with Heathrow in Wales—south Wales and north Wales—so that Welsh companies will be in a position to benefit from investment in Heathrow.
Heathrow Expansion — House of Commons, 2017-11-01
Topic: Transportation
Guto ap Owain Bebb (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Gentleman raises an interesting point. The Wales Office is very proud of its involvement in the Qatar decision to have direct flights from Cardiff airport. The hon. Gentleman is right about the importance of hub airports, and a recent meeting I had with Heathrow highlighted the possibility of direct flights from Liverpool to Heathrow, which would be a significant advantage for businesses in north Wales.
Heathrow Expansion — House of Commons, 2017-11-01
Topic: Transportation
Colin James Clark (Conservative, Centre-right): I am delighted that my hon. Friend agrees about the importance of hub airports to the regions. Will he keep up pressure on his colleagues to give slots to the distant regions in the north and in Wales?
Heathrow Expansion — House of Commons, 2017-11-01
Topic: Transportation
Guto ap Owain Bebb (Conservative, Centre-right): Again, I agree with my hon. Friend. The importance of hub airports is understood by businesses across the United Kingdom. It is therefore imperative to have regular flights into Heathrow, which is one of the reasons why we need the expansion of Heathrow. That expansion will be good not only for the United Kingdom, but for regional economies, as connectivity into a major hub airport such as Heathrow will be beneficial to our local economies.
Heathrow Expansion — House of Commons, 2017-11-01
Topic: Transportation
Guto ap Owain Bebb (Conservative, Centre-right): The right hon. Gentleman makes a really important point. I hope that the decision on Heathrow will be forthcoming very soon. I agree entirely with him about the Crewe hub. A development in Crewe that links HS2 services into the north Wales main line represents a real opportunity for north Wales. We in the Wales Office have been involved in that with our colleagues in the Department for Transport.
Infrastructure Investment — House of Commons, 2017-11-01
Topic: Macroeconomics
Guto ap Owain Bebb (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Lady raises an interesting point, but I regret to say that it probably shows that she does not really understand the relationship between the Wales Office and the Welsh Government. It is fair to say that infrastructure investment in Wales does depend on a partnership approach, which is why the growth deals secured for Swansea and Cardiff have been crucial examples of co-operation, and why I am working so closely with the Economy Minister to develop a north Wales growth deal.
Infrastructure Investment — House of Commons, 2017-11-01
Topic: Macroeconomics
Guto ap Owain Bebb (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Gentleman makes a point about structural funds, but the reality is that structural funds in Wales did not make the difference that we anticipated. This Government are committed to a shared prosperity fund for the entire United Kingdom. Communities such as Merthyr Tydfil want good long-term jobs—the type of jobs I saw when I visited General Dynamics, which is recruiting apprentices and creating quality jobs in Merthyr Tydfil. That is exactly what the south Wales economy needs.
Infrastructure Investment — House of Commons, 2017-11-01
Topic: Transportation
David Thomas Charles Davies (Conservative, Centre-right): The excellent History of Parliament website yesterday tweeted a link to a 1606 Bill to build a new bridge at Chepstow. Does my hon. Friend agree that it is a pity that those involved did not add an amendment calling for a M4 relief road, because by now the Welsh Assembly Government might have got their act together and actually built one?
Infrastructure Investment — House of Commons, 2017-11-01
Topic: Transportation
Guto ap Owain Bebb (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank my hon. Friend for that comment. It is indeed disappointing that we are still waiting for a relief road for Newport. I understand that the Welsh Government are going for another consultation, but it is imperative for the sake of the economy of south Wales and the south Wales valleys that we see action on a relief road for Newport sooner rather than later.