argyrotsipi/train-dataset huggingface dataset:
EU Membership: Economic Benefits — House of Commons, 2016-06-15
Topic: Mixed Topics
Neil Carmichael (Conservative, Centre-right): The fact of the matter is that this referendum would not be useful exercise if we were not a sovereign nation, because we would be unable to implement the outcome. That proves that we are sovereign—the questions are what we do with our sovereignty; what we do to influence our neighbours; and what we do to advance our national interest. Because we are a vibrant, ambitious and decent society, we have to do that within the European Union, as I will explain. It is about the future; it is not some blast to the past. It means this country thinking about what we do for our people beyond today Let us take trade; we have heard a lot about it today. We export twice as much to the Netherlands as we do to China. That is a fact. Why does it matter and what does the European Union provide for us? It provides a huge pool of wealth. It is the world’s largest single market, not just in its activity but in its value. It is nearly twice the size of China, yet some are thinking of leaving it. That would be madness, because the people we trade with most are the people who are most like us and who will benefit most from us as well. That is the trade argument Then we come to investment. In my constituency—and I bet in most other Members’ constituencies—there are examples of powerful intervention from the European Union through investors. That matters, and 48% of our foreign direct investment comes from the European Union. What does that equal? It equals jobs and it equals rising wages and opportunities for our young people That brings me on to the issue of our universities and young people’s opportunities to develop careers after they have been to university, not to mention the importance of opportunities for young people who do not want to go to university. The fact remains that the opportunities open to them by moving around Europe are immense, and it is vibrant for them and great for our economy. Do we want our young people to be stuck here when others are thriving somewhere else That brings me on to migration. It is a two-way street. We must remember that. There are just as many people coming here to help us with our skills as there are people going from here to there to make money for this economy. There are nearly 2 million Britons working or living in the European Union, benefiting from the opportunities with which being in the single market provides them.
EU Membership: Economic Benefits — House of Commons, 2016-06-15
Topic: Immigration
Mark Andrew Pritchard (Conservative, Centre-right): Does my hon. Friend agree that the majority of EU citizens coming to this country come here to work hard, pay their taxes and better their and their families’ lives—and that the majority are not here to scrounge?
EU Membership: Economic Benefits — House of Commons, 2016-06-15
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Robert James MacGillivray Neill (Conservative, Centre-right): I have been generous in giving way so far and I am conscious that others want to speak. I hope my hon. Friend will forgive me, because I know he will speak later Given the position that we have of that double success for the City of London, it would be a tragedy—a criminal thing, virtually—for this country to turn away. The financial services industry, as well as being a key UK asset and part of our national strategic interest, is not just about people in the City of London and those working in banks, insurance and offices. A successful financial services sector affects every family in this country. It affects every pension fund. It affects the pensions of millions of people, whatever their income situation or previous position in life. To put that at risk is not to damage just that industry, but to damage the whole population of this country. It damages the revenue stream, as my hon. Friend the Member for Cheltenham (Alex Chalk) just said, that underpins our public services. I am sorry to have to say this to some of my friends who I know genuinely believe otherwise, but it will be a profoundly unpatriotic thing to leave the EU.
EU Membership: Economic Benefits — House of Commons, 2016-06-15
Topic: Immigration
James Roger Cartlidge (Conservative, Centre-right): Is the hon. Gentleman aware that the policy of vote leave is that, when we leave the EU, we will stop all unskilled migration into this country? Does he think that that is even remotely credible?
EU Membership: Economic Benefits — House of Commons, 2016-06-15
Topic: Mixed Topics
Thomas Georg John Tugendhat (Conservative, Centre-right): I wish to make some progress People are understandably concerned that the factors that led them to put money into our businesses may not last. The interconnected market, the skills base and the global trading agreements are not as permanent as they once thought; they are not even as permanent as they looked a few days ago. The implications and the consequences for us are very severe. Some have begun to doubt us, but they are wrong. Britain is a powerful and growing economy, and despite the undoubted hiatus that would follow a Brexit, we will recover. Indeed, for the markets, we will once again become a safe haven, but only by comparison with our neighbours. The implication that the Europe Union could disintegrate is worrying Let us be under no illusion as to why the option to leave the EU is bad for Britain. It is not, as some have sadly claimed, because Britain is too small. It is not because we cannot survive in a globalised world—it is clear that we are better connected and better integrated with the global economy than many other nations. No, it is because we are the economic leaders of a continent of more than 500 million people who are crying out for that very leadership and the very reforms that we offer.
EU Membership: Economic Benefits — House of Commons, 2016-06-15
Topic: Mixed Topics
Stephen Daniel Double (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank my hon. Friend for that—I was about to make the point that over the past 10 years or so Cornwall has received around £600 million in economic development aid. But we need to remember that that is not EU money. The EU does not actually have any money—there is no magic EU money tree. It is our money, which we give to the EU. It converts it into euros, then converts that into sterling to give back to us, except that it gives it back with a whole load of strings, bureaucracy and red tape attached about how we can spend it The fact is that that money is not working. It was meant to create 10,000 new jobs in Cornwall. In fact, in the past 10 years or so, it has created around a third of that number. That Cornwall has now qualified for a third round of EU funding demonstrates that the funding is failing. It is not lifting the Cornish economy as intended. It is not raising wages or the standard of living in the way it was designed to.
EU Membership: Economic Benefits — House of Commons, 2016-06-15
Topic: Other
Eleanor Fulton Laing (Conservative, Centre-right): Order. I must reduce the time limit for speeches—[Interruption.] Members may well sigh, but I cannot add to the number of hours in a day or minutes in an hour. The time limit is four minutes.
Tees Valley Inward Investment Initiative — House of Commons, 2016-06-15
Topic: Mixed Topics
James Wharton (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Gentleman makes an important point. Teesside is of course internationally respected for the chemical processing industry; not just NEPIC but CPI and the work done in that sector provide good jobs, long-term investment and real opportunity to attract more. We always want to continue to support that. As part of the process of looking for international investors, we are looking to support those organisations to see where more investment can be brought in. The chemicals and processing industry will form part of the story going forward of the sites that the MDC will become responsible for and the work it is doing.
Tees Valley Inward Investment Initiative — House of Commons, 2016-06-15
Topic: Housing
James Wharton (Conservative, Centre-right): Given the specific nature of the hon. Gentleman’s question, I will seek to address it. The site is in the hands of the official receiver, and the Government are talking to them. We are working to ensure that the site is handed over in the best possible circumstances that can be achieved, given its sad recent history, and when that happens we will of course seek to maximise the use of all the site’s assets and the land, including any assets that remain on it. That will primarily be channelled through the development corporation, which will drive that process. It is in all our interests that that proper work is done in the appropriate way and at the appropriate time I am absolutely confident that the Tees valley has a bright future ahead of it. We have the most incredible people, businesses and opportunities. Given the things those people and businesses are doing and the way in which the leadership in the private and public sectors is pulling together in the interests of the broader local economy, these could be exciting times. We have faced a difficult year, but I hope that by working together we can ensure a brighter future for all our constituents Question put and agreed to.
Prayers — House of Commons, 2016-04-21
Topic: Mixed Topics
John Simon Bercow (Conservative, Centre-right): On the front page of today’s Order Paper, it is noted that, on 23 April 1916, Lieutenant and Adjutant the Hon. Michael Hicks-Beach, Viscount Quenington, Royal Gloucestershire Hussars Yeomanry, Member for Tewkesbury, died of wounds received in action at Quatia in Sinai, Egypt. We remember him today.
Leveson Inquiry — House of Commons, 2016-04-21
Topic: Civil Rights
John Flasby Lawrance Whittingdale (Conservative, Centre-right): I have considerable sympathy with the victims of press abuse and have had a number of meetings with some of them and with others who are rightly following this matter with great interest. Having had my faith tested perhaps to the utmost, I still believe that press freedom is a vital component of a free society and we should tread very carefully. Some of the recommendations of the Leveson report have been implemented and the new system is coming into effect. The hon. Gentleman will be aware that the exemplary damages provisions of section 40 have now been enacted. The remainder are still under consideration and we do not yet have a recognised press regulator in place, but we will continue to consider these matters very carefully.
Leveson Inquiry — House of Commons, 2016-04-21
Topic: Civil Rights
John Flasby Lawrance Whittingdale (Conservative, Centre-right): I have quite a lot of sympathy with the hon. Gentleman’s comments. Obviously, we are still in the process of drawing up the new BBC charter but I can assure him that this issue will feature in the White Paper when we publish it, I hope quite soon. It is something we take seriously. I do not believe in instructing the BBC or setting quotas for the number of ethnic minority faces, older female faces or, indeed, Scottish faces that appear on screen or behind the camera, but all those groups, and others that are currently underrepresented, need better representation and that is what we are working to achieve.
Grassroots Sport — House of Commons, 2016-04-21
Topic: Domestic Commerce
David Anthony Evennett (Conservative, Centre-right): The Department secured a very positive spending review settlement last year. Over this Parliament we will invest more money in grassroots sport than ever before. The settlement reflects the Government’s continued support for the positive outcomes that sport can bring and will be spent in line with the new Government strategy, Sporting Future, which sets out how we will encourage more people from every background to engage in sport and physical activity.
Grassroots Sport — House of Commons, 2016-04-21
Topic: Domestic Commerce
David Anthony Evennett (Conservative, Centre-right): This is obviously a matter for the council and Parkrun, but the decision to charge for an event that is free in locations across the UK and around the world is one that we, as a Government, think should be reconsidered. We want to remove barriers to participation and encourage more and more people to get involved in sport. That is the key message that the Government want to get across.
Grassroots Sport — House of Commons, 2016-04-21
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Simon Hugh McGuigan Burns (Conservative, Centre-right): If my hon. Friend were to speak to our right hon. Friend the Secretary of State, he would become aware that in Chelmsford there is thriving grassroots sport in the form of ice hockey. Does the result of the spending review offer any hope of benefits for ice hockey at a grassroots level?
Grassroots Sport — House of Commons, 2016-04-21
Topic: Domestic Commerce
David Anthony Evennett (Conservative, Centre-right): Obviously, decisions on local authority budgets are decisions for those authorities. We welcome what is happening in Chelmsford and I know how assiduous my right hon. Friend is in speaking up for his constituency. There are many examples across the country of local authorities spending on sport. For instance, Central Bedfordshire Council continues to invest in sport and physical activity provision. We encourage that.
Press Regulation — House of Commons, 2016-04-21
Topic: Mixed Topics
Questions: What factors he has taken into account when deciding whether to commence section 40 of the Crime and Courts Act 2013, on reform of press regulation.
John Flasby Lawrance Whittingdale (Conservative, Centre-right): I have not indicated that I have no intention. I simply said that I was not minded, which means that the matter is still under consideration and my mind and that of my colleagues is open on the matter, which is why we are continuing to have meetings. Only this week I had a meeting with some of the hyperlocal publishers who have signed up with the Impress regulator and they made some interesting comments, and we will continue to listen to all those with an interest. We will in due course make a decision. However, section 40 and the costs provision will not come into effect fully until there is a recognised regulator, even after the order is signed. There is not yet a recognised regulator so we are not yet in that position, and we will continue to consider the matter.
First World War Commemoration — House of Commons, 2016-04-21
Topic: Public Lands
Questions: What steps his Department is taking to ensure the greatest possible engagement by children and young people in the commemoration of the first world war.
Mark Julian Francis Pawsey (Conservative, Centre-right): It is important that children and young people understand the sacrifice made by earlier generations, so will my right hon. Friend join me in congratulating pupils at Newbold Riverside Academy in my constituency, who were given the opportunity to name a fantastic new recreation facility in their area and chose to call it Newbold Centenary park to reflect the commemoration of the start of the first world war?
First World War Commemoration — House of Commons, 2016-04-21
Topic: Public Lands
Questions: What steps his Department is taking to ensure the greatest possible engagement by children and young people in the commemoration of the first world war.
John Flasby Lawrance Whittingdale (Conservative, Centre-right): We should perhaps be relieved that the name chosen was not Parky McParkface. I join my hon. Friend in congratulating pupils of Newbold Riverside Academy on deciding to commemorate all those who gave their lives in the first world war by choosing the name of the park. As I said, there are hundreds of projects taking place and it is particularly important that young people have the opportunity to visit the first world war battlefields. It is extraordinarily encouraging that young people have shown such enthusiasm and interest in marking this very important centenary.
First World War Commemoration — House of Commons, 2016-04-21
Topic: Other
Questions: What steps his Department is taking to ensure the greatest possible engagement by children and young people in the commemoration of the first world war.
John Simon Bercow (Conservative, Centre-right): Order. No. That is a very serious matter and could properly be raised at topical questions, but it is something of an abuse of the main thrust of this question. I let the hon. Lady finish because I did not know quite where she was headed and I wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt, but having given her the chance, I am afraid, if I may say so, she was hanged by her own rope. We had better move on to Mr Rob Marris.
First World War Commemoration — House of Commons, 2016-04-21
Topic: Public Lands
Questions: What steps his Department is taking to ensure the greatest possible engagement by children and young people in the commemoration of the first world war.
John Flasby Lawrance Whittingdale (Conservative, Centre-right): We do have memorials to a number of the different communities that contributed in the first world war, many of whose members lost their lives. A few weeks ago, on Commonwealth Day, I was privileged to attend the ceremony that took place at the Memorial Gates, which mark the contribution of the Afro-Caribbean and Asian communities in the first world war—that contribution was extremely important and perhaps does not always achieve recognition. We will of course keep an open mind. To some extent, this would also be a matter for other authorities, but if there are specific proposals, I will of course look at them.
First World War Commemoration — House of Commons, 2016-04-21
Topic: Mixed Topics
Questions: What steps his Department is taking to ensure the greatest possible engagement by children and young people in the commemoration of the first world war.; I was grateful to William Pritchard and Billy Green from The Rawlett School, who laid a wreath in memory of my great-grandfather, who was killed on the first day of the battle of the Somme in 1916. In this, its centenary year, may I ask my right hon. Friend to encourage school visits to the Somme battlefield memorials, to remember the men who made such a sacrifice all those years ago?
John Flasby Lawrance Whittingdale (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend illustrates what has become very clear: that almost every person in this country will have had a relative who served in the first world war, many of whom died. I am delighted to hear about the tribute that was paid to my hon. Friend’s great-grandfather. It is incredibly important that young people learn about the first world war, which is why we put in place the school battlefields tour programme, under which two pupils and one teacher from every state-funded secondary school in England can visit the first world war battlefields. More than 3,500 pupils and teachers have already been on that programme.
UK Anti-doping Agency — House of Commons, 2016-04-21
Topic: Mixed Topics
John Flasby Lawrance Whittingdale (Conservative, Centre-right): I have no plans to reform UK Anti-Doping, but following The Sunday Times allegations, an independent review has been launched into UK Anti-Doping’s handling of the information that it received. It is important that we allow that review to conclude before considering what action must be taken.
UK Anti-doping Agency — House of Commons, 2016-04-21
Topic: Domestic Commerce
John Flasby Lawrance Whittingdale (Conservative, Centre-right): It is a matter that we are considering very actively. The allegations that were printed in The Sunday Times suggesting that doping may be taking place among UK sportsmen are very serious and something that we want to examine very carefully, but also urgently. If it becomes clear as a result of that that further action needs to be taken—possibly including the criminalisation of doping in sport—we will not hesitate to act.
UK Anti-doping Agency — House of Commons, 2016-04-21
Topic: Domestic Commerce
John Flasby Lawrance Whittingdale (Conservative, Centre-right): I completely agree with the hon. Gentleman: it is absolutely essential that sport is seen to be clean. That is something for which we in this country have, until now, had a very good reputation, and I hope that we will still have a good reputation. We are talking to all the UK sports bodies, and we intend to draw up proposals, which I hope all of them will adopt. Beyond that, we are taking a lead internationally. The Prime Minister is holding an anti-corruption summit next month, and this is one of the issues that will be discussed.
UK Anti-doping Agency — House of Commons, 2016-04-21
Topic: Mixed Topics
John Flasby Lawrance Whittingdale (Conservative, Centre-right): I agree that this is a very important matter, which is why the Government invest more than £5 million per annum in UK Anti-Doping; and by the end of this Parliament that sum will have gone up to £5.4 million. National governing bodies of sport are doing quite a lot. For instance, I visited the British Horseracing Authority recently to hear about the work it has been doing to ensure that its sport remains clean. Other sports are also investing in this area. Of course, there is more that we can do, and I certainly join the hon. Gentleman in urging the national governing bodies of all our sports to give the issue the serious attention it deserves and to invest more if required.
Night-time Industries — House of Commons, 2016-04-21
Topic: Housing
Edward Vaizey (Conservative, Centre-right): I was delighted last month to work with my hon. Friend the planning Minister and the Music Venue Trust to get planning regulations changed so that we can protect our music venues. It is very important that we recognise the huge economic contribution they make to the night-time economy and that we take action where required.
Night-time Industries — House of Commons, 2016-04-21
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Nigel Paul Huddleston (Conservative, Centre-right): According to figures recently released by the industry body, the Night Time Industries Association, the UK’s restaurants, bars, pubs and music venues employ 1.3 million people and serve millions of Britons and tourists every year. Will the Minister join me in recognising the important role played by this sector, which contributes £66 billion to our economy each year?
First World War Commemoration — House of Commons, 2016-04-21
Topic: Public Lands
Questions: What steps his Department is taking to ensure that events to commemorate the centenary of the first world war take place in all regions and constituent parts of the UK.
David Anthony Evennett (Conservative, Centre-right): We recently launched an appeal to encourage communities, businesses, organisations and individuals across the UK to mark the centenary of the battle of the Somme on 30 June and 1 July. We will continue to find ways to encourage commemoration of this most poignant first world war event through media activity and direct approaches. Guidance is available on the Government website, and special information has been published by the Royal British Legion, which contains information on hosting a Somme remembrance event.
First World War Commemoration — House of Commons, 2016-04-21
Topic: Mixed Topics
Questions: What steps his Department is taking to ensure that events to commemorate the centenary of the first world war take place in all regions and constituent parts of the UK.
Byron Davies (Conservative, Centre-right): The first world war was, of course, an enormous UK-wide effort, where millions of men and women served our nation with distinction. What additional advice can the Minister give the Welsh Government so that the people of Wales, in particular young people, can mark and honour the great sacrifices made in the first world war?