argyrotsipi/train-dataset huggingface dataset:
Postmasters with Overturned Convictions: Settlement Funds — House of Commons, 2021-12-15
Topic: Government Operations
Paul Stuart Scully (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank my right hon. Friend. As I said, the 555 sub-postmasters who were part of the High Court case performed a massive public service by exposing the wrongdoings within the Post Office, and I recognise the deep frustration at the fact that because they agreed that the settlement with the Post Office would be a full and final one, they do not qualify for these compensation schemes. I have met some of those people and, as I said, I will continue to work on what more we can do On the people who may be found liable, it is important that Sir Wyn Williams does his work, in an independent inquiry. I may have my own views, but it is not right for me, from this place, to be directing in one way or in one shape or form. I am hoping that he will get his work done quickly and as thoroughly as possible.
Postmasters with Overturned Convictions: Settlement Funds — House of Commons, 2021-12-15
Topic: Government Operations
Paul Stuart Scully (Conservative, Centre-right): I fully expect the first and third of the hon. Lady’s questions to be dealt with by the statutory inquiry led by Sir Wyn Williams. It is important that he has the space, without my breathing down his neck, to look at this independently and objectively. We can agree that this scandal needs to be righted, and it must never happen again. In terms of the costs, the point of this statement and my previous statement about interim payments is that the Government will be supporting the compensation schemes financially. It is important, given its social value, that the Post Office has a real future, but it will only have a future if we sort out the past.
Postmasters with Overturned Convictions: Settlement Funds — House of Commons, 2021-12-15
Topic: Law and Crime
Lucy Allan (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank the Minister for his statement and for the work he has done in getting to this stage. I also thank the Prime Minister, who has been engaged in this as well. The people who orchestrated this miscarriage of justice have paid no price. A series of Ministers who came to this place, read out their script, looked the other way and did not ask any questions contributed to the suffering, too, and we should all acknowledge that. I do not include the current Minister in that category The 555 sub-postmasters who so bravely took on the Post Office through the group litigation, paid for Mr Justice Fraser’s judgment. Surely they should be allowed to be compensated on an equal footing, because it is they who exposed the wrongdoing. We should be thanking them and ensuring that they are compensated equally. Does the Minister agree?
Postmasters with Overturned Convictions: Settlement Funds — House of Commons, 2021-12-15
Topic: Law and Crime
Paul Stuart Scully (Conservative, Centre-right): What I have said is that everyone who has been wronged by this should have full and fair justice and full and fair compensation, and I absolutely acknowledge the role of the 555 in pioneering to get us to this position. I will continue to work to see what more we can do to work with the 555 to ensure that they are fully included in what I have just said about justice and compensation.
Postmasters with Overturned Convictions: Settlement Funds — House of Commons, 2021-12-15
Topic: Government Operations
John Alan Redwood (Conservative, Centre-right): I am grateful to the Minister for changing the policy. I have been a long-standing critic of past Governments and Ministers for not telling the Post Office to apologise and pay up, and I encourage him today to ensure that the Post Office apologises properly, and pays up quickly and generously.
Postmasters with Overturned Convictions: Settlement Funds — House of Commons, 2021-12-15
Topic: Government Operations
Paul Stuart Scully (Conservative, Centre-right): My right hon. Friend is absolutely right. We will ensure that we lean into the Post Office to ensure that they deliver all compensation schemes quickly and equitably so that we can get this issue sorted out. The Post Office has acknowledged that it has done wrong, but the inquiry will detail the questions that it needs to answer over the next few months.
Postmasters with Overturned Convictions: Settlement Funds — House of Commons, 2021-12-15
Topic: Government Operations
Paul Stuart Scully (Conservative, Centre-right): I look forward to coming to my hon. Friend’s Select Committee next month to discuss the issue further. The Post Office has acknowledged that there have been wrongs in the past. There still remain issues that we discuss, but discussions can become too legalistic, when what the wronged postmasters actually want is more empathy; we will continue to work to that end. As my hon. Friend says, we want to ensure that we bring this matter to a swift and fair end.
Postmasters with Overturned Convictions: Settlement Funds — House of Commons, 2021-12-15
Topic: Technology
Paul Stuart Scully (Conservative, Centre-right): These questions have been addressed not just in the original Justice Fraser report, which talked about the technology and the Horizon software; Sir Wyn Williams also has technical advisers to his independent inquiry to give him advice on the recommendations that he may want to make. We will indeed ensure that the software, which has been improved—there have been iterations since the last of the prosecutions—continues to improve. Indeed, I would expect it to be replaced at some point.
Postmasters with Overturned Convictions: Settlement Funds — House of Commons, 2021-12-15
Topic: Macroeconomics
Paul Stuart Scully (Conservative, Centre-right): My right hon. Friend makes an important point. Clearly the Treasury has these rules to make sure it gets the best value for taxpayers’ money but, none the less, some things go beyond that. We have talked about the human cost now and umpteen times over the past 20 years, and it is important we get this right.
Postmasters with Overturned Convictions: Settlement Funds — House of Commons, 2021-12-15
Topic: Law and Crime
Paul Stuart Scully (Conservative, Centre-right): I will not comment on Alan Cook, if the hon. Gentleman does not mind, but I recognise what he says about this statement, previous statements and Liverpool Victoria. Such issues will be a matter for Sir Wyn’s inquiry On the convictions, the Post Office has received 66 claims for interim payments and has made 62 offers, of which 50 have been accepted. There are people with convictions that they believe to be unsafe, and the Post Office has contacted 640 people. The Criminal Cases Review Commission has said those people can go directly to the Court of Appeal to seek the overturning of those convictions. We will see how many come forward, but it is difficult for me to give an exact figure.
Postmasters with Overturned Convictions: Settlement Funds — House of Commons, 2021-12-15
Topic: Law and Crime
Jason McCartney (Conservative, Centre-right): I have been contacted by a constituent who was among the 555 litigants in the civil proceedings brought against Post Office Ltd back in 2018-19. Of course, as we have heard, those litigants are excluded from the current compensation schemes. What redress, support and compensation does the Minister think my constituent and the other original litigants actually deserve?
Postmasters with Overturned Convictions: Settlement Funds — House of Commons, 2021-12-15
Topic: Law and Crime
Paul Stuart Scully (Conservative, Centre-right): I have said that the majority of them are pioneers, and I need to do more work with them. I say "the majority" because some of the 555 were convicted themselves and will potentially have unsafe convictions, so they will be eligible for the interim payment of £100,000 and will move on to the wider compensation that we are discussing today.
Postmasters with Overturned Convictions: Settlement Funds — House of Commons, 2021-12-15
Topic: Government Operations
Aaron Stuart Bell (Conservative, Centre-right): The Horizon scandal is one of the worst we have seen, and the wider Government—not just the Post Office—particularly need to learn the lessons on how to treat IT evidence. I welcome the statement and the approval of these funds, but does the Minister agree that the Post Office must now make significant cultural and organisational changes to repair the relationship with postmasters and to make sure that such a situation can never be repeated?
Postmasters with Overturned Convictions: Settlement Funds — House of Commons, 2021-12-15
Topic: Government Operations
Paul Stuart Scully (Conservative, Centre-right): I appreciate my hon. Friend’s words and, yes, the Post Office must do that, and it is. Nick Read, the chief executive, has come a long way to give the Post Office that future by resetting the relationship with postmasters and sub-postmasters. There is clearly more to do, but we will best provide that future by giving sub-postmasters the confidence and trust they need by righting the wrongs of the past.
Postmasters with Overturned Convictions: Settlement Funds — House of Commons, 2021-12-15
Topic: Government Operations
Paul Stuart Scully (Conservative, Centre-right): First, I believe we now have robust monitoring not just of the compensation schemes but of the future relationship with the Post Office and postmasters. That is exactly what Sir Wyn Williams’s inquiry is there to find out—not just the Post Office’s role, but the Government’s role. If we have fallen short of expectations, I expect to put my hands up and say we got it wrong.
Postmasters with Overturned Convictions: Settlement Funds — House of Commons, 2021-12-15
Topic: Law and Crime
Duncan Charles Baker (Conservative, Centre-right): As a former postmaster—I think probably the only one in the House—I really welcome this statement. It ought to be placed on the record that the Minister has done more than anyone else in his position to doggedly pursue this issue, and many, many people out there who are affected will be very grateful for this news I want to touch on two aspects. On the £100,000 that has been paid to those who have had their convictions quashed, will there be a cap on the amount paid out as compensation? Can he give any further reassurance on when the full and final settlements will be made?
Postmasters with Overturned Convictions: Settlement Funds — House of Commons, 2021-12-15
Topic: Social Welfare
Paul Stuart Scully (Conservative, Centre-right): I appreciate my hon. Friend’s kind words. The £100,000 has gone out as interim compensation. The full and final compensation will not be capped but will be worked out on an individual basis, because everybody is an individual and we have heard so many different examples of that As for people in different types of compensation schemes, we want to get this done as quickly as possible. I hope and expect that the historical shortfall scheme will be done by the end of next year. I will continue to work with everybody on this matter, because it is so important. I know that they want this sorted out tomorrow; there are complications, but people continue to suffer and I will do everything I can. My new year’s resolution—I will make it early—is that I will get this sorted out as soon as I can.
Great British Railways: National Headquarters — House of Commons, 2021-11-04
Topic: Transportation
Grant Shapps (Conservative, Centre-right): May I start by saying that my thoughts are with those affected by the tragic incident in the river at Haverfordwest at the weekend, where three lives were lost? My thanks go to the emergency services. The Maritime Accident Investigation Branch is currently investigating. Similarly, my thoughts are with everyone affected by the rail incident that took place in Salisbury this weekend. I am grateful to the train crews and drivers, and the services that looked after those who were injured. Our thoughts go to the families of all those affected The Great British Railways transition team is designing a selection process for the headquarters and details will be announced shortly.
Great British Railways: National Headquarters — House of Commons, 2021-11-04
Topic: Transportation
Matthew Alexander Vickers (Conservative, Centre-right): Stockton-on-Tees was home to the world’s first passenger railway. The discussion about building that railway was held in Stockton town hall. The first track of that railway was laid in Stockton. The first ticket was sold in Stockton. Last week, Michael Portillo backed our bid. I understand that Thomas the Tank Engine and even the Fat Controller are on board. Can the Secretary of State think of anywhere better than Stockton to be the home of Great British Railways?
Great British Railways: National Headquarters — House of Commons, 2021-11-04
Topic: Transportation
Grant Shapps (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend makes an excellent case. I was not aware of the Fat Controller’s involvement, but that could well nail it. When the competition launches, everywhere with a strong railway connection will be able to apply, so we can find a new HQ for Great British Railways.
Great British Railways: National Headquarters — House of Commons, 2021-11-04
Topic: Transportation
Kevin Paul Hollinrake (Conservative, Centre-right): Putting Stockton to one side, not only does York have a unique railway heritage, but it is home to 10% of the national railway workforce. It is a beautiful and wonderful city. Does my right hon. Friend agree it would make the perfect home for the headquarters of Great British Railways?
Great British Railways: National Headquarters — House of Commons, 2021-11-04
Topic: Transportation
Grant Shapps (Conservative, Centre-right): It is also the home of many beautiful trains of the past, including the Mallard, which I went to see very recently. My hon. Friend makes a very strong case. I can see that the whole House is looking forward to entering the competition to find the new HQ for Great British Railways.
Great British Railways: National Headquarters — House of Commons, 2021-11-04
Topic: Transportation
Grant Shapps (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Lady is absolutely right. I should point out that the competition has not been launched yet, but I am very impressed by the extent to which the whole House is in favour of their areas. York, of course, will have a very good bid. There is a serious point to this, which is that it is important we have the right HQ for Great British Railways, as we bring the entire network together. I am sure that York, as well as many other towns and cities, will have an excellent case to make.
Rail Investment in the North: Levelling Up — House of Commons, 2021-11-04
Topic: Transportation
Questions: What recent assessment he has made of the potential effect of his policies on rail investment in the north of England on the Government’s levelling up agenda.
Andrew George Stephenson (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Gentleman will know that I know Bradford well, as I represent a constituency just down the road, on the sunny side of the hills. The Government are committed to supporting the aspirations of local leaders across West Yorkshire. We recognise that Bradford is an important economic centre in the north, with a growing and young population. We continue to look at the evidence for building a new station in Bradford, and decisions, as he knows, will be outlined in the integrated rail plan in due course.
Rail Investment in the North: Levelling Up — House of Commons, 2021-11-04
Topic: Transportation
Questions: What recent assessment he has made of the potential effect of his policies on rail investment in the north of England on the Government’s levelling up agenda.
Andrew George Stephenson (Conservative, Centre-right): Let us not pretend that we are not getting on with the job of investing in the north of England. We have invested £29 billion in northern transport since 2010, and in the Budget that the hon. Gentleman referred to, we announced over £1 billion for Greater Manchester, over £830 million for West Yorkshire and £570 million for South Yorkshire. I am delighted to say that the integrated rail plan is not just coming soon—it is now coming very soon.
Rail Investment in the North: Levelling Up — House of Commons, 2021-11-04
Topic: Transportation
Questions: What recent assessment he has made of the potential effect of his policies on rail investment in the north of England on the Government’s levelling up agenda.
Paul Howell (Conservative, Centre-right): When it comes to investment in the north, I welcome the recent investments in the feasibility work for Ferryhill station and the Weardale line. Of course, I am disappointed with what happened regarding the knock-back for the Leamside line, but I ask the Minister to work with us and the hon. Member for Washington and Sunderland West (Mrs Hodgson) to look at funding streams and at potentially getting that into the integrated rail plan. Will he also assure the people of Ferryhill that knocking back the Leamside line does not in any way impact the Ferryhill project?
Rail Investment in the North: Levelling Up — House of Commons, 2021-11-04
Topic: Transportation
Questions: What recent assessment he has made of the potential effect of his policies on rail investment in the north of England on the Government’s levelling up agenda.
Andrew George Stephenson (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend continues to make a powerful case for his constituency and investment in local transport schemes. As he knows, I have family ties with Ferryhill—my father was born there—and I am very keen to support local people’s aspirations. I know that he has been lobbying the Secretary of State, the Rail Minister—my hon. Friend the Member for Daventry (Chris Heaton-Harris)—and myself on this issue. We will continue to work with him to see what we can do to support local aspirations.
International Travel: Covid-19 — House of Commons, 2021-11-04
Topic: Transportation
James Sunderland (Conservative, Centre-right): The aviation and travel sectors are pivotal for my constituents in Bracknell and right across the UK, sustaining many jobs and livelihoods. Will my right hon. Friend confirm what is being done to review testing requirements for passengers and travellers and to regulate the wildly varying and often exorbitant cost of testing?
Roads — House of Commons, 2021-11-04
Topic: Transportation
Trudy Lynne Harrison (Conservative, Centre-right): As announced in the spending review on 28 October, the Government are investing more than £5 billion over this Parliament in highways maintenance, enabling local highway authorities to fill in millions of potholes a year, repair bridges and help to resurface roads up and down the country. The spending review has also fundamentally protected the Government’s plans for RIS2, the second road investment strategy, while adjusting for schemes that are now progressing to a different timetable.
Roads — House of Commons, 2021-11-04
Topic: Transportation
Mark Peter Fletcher (Conservative, Centre-right): More than 300 of my constituents have already signed my petition backing plans to improve junction 28 of the M1. It has been a constant bottleneck; residents of Pinxton and South Normanton are so often stuck there for a very long time. Will the Minister commit to working with me to make sure that we can deliver plans to improve that junction?
Roads — House of Commons, 2021-11-04
Topic: Transportation
Trudy Lynne Harrison (Conservative, Centre-right): Yes, of course. I congratulate my hon. Friend on his petition. I can reassure him that National Highways has now submitted information on the scheme to the evidence base that will help to inform the next stage of road investments. Thanks to his effective lobbying for his constituents in Bolsover, I can confirm to the House that National Highways has commenced a further study to assess the long-term future of junction 28 of the M1 to consider how planned growth may affect current and proposed schemes.
Bus Services — House of Commons, 2021-11-04
Topic: Environment
Andrew Hanson Jones (Conservative, Centre-right): Harrogate has electric buses already, and they are very popular for their ride quality and their environmental benefit. I am keen to see their benefits extended, particularly to Knaresborough, where we have two air quality management areas and the very high-volume No. 1 route. Will the Minister update the House on where we are with the ZEBRA—zero-emission bus regional areas—scheme?
Bus Services — House of Commons, 2021-11-04
Topic: Transportation
Trudy Lynne Harrison (Conservative, Centre-right): Absolutely. My hon. Friend is a superb champion for Harrogate and Knaresborough and has extensive experience of public transport. I am sure that he will appreciate the recent announcement of £355 million of new funding for zero-emission buses, which is in addition to the existing £120 million for the ZEBRA scheme. On ZEBRA, we also announced last week that almost £71 million of the funding has been awarded to Warrington, Leicester, Milton Keynes, Kent, Cambridge and Peterborough. We continue to work with a further 17 local transport authorities that will submit proposals. One of those areas is North Yorkshire; I understand that Harrogate and Knaresborough are part of the defined area. I look forward to working with my hon. Friend on the matter.
Bus Services — House of Commons, 2021-11-04
Topic: Transportation
Trudy Lynne Harrison (Conservative, Centre-right): As the hon. Member will know, in last week’s spending review, we set out an unprecedented level of support for buses, including zero-emission vehicles. This Government are supporting the bus network through manufacturing and through the infrastructure required as we decarbonise, as set out in our transport decarbon- isation plan.
Cycling and Walking — House of Commons, 2021-11-04
Topic: Transportation
Christopher Heaton-Harris (Conservative, Centre-right): It is slightly ironic, is it not, that the question is about cycling and walking, and how we can decarbonise transport. While I am sure that those people outside have decent intentions, the way in which they are going about their business is completely unacceptable We need to continue our business here, so I can happily update the House with the information that my Department is investing an unprecedented £2 billion in active travel over the course of this Parliament, which is the biggest ever boost for walking and cycling My hon. Friend the Member for Broxtowe (Darren Henry) would have asked a supplementary question, and I know that he wanted to talk about areas in his constituency, because that is all he ever does. [Laughter.] He wanted to talk about Mini-Hollands and how they can change people’s behaviour when it comes to cycling, and to mention the town of Stapleford. The Department’s publication "Gear Change", which could be described as a manifesto for cycling, refers to Mini-Hollands. Expressions of interest have been received from more than 30 local authorities wishing to build them—including Nottinghamshire County Council—so they are clearly remarkably popular. We are working on a list in order to progress to the next stage, and will receive a feasibility study in the next financial year.
Cycling and Walking — House of Commons, 2021-11-04
Topic: Transportation
Christopher Heaton-Harris (Conservative, Centre-right): I am sure that the hon. Gentleman is very pleased about the amount of money that the Scottish Government are receiving for cycling and walking in a devolved settlement via the Barnett formula, but the figures that he has given are not correct. Spending on cycling and walking in England has doubled from a paltry £3.50 per head in 2010 to about £10 per head now, and obviously, given the massive increase in spending on cycling and walking—the largest that we have ever had in this Parliament, as a result of the Prime Minister’s "Gear Change" plans—that will continue to increase.