argyrotsipi/train-dataset huggingface dataset:
Covid-19: Aviation — House of Commons, 2020-06-03
Topic: Mixed Topics
Kelly Jane Tolhurst (Conservative, Centre-right): I understand the impact that any reduction in jobs or stress on organisations in the hon. Lady’s constituency will have on her constituency. The Chancellor did announce an unprecedented level of support, and use has been made of that. The option to come to talk to us about bespoke support has been there and is still there. I am continuing to talk to airports and airlines about the ability to tap into that. We will continue to work with those in the sector to mitigate some of the issues and impacts they are understandably feeling at this moment in time.
Covid-19: Aviation — House of Commons, 2020-06-03
Topic: Mixed Topics
Christopher Stephen Grayling (Conservative, Centre-right): I also represent a number of the British Airways employees affected, and I am grateful to the Minister for her commitment to keep pressurising the airline to try to minimise the number of job cuts. Indeed, I would encourage her to do that not simply with British Airways, but with all the other airlines affected. This sector is the busiest and biggest of its kind in Europe in normal times, and it is crucial to our economy. Can I ask her to work with the Chancellor, as he comes to his next financial statement during the course of this year, to look at a longer-term recovery plan for the sector that goes beyond the immediate Government support and actually sets a path that can put this sector back where it should be, which is at the top of the European league table?
Covid-19: Aviation — House of Commons, 2020-06-03
Topic: Mixed Topics
Felicia Jane Beatrix Drummond (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank my hon. Friend for her comments, particularly on BA, which is affecting a lot of employees in my constituency as well. Southampton airport is an important contributor to the economic prosperity of the wider region. It has already seen the loss of Flybe, which was 95% of its business, so it was already struggling before covid-19. What further support can the Government give regional airports, such as Southampton, which are relied on by a wide range of companies and are lifelines for business and other travel?
Covid-19: Aviation — House of Commons, 2020-06-03
Topic: Mixed Topics
Kelly Jane Tolhurst (Conservative, Centre-right): As I have said, as aviation Minister, I would expect any organisation to treat their employees fairly and in the spirit of partnership. Absolutely, it is a question for the organisations as to whether they feel that they are carrying out their social responsibility and acting in a good way, but there are opportunities for us as we move forward. We have the restart and recovery project in which we are working with the sector to find ways that we can speed up the recovery in the aviation sector. I am sure that, across the Treasury and the Government, we are looking at ways in which we can mitigate all of the things that colleagues have, quite rightly, raised here this morning.
Covid-19: Aviation — House of Commons, 2020-06-03
Topic: Mixed Topics
Kelly Jane Tolhurst (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Lady knows that decarbonisation of the aviation sector is an important priority both for the Government and the sector itself. They have come together to work towards that. I, as the aviation Minister, and the Department commit to working with the sector to reduce those emissions and to decarbonise the industry as far as we are able.
Covid-19: Aviation — House of Commons, 2020-06-03
Topic: Mixed Topics
Kelly Jane Tolhurst (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Gentleman knows I have great respect for him, but we are supporting the aviation sector. We have delivered unprecedented Government support and those organisations have the opportunity to talk to us with regard to bespoke support. He is absolutely right that we in Government will try to deliver what we can to support those colleagues, but we also need to be asking those organisations how they will support workers affected by the commercial decisions they are taking. I will continue to do what I can in my capacity.
Covid-19: Aviation — House of Commons, 2020-06-03
Topic: Mixed Topics
Kelly Jane Tolhurst (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Lady is right: businesses are judged by the way they behave and the way they treat their employees. We will need to wait to see how British Airways is judged by the consumers and customers they reach out to, and I will do whatever I can to work with the airlines to mitigate any job losses.
Covid-19: Aviation — House of Commons, 2020-06-03
Topic: Immigration
Kevin Paul Hollinrake (Conservative, Centre-right): I understand the public concern that has given rise to the policy on quarantining, but would it be worth publishing the economic and public health impacts of that policy, with and without air bridges, to properly inform the public debate?
Covid-19: Aviation — House of Commons, 2020-06-03
Topic: Immigration
Kelly Jane Tolhurst (Conservative, Centre-right): The Home Secretary will make a statement directly after this session, and I would not want to pre-empt anything that she may be inclined to speak about. It is right that at this time, as we see a reduction in the spread of domestic cases, we do whatever we can to limit imported cases. That is why the decision has been taken. As I have outlined, I have been working hard with the sector, the team at DFT and across Government to find solutions to ensure that we can get aeroplanes in the air and passengers on their holidays as quickly as possible.
Covid-19: Aviation — House of Commons, 2020-06-03
Topic: Mixed Topics
Andrew William Murrison (Conservative, Centre-right): The Minister must have made an economic assessment of the effects of quarantine. Does she accept that there is no point in quarantining people coming from countries with a relatively low disease burden to the UK? If she does, which European countries specifically has she in mind for quarantine, since pretty much all of them have a lower disease burden than the United Kingdom?
Covid-19: Aviation — House of Commons, 2020-06-03
Topic: Immigration
Kelly Jane Tolhurst (Conservative, Centre-right): My right hon. Friend will know that in DFT, we are working closely with our colleagues in the Home Office on the implementation of the borders and quarantining policy, to ensure that we are expressing the concerns and needs of the aviation sector and looking at how that can be implemented practically. There are a number of differences in the implementation of quarantining and other measures in many countries across Europe and the rest of the world, and we will keep working to find solutions.
Covid-19: Aviation — House of Commons, 2020-06-03
Topic: Mixed Topics
Kelly Jane Tolhurst (Conservative, Centre-right): I think I have been very clear about my position. We need to keep working to protect as many jobs as possible, and we will continue to work with the restart and recovery group to find ways to help the aviation sector to recover.
Covid-19: UK Border Health Measures — House of Commons, 2020-06-03
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Jonathan Edward Gullis (Conservative, Centre-right): Quarantine will have an impact on businesses that rely heavily on the hospitality sector such as ceramics in Stoke-on-Trent. Churchill China and Steelite have spoken to me about that, so can my right hon. Friend explain the position and reassure ceramic manufacturers that quarantine will not hinder their work as they try to reboot the local economy?
Covid-19: UK Border Health Measures — House of Commons, 2020-06-03
Topic: Mixed Topics
Fay Alicia Jones (Conservative, Centre-right): I welcome the introduction of a self-isolation period for those arriving in the UK. Like the Government, I want to do all that I can to protect rural mid-Wales from a second spike in the virus. What discussions has my right hon. Friend had with the Welsh Government and with rural police forces to ensure that these measures can be enforced in a four-nation approach?
Covid-19: UK Border Health Measures — House of Commons, 2020-06-03
Topic: Mixed Topics
Priti Sushil Patel (Conservative, Centre-right): This is such a difficult time for everybody around the world. Of course, we have all been split apart from family, friends and loved ones. Of course, we do want to ensure that we can prioritise key cases and, as we move forward with changes to regulations and keep this under review, look at how we can do our utmost to reunite friends, family and loved ones.
Covid-19: UK Border Health Measures — House of Commons, 2020-06-03
Topic: Mixed Topics
Theresa Anne Villiers (Conservative, Centre-right): I welcome the huge amount of work that the Home Secretary is doing on air bridges, and urge her to suspend the implementation of this blanket quarantine requirement to give just a few more weeks to get in place those safe air corridors so that we can save jobs in aviation and let families go on their summer breaks in the sun.
Covid-19: UK Border Health Measures — House of Commons, 2020-06-03
Topic: Other
Priti Sushil Patel (Conservative, Centre-right): It is not my intention to destroy any sectors of our country or economy. That is a gross distortion of my comments and remarks. I refer the hon. Gentleman to the comments I have already made on the scientific advice.
Covid-19: UK Border Health Measures — House of Commons, 2020-06-03
Topic: Mixed Topics
Priti Sushil Patel (Conservative, Centre-right): First, it is not for me personally to drop these regulations. These regulations are being laid in the House in conjunction with other Departments. I want to emphasise what I said on 22 May: this is just one component. We are speaking about track, trace and isolate and potential fast testing for passengers. There are many other aspects to how we can make aviation travel safe, to protect passengers’ health. That is exactly what we need to do, working with the aviation sector, the travel sector and carriers. It is for them to innovate, and we will support them and work with them to ensure that we look at all measures we can bring forward for the sector to keep passengers safe while protecting the British public.
Covid-19: UK Border Health Measures — House of Commons, 2020-06-03
Topic: Immigration
Sally-Ann Hart (Conservative, Centre-right): In terms of our soft borders, which are our beaches, can my right hon. Friend reassure the residents of Hastings and Rye that the migrants illegally crossing the channel in small boats who are not returned to France are being given health checks for their own safety and wellbeing and for the safety and wellbeing of my constituents?
Covid-19: UK Border Health Measures — House of Commons, 2020-06-03
Topic: Immigration
Priti Sushil Patel (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend is aware of the work we are doing on that, which includes returns to France directly, so she can have that assurance. The self-isolation measures equally apply to people who come to our country illegally.
Covid-19: UK Border Health Measures — House of Commons, 2020-06-03
Topic: Immigration
Thomas Patrick Hunt (Conservative, Centre-right): A couple of months ago, my constituents were overwhelmingly of the view that an international quarantine should have been introduced then. I believe that, right now, they are finely balanced but still just of a view that one is necessary, so I will be supporting the Government on this. However, at the same time I am getting more and more emails from constituents who have loved ones in other countries. Will the Home Secretary please commit to a flexible approach, and at the nearest opportunity will she please relax it?
Covid-19: UK Border Health Measures — House of Commons, 2020-06-03
Topic: Mixed Topics
Geoffrey Robert Clifton-Brown (Conservative, Centre-right): On behalf of a significant number of constituents whose jobs are affected in the travel, tourism and leisure business, may I ask my right hon. Friend if she would seriously consider and review as urgently as possible establishing air bridges, particularly with countries where the rate of infection is lower than our own?
Covid-19: UK Border Health Measures — House of Commons, 2020-06-03
Topic: Immigration
Priti Sushil Patel (Conservative, Centre-right): I could not have been clearer in my statement, and when I outlined the enhanced monitoring process that took place at the border between 22 January and 12 March. It is right that those measures were undertaken, and I have said in my statement why these measures are being brought in now.
Covid-19: UK Border Health Measures — House of Commons, 2020-06-03
Topic: Mixed Topics
Priti Sushil Patel (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend is absolutely right to ask this question because these are cross-Government measures. Bilateral agreements will of course be with the Foreign Office, and on the test, trace and isolate approach, it is the Department of Health and Social Care. When it comes to sector-specific issues, they will be Department by Department, but when it comes to travel and aviation, it will obviously be the Secretary of State for Transport and me. I will continue to work collaboratively with all Government Departments.
Covid-19: UK Border Health Measures — House of Commons, 2020-06-03
Topic: Immigration
Priti Sushil Patel (Conservative, Centre-right): I have outlined my position in the statement earlier on. It is important to say that when it comes to measures at the borders, I have outlined the dates on which enhanced measures were taken, but also, I have not referred to the millions of British nationals who were stranded abroad, and had we closed our borders in the way in which the hon. Lady is referring to, they would not have been able to come back to the UK —[Interruption.]
Covid-19: UK Border Health Measures — House of Commons, 2020-06-03
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Greg Smith (Conservative, Centre-right): With small businesses in particular being asked to step up and reboot our economy, they need certainty. I have been contacted by a business in my constituency, which is concerned that, notwithstanding the general advice for non-essential travel, some employees are still determined to have their holidays. Can my right hon. Friend give clarity over the status of returning holidaymakers in terms of whether the business should swallow that cost or whether the holidaymaker should be forced to take it out of annual leave?
Covid-19: UK Border Health Measures — House of Commons, 2020-06-03
Topic: Mixed Topics
Priti Sushil Patel (Conservative, Centre-right): I understand the case that my hon. Friend makes. We do, of course, have an extensive exemption list for specialist skills and individuals that are required for key projects and key work. I will take away the full details of the case and raise them with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.
Covid-19: UK Border Health Measures — House of Commons, 2020-06-03
Topic: Immigration
Priti Sushil Patel (Conservative, Centre-right): I am sorry, Madam Deputy Speaker, but I did not quite hear the hon. Lady’s last sentence. I think that it was in relation to the immigration system—the points-based system—and I will happily follow it up with her.
Covid-19: UK Border Health Measures — House of Commons, 2020-06-03
Topic: Immigration
Priti Sushil Patel (Conservative, Centre-right): SAGE papers are being published and they are in the public domain, so the hon. Gentleman can look out for them and see what information has been put in place. I do come back to the point that I made earlier about the enhanced monitoring process that was taken at the border, all of which I highlighted in my opening remarks.
Covid-19: UK Border Health Measures — House of Commons, 2020-06-03
Topic: Immigration
Christian Wakeford (Conservative, Centre-right): Will my right hon. Friend advise me on whether she believes that we got the science right earlier on, and, if we did, are we getting the science right now in terms of quarantine and putting restrictions on travellers?
Points of Order — House of Commons, 2020-06-03
Topic: Civil Rights
Karen Anne Bradley (Conservative, Centre-right): On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. May I welcome the Prime Minister’s announcement earlier that he intends to extend the proxy voting scheme to those who are shielded and unable to attend the Chamber to vote in person? However, I must say that I have some concerns about the way the announcement has taken place and how it will be implemented. May I therefore ask you whether you can obtain this information from Mr Speaker? First, what advance notice did he have of the Prime Minister’s intention to make this announcement today? Can he confirm that the current pilot scheme for proxy voting—let us be clear that the proxy voting scheme we are currently using for maternity and paternity leave is a pilot—will expire in July 2020, that it has a number of structural issues that the Committee I chair is examining, and that it is not suitable to be extended to several dozen Members on the present basis Would you ask Mr Speaker whether he will agree to convene a meeting between the Leader of the House, me and the Clerk of the House so that we can discuss these matters urgently? Can Mr Speaker give the House an assurance that he will not allow any scheme to be implemented that obliges Members, from any part of this House, to disclose personal information about their health? Would you also ask Mr Speaker whether he would confirm that the Government have not, to date, provided any response to the three detailed reports on these issues produced by my Committee, one of which was to satisfy the impossibly tight timescale demanded by the Government for the introduction of remote voting, which they then ended up using for a mere eight days?
Corporate Insolvency and Governance Bill — House of Commons, 2020-06-03
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Alok Kumar Sharma (Conservative, Centre-right): As ever, the hon. Gentleman raises an incredibly important point. I will talk further about this, but that is precisely why we have ensured an opportunity to extend the temporary measures in the Bill, but by regulation, so statutory instruments will have to be laid before the House. However, I am sure that the sentiments he expresses are felt across the House. If we need to, I am sure that we will collectively look to extend some of the temporary measures to continue to help businesses The Bill will allow business owners time and space to explore rescue options. It will allow directors of companies that are technically insolvent, but simply because of a temporary drop in demand caused by the covid-19 crisis, to proceed with the business without the threat of personal liability. That has been incredibly warmly welcomed by businesses and business representative organisations.
Corporate Insolvency and Governance Bill — House of Commons, 2020-06-03
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Alok Kumar Sharma (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend is already making a huge impact in supporting businesses in his constituency, and he is absolutely right. The whole point of these measures, both permanent and temporary, is precisely as he says: to give businesses the breathing space to allow them to see whether they can recover and ultimately bounce back. That is what we all want to see.
Corporate Insolvency and Governance Bill — House of Commons, 2020-06-03
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Gary William Sambrook (Conservative, Centre-right): Unfortunately, some businesses fail. In my constituency, MG Rover collapsed 15 years ago, ripping a huge hole in the community in Northfield and Longbridge. Fifteen years on, over 6,000 people are owed money from the liquidation of MG Rover. Will my right hon. Friend look into ways in which we can speed up the process—15 years is too long and causes a lot of problems and anxiety for people—so that they can get closure and the money that they are owed.
Corporate Insolvency and Governance Bill — House of Commons, 2020-06-03
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Alok Kumar Sharma (Conservative, Centre-right): Again, the manner in which the debate has begun demonstrates the consensus on supporting businesses, not just in our individual constituencies but across the country. I can give my hon. Friend a commitment that I am happy to meet him to discuss the case and see what more can be done. He is absolutely right—where we are able to, we must seek to speed up and provide that support to individuals who need it The Bill will provide extra flexibilities to hold AGMs online during the covid-19 pandemic and will also provide more time to file accounts and other filings with Companies House.
Corporate Insolvency and Governance Bill — House of Commons, 2020-06-03
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Alok Kumar Sharma (Conservative, Centre-right): When we first launched CBILS there were a lot of concerns about how quickly the process was moving. I have been talking to banks individually and to senior managers in the banks, and I think that we are beginning to see movement. CBILS has had over 40,000 loans out of the door, and over 450,000 bounce-back loans have been made. If there are specific banks about which the hon. Gentleman has concerns—he, like all colleagues, is concerned about retaining employment in his constituency—I would be happy to take up those issues with him individually.
Corporate Insolvency and Governance Bill — House of Commons, 2020-06-03
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Kevin Paul Hollinrake (Conservative, Centre-right): Because of the success of bounce-back loans—it is a much easier process to get a bounce-back loan than a CBILS loan—lots of businesses that need more than £50,000 have gone for a bounce-back loan as an interim step, but are restricted from taking a CBILS loan, as they can only have one or the other. Would my right hon. Friend consider allowing businesses to apply for a CBILS loan for a larger amount, subject to necessary lending criteria, then paying off the bounce-back loan so that they can get access to the finance that they need?
Corporate Insolvency and Governance Bill — House of Commons, 2020-06-03
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Alok Kumar Sharma (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend is of course right. By the way, I am delighted that he is back in the House, after a short absence. He brings a huge amount of experience in this area, as a result of his work in the private sector. The permanent measures have already been consulted upon, and they enjoy broad support. The temporary measures are of course temporary, and if we were to look to extend any of them, we would have to do so by way of regulation—we would have to come to the House with statutory instruments, and there would be an opportunity, if colleagues in the House felt it was not right to extend them, for them to voice their concerns. So I do think we have managed to get the balance right in this case. We want to ensure that the measures are put in place as quickly as possible, so that we are able to provide support to businesses in difficulty right now. In all the discussions that we have had with the right hon. Member for Doncaster North and his colleagues, we have always had a really constructive approach; I hope that is exactly what we will have today as well.
Corporate Insolvency and Governance Bill — House of Commons, 2020-06-03
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Kevin Paul Hollinrake (Conservative, Centre-right): I speak as a co-chair of the all-party group on fair business banking, has dealt with a lot of problems in how banks treat SMEs, facilitated by insolvency practitioners. To eliminate those conflicts of interest, the Secretary of State’s Department has committed to bringing forward measures to provide that the conduct of insolvency practitioners is overseen by a single regulator, rather than by recognised professional bodies. Can he commit to bringing forward those measures in the not-too-distant future, so that we can try to eliminate those conflicts of interest?