argyrotsipi/train-dataset huggingface dataset:
Co-ordinated Response to Covid-19: Devolved Administrations — House of Commons, 2020-11-11
Topic: International Affairs
Iain Aitken Stewart (Conservative, Centre-right): If I remember the question correctly, it was, "Are we spending taxpayers’ money on fighting the independence referendum?" My answer to that is that we do not wish another independence referendum. The last thing that the people of Scotland need, and businesses and jobs in Scotland need, is the uncertainty that another independence referendum would create.
Voluntary and Community Organisations: Funding — House of Commons, 2020-11-11
Topic: Social Welfare
Iain Aitken Stewart (Conservative, Centre-right): I regularly meet Scottish Ministers to discuss matters of importance to Scotland. Funding for the voluntary sector and community organisations in Scotland is a matter for the Scottish Government. I take this opportunity to pay tribute to the enormous work that charities and voluntary organisations do, in Scotland and the UK, to support our communities through this very challenging period.
Voluntary and Community Organisations: Funding — House of Commons, 2020-11-11
Topic: Macroeconomics
Iain Aitken Stewart (Conservative, Centre-right): The funding that is given to the Scottish Government does not necessarily have to be used exactly for those purposes. They can supplement that as well out of the general funds that are transferred—the £8.2 billion. I am very happy to look into how that money is being spent, and I refer back to the point that my hon. Friend the Member for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk (John Lamont) made about the questions over how the £2 billion has been spent.
Economic Support: Covid-19 — House of Commons, 2020-11-11
Topic: Foreign Trade
David Gordon Mundell (Conservative, Centre-right): There are many different ways that the Government can provide economic support to Scottish businesses during covid-19. For the Scotch whisky industry, the biggest help in retaining jobs and supporting its businesses would be for the Government to resolve the US tariffs dispute, rather than escalate it by applying further retaliatory tariffs. Can my right hon. Friend update the House on progress on this vital issue for Scottish businesses and jobs?
Economic Support: Covid-19 — House of Commons, 2020-11-11
Topic: Foreign Trade
Alister William Jack (Conservative, Centre-right): To answer my right hon. Friend’s question, the Secretary of State for International Trade last night had a Zoom call with MPs from across the House, and I know that she stressed that the UK Government are determined to settle this issue as soon as possible and to mitigate the effects for those who are impacted by it. In short, we continue to raise the issue with the highest levels of the US Administration.
Strengthening the Union — House of Commons, 2020-11-11
Topic: International Affairs
Alister William Jack (Conservative, Centre-right): The good news is I did bring this answer with me. This Government have always stressed the importance of the Union. The UK is a family of nations that shares social, cultural and economic ties that together make us far safer, more secure and more prosperous. As we have seen throughout the covid crisis, it is the economic strength of the Union and our commitment to the sharing and pooling of resources that has supported jobs and businesses throughout Scotland. It is the strength of our Union that will enable us to rebuild our economy following the crisis.
Strengthening the Union — House of Commons, 2020-11-11
Topic: Transportation
Ben Everitt (Conservative, Centre-right): I am delighted to hear the Secretary of State supports the Union. The Prime Minister’s review into boosting transport links across the country is very welcome. Does the Secretary of State agree that this review into quality transport links will go a long way to levelling up economic opportunity wherever we are in the UK?
Strengthening the Union — House of Commons, 2020-11-11
Topic: Transportation
Alister William Jack (Conservative, Centre-right): There are no flies on my hon. Friend—he spotted that I am a Unionist and he has been able to highlight the importance of improving transport links. That is why I am so disappointed that the Scottish Government are not engaging in Sir Peter Hendy’s review of connectivity across our United Kingdom. That attitude is letting down the people of Scotland, who would benefit from those improvements.
Strengthening the Union — House of Commons, 2020-11-11
Topic: Foreign Trade
Alister William Jack (Conservative, Centre-right): The Union connectivity review that I referred to earlier and the United Kingdom Internal Market Bill, which is currently going through Parliament, will both promote the economic ties that my hon. Friend refers to. They will protect vital trading links and improve transport links.
Engagements — House of Commons, 2020-11-11
Topic: Social Welfare
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Lady is right to raise this issue. What happened to the Windrush generation was a disgrace and a scandal, and we are doing our best collectively to make amends. I can tell her I have met members of that generation, and this Government are taking steps to accelerate the payments and to make sure that those who are in line with payments are given every opportunity and all the information they need to avail themselves of the compensation that they deserve.
Engagements — House of Commons, 2020-11-11
Topic: Social Welfare
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (Conservative, Centre-right): I echo entirely what the right hon. and learned Gentleman says about Help for Heroes; it is a quite remarkable charity and does wonderful things for veterans. In these difficult times, many charities are, of course, finding it tough, and in addition to what the Government are doing to support charities through cutting business rates on their premises and cutting VAT on their shops, I urge everybody wherever possible to make online contributions to charities that are currently struggling.
Engagements — House of Commons, 2020-11-11
Topic: Labor
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (Conservative, Centre-right): With great respect to the right hon. and learned Gentleman, he knows full well that the furlough programme has continued throughout this pandemic. It went right the way through to October; it is now going through to March. It is one of the most generous programmes in the world, with 80% of income supported by this Government and an overall package of £210 billion going in to support jobs, families and livelihoods throughout this country. I think this country can be very proud of the way we have looked after the entire population, and we are going to continue to do so. The right hon. and learned Gentleman should bear in mind that the net effect of those furlough programmes—all the provision that we have made—is disproportionately beneficial for the poorest and neediest in society, which is what one nation Conservatism is all about.
Engagements — House of Commons, 2020-11-11
Topic: Social Welfare
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (Conservative, Centre-right): Unquestionably, this pandemic has been hard on the people of this country, and unquestionably there are people who have suffered throughout the pandemic and people whose livelihoods have suffered, but we have done everything that we possibly can to help. As for the self-employed, 2.6 million of them have received support, at a cost of £13 billion—quite right. We have also, of course, as the right hon. and learned Gentleman knows, uprated universal credit. That will continue until next year. He now champions universal credit, by the way, and calls for its uprating to be extended. He stood on a manifesto to abolish universal credit.
Engagements — House of Commons, 2020-11-11
Topic: International Affairs
Laurence Anthony Robertson (Conservative, Centre-right): As we and all countries across the world tackle the pandemic, is it not right that we also have to secure our post-EU future? Are we not doing that by securing help for our rural communities and securing our borders?
Engagements — House of Commons, 2020-11-11
Topic: Labor
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (Conservative, Centre-right): I am delighted that the right hon. Gentleman, the leader of the Scottish nationalists is now supporting universal credit. He was opposed to it at the last election. Yes, of course that uplift continues until March. I am delighted to say that the furlough scheme is being extended right the way through to March as well. That will support people across our whole United Kingdom, protecting jobs and livelihoods across the whole UK in exactly the way that he and I would both want.
Engagements — House of Commons, 2020-11-11
Topic: Social Welfare
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (Conservative, Centre-right): The right hon. Gentleman knows, I hope, that we are not only continuing with the uprating of universal credit until next year, but we have invested £210 billion in jobs and livelihoods. We have also just brought forward a winter support package for the poorest and neediest: supporting young people and kids who need school meals, and supporting people throughout our society throughout the tough period of covid, as I think the entire country would expect. That is the right thing to do and we will continue to do it.
Engagements — House of Commons, 2020-11-11
Topic: Transportation
Simon James Jupp (Conservative, Centre-right): As we continue to protect the NHS to help to save lives, regional airports are playing a critical role in delivering medical supplies and equipment across the UK, yet at Exeter airport in my constituency overall passenger numbers are at some 5% of normal. Regional airports are facing multibillion-pound business rates bills and they are asking for a payment holiday similar to businesses in retail and hospitality, including supermarket giants. What assurances can my right hon. Friend give East Devon’s aircraft engineers, cabin crew and pilots that the Government will look to temporarily scrap business rates, so that our regional airports can keep the country connected throughout the pandemic?
Engagements — House of Commons, 2020-11-11
Topic: Transportation
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (Conservative, Centre-right): I am sure that my right hon. Friend the Chancellor will have heard my hon. Friend’s words. I thank him for what he said; he is quite right to champion regional airports and the aviation business. The Bank of England’s covid corporate financing facility is helping to support the airlines’ current liquidity problems, with the sector drawing down £1.8 billion in support. The Department for Transport is also looking at giving bespoke support to particular regional airports to keep them going in these tough times.
Engagements — House of Commons, 2020-11-11
Topic: Macroeconomics
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (Conservative, Centre-right): On the contrary, the UK Government are continuing to support all parts of the UK. We will now, as the hon. Gentleman knows, have the opportunity to fund projects with our own money, rather than siphoning it through Brussels. The quantum will be identical and, in addition, through the Barnett formula, the UK Government have already given the Welsh Government £2.4 billion in capital funding alone this year.
Engagements — House of Commons, 2020-11-11
Topic: International Affairs
Imran Nasir Ahmad Khan (Conservative, Centre-right): While we are rightly focused on battling covid, we should not ignore humanitarian injustices and the plight of persecuted minorities. On Remembrance Sunday, 82 year-old Mahboob Ahmad Khan was shot dead, the fourth Ahmadi recently slain in Peshawar. His crime under Pakistani law: to call himself an Ahmadi Muslim, whose creed is love for all, hatred for none. Does my right hon. Friend agree that hatred preached in Pakistan ends up on the streets of Britain and that it is in the interests of our own security that Her Majesty’s Government should make it clear to Pakistan that state-supported persecution must end?
Engagements — House of Commons, 2020-11-11
Topic: International Affairs
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (Conservative, Centre-right): I agree passionately with my hon. Friend. I can tell him that that is why the Minister for South Asia and the Commonwealth recently raised this very issue with Pakistan’s Human Rights Minister and we urge the Government of Pakistan to guarantee the fundamental rights of all their citizens.
Engagements — House of Commons, 2020-11-11
Topic: International Affairs
Neil John O'Brien (Conservative, Centre-right): I strongly welcome the introduction of the National Security and Investment Bill today. Does the Prime Minister agree that when countries trample human rights at home and threaten our allies abroad, they should not expect to be able to buy up strategically important industries in this country with no scrutiny, not least when they refuse such investments in their own countries?
Engagements — House of Commons, 2020-11-11
Topic: International Affairs
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (Conservative, Centre-right): Yes. One of the many merits of the excellent conversation I had yesterday with President-elect Joe Biden was that we were strongly agreed on the need once again for the United Kingdom and the United States to stand together and stick up for our values around the world: to stick up for human rights, to stick up for global free trade, to stick up for NATO and to work together in the fight against climate change. It was refreshing, I may say, to have that conversation, and I look forward to many more.
Engagements — House of Commons, 2020-11-11
Topic: Environment
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (Conservative, Centre-right): I had, and have, a good relationship with the previous President. I do not resile from that—it is the duty of all British Prime Ministers to have a good relationship with the White House—but I am delighted to find the many areas in which are the incoming Biden-Harris Administration are able to make common cause with us. In particular, it was extremely exciting to talk to President-elect Biden about what he wants to do with the COP26 summit next year, in which the UK is leading the world in driving down carbon emissions and tackling climate change.
Covid-19 Lockdown: Homelessness and Rough Sleepers — House of Commons, 2020-11-11
Topic: Social Welfare
Kelly Jane Tolhurst (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank the hon. Member for his comments and articulation of the work that has been done by the Government and many local authorities and the voluntary and charitable sector in the covid-19 pandemic. He is absolutely right that we need to monitor and make sure we are working intensively with local authorities to understand the needs and the challenges. That is why we are working with local authorities to provide plans, that is why we have put in the Next Steps funding, to provide that Move On and Next Steps accommodation support. We will continue that work through the winter and evaluate any impacts that we are seeing through the covid pandemic. We need to bear in mind that we have also provided councils with over £6 billion in funding to deal with some of the issues that are coming out of the covid pandemic.
Covid-19 Lockdown: Homelessness and Rough Sleepers — House of Commons, 2020-11-11
Topic: Social Welfare
Kelly Jane Tolhurst (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank my hon. Friend for his comment and pay tribute to those not only in his constituency but throughout the country who are working and have worked incredibly hard over the summer and through the pandemic to make sure that those individuals have had the help and support they require. He is absolutely right that this funding is part of our next steps to reach our target and make sure that we tackle some of the issues and develop the accommodation to house some of the most vulnerable in our society.
Covid-19 Lockdown: Homelessness and Rough Sleepers — House of Commons, 2020-11-11
Topic: Social Welfare
Richard John Holden (Conservative, Centre-right): May I congratulate my hon. Friend on her appointment? The Rochester by-election feels like a lifetime ago The Government have a golden opportunity, having supported 29,000 people this year, to achieve their ambition of ending rough sleeping by the end of the Parliament. Will my hon. Friend commit to ensuring not only that those who have been helped will continue to get support, but that anyone at risk in the coming months will have the support that they need?
Covid-19 Lockdown: Homelessness and Rough Sleepers — House of Commons, 2020-11-11
Topic: Law and Crime
Kelly Jane Tolhurst (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Gentleman raises an important point, but, as I have outlined, we have asked bailiffs to pause evictions over the Christmas period and that is something that we will monitor and keep under review. It is absolutely right that we have taken this action, and the Secretary of State took it quickly and swiftly. We are still committed to abolishing section 21, but legislation must be balanced and considered to achieve the right outcomes for the sector, and we will keep those under review. The Government will continue to take decisive action, as they have done at all stages of the pandemic, and as I have done today in outlining our Protect programme.
Covid-19 Lockdown: Homelessness and Rough Sleepers — House of Commons, 2020-11-11
Topic: Social Welfare
Antony Higginbotham (Conservative, Centre-right): Our veterans have given so much in the service of this country and it is vital that we ensure that not a single one ends up on the streets. Will the Minister therefore reassure me and my constituents who care deeply about this that veterans continue to have priority need to keep them off the streets and that the funding provided by this Government means that if someone finds themselves in hard times this winter, local authorities have not only the duty, but the resources to give them the home that they deserve?
Covid-19 Lockdown: Homelessness and Rough Sleepers — House of Commons, 2020-11-11
Topic: Social Welfare
Edward Julian Egerton Leigh (Conservative, Centre-right): On a recent visit to YMCA Lincolnshire in Gainsborough, I was briefed on the excellent work done for homeless people in Lincoln at the charity’s Nomad Centre. But when I talked to the chief executive this morning, she told me that her main worry is not so much the level of Government support, but whether it is trickling down from local government to charities quickly enough. That leads me to a wider point, which I suppose is also a Conservative one: in a pandemic we always think that the state can do everything, but we should really be empowering and supporting charities.
Covid-19 Lockdown: Homelessness and Rough Sleepers — House of Commons, 2020-11-11
Topic: Social Welfare
Kelly Jane Tolhurst (Conservative, Centre-right): Actually, I thank the hon. Gentleman for raising the issue in his constituency. It is true, and I am sure I speak for everyone across the House, that every one of us really feels sadness and regret when we see any individual sleeping rough in a tent, a box or whatever. It is just not satisfactory. That is why this Government have committed to ending rough sleeping, and why we have put in this unprecedented level of support to achieve that goal. My challenge is to keep working with those local authorities to deliver on that promise.
Covid-19 Lockdown: Homelessness and Rough Sleepers — House of Commons, 2020-11-11
Topic: Social Welfare
Gagan Mohindra (Conservative, Centre-right): I welcome the Everyone In plan and last week’s announcement of the £15 million Protect programme. This morning, I had the opportunity to speak to the new chief executive of Dacorum Borough Council, Claire Hamilton, and she too welcomes the additional funding provided by this Government. However, the concern she wants me to raise with the Minister is that, in two-tier areas like mine, South West Hertfordshire, the money is given to Hertfordshire County Council. Could she use her good offices to ensure that the money is given to the frontline as quickly as possible?
Covid-19 Lockdown: Homelessness and Rough Sleepers — House of Commons, 2020-11-11
Topic: Government Operations
Kelly Jane Tolhurst (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank my hon. Friend for his question. I will use my position to make sure that that money is being targeted at and provided in the areas where it is actually needed. This funding and this package is all about being able to target work intensively with local authorities. This is an offer to all Members who have a particular issue at a local level. I am always happy to take that up with local authorities and to have further discussions on their behalf.
Covid-19 Lockdown: Homelessness and Rough Sleepers — House of Commons, 2020-11-11
Topic: Social Welfare
Suzanne Webb (Conservative, Centre-right): I start by thanking this Government, who have supported 29,000 people who have been rough sleeping this year alone. I have only a handful of rough sleepers in my constituency—a handful too many—but I thank the Government for finding secure accommodation for them during the pandemic, helping to protect lives and prevent the spread of the virus. Will my hon. Friend join me in thanking local charities in my Stourbridge constituency such as Leslie’s Care Packages, which works tirelessly to ensure that rough sleepers have the support they need?
Covid-19 Lockdown: Homelessness and Rough Sleepers — House of Commons, 2020-11-11
Topic: Social Welfare
Kelly Jane Tolhurst (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank my hon. Friend, and I happily pass on my thanks to the charities and the organisation in her constituency, Leslie’s Care Packages, for the work they have been doing throughout the pandemic. Again, I extend my thanks to all in the charitable sector and the voluntary sector, who have done such a lot of work in this area, working constructively with the Government and local authorities to ensure that we are targeting support to those individuals who need the help the most.