argyrotsipi/train-dataset huggingface dataset:
COP26 — House of Commons, 2021-11-15
Topic: Mixed Topics
Jason McCartney (Conservative, Centre-right): I congratulate the Prime Minister and the President of COP26 on their leadership in Glasgow. Does the Prime Minister agree that we can continue to show leadership by continuing to reduce our carbon emissions, getting cars and freight off the roads and reducing the need for domestic flights? We can do that by investing in high-speed rail, investing in east-west connectivity, investing in Northern Powerhouse Rail, and investing in local rail connections such as the Huddersfield-Penistone-Sheffield line.
COP26 — House of Commons, 2021-11-15
Topic: Mixed Topics
Robert Edward Jenrick (Conservative, Centre-right): The Prime Minister is right to say that the whole country should take pride in the manner in which the UK has hosted the COP talks in the last few weeks. One of the elements that distinguished COP26 from previous COPs was the much greater and more meaningful involvement of business. How can we ensure that that continues and becomes one of the defining characteristics of the remainder of the UK’s COP presidency?
COP26 — House of Commons, 2021-11-15
Topic: Other
Eleanor Fulton Laing (Conservative, Centre-right): We have been considering this subject now for an hour, which is the normal time for a statement. As this is a historically important statement, I would like to ensure that everybody who wishes to ask a question has the opportunity to do so, but they really will have to be short questions now. I am slightly concerned about the Prime Minister’s voice; I am sure he is not concerned, but I am concerned about his voice. It would be a terrible thing if he were prevented from other things on which he has to make speeches in the near future because we kept him at the Dispatch Box for too long—[Interruption.] The Prime Minister is not concerned; nevertheless we will be as quick as possible now, because there is other business to get on to.
COP26 — House of Commons, 2021-11-15
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (Conservative, Centre-right): The right hon. Gentleman makes an important point. The power of consumers, pension holders and investors is enormous. We are looking at everything we can do to encourage all companies to follow suit. Peer pressure and social pressure will have a massive influence.
COP26 — House of Commons, 2021-11-15
Topic: Mixed Topics
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend is making a very important point. We have not only to train more people up in STEM—and we are investing hugely in skills— but to make sure that people with existing skills in hydrocarbon-intensive means of propulsion are trained to work with EVs and other low-carbon technologies. That is what we are doing as well.
COP26 — House of Commons, 2021-11-15
Topic: Mixed Topics
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Lady is totally wrong, because we need to integrate business into the fight against climate change. That is the way to do it, as we have done with wind power, and we also need nuclear power.
COP26 — House of Commons, 2021-11-15
Topic: Other
Eleanor Fulton Laing (Conservative, Centre-right): Order. Will everyone who has a long question written or typed out edit it to half what they have? We must have much shorter questions. The problem is that when people read their questions, they are great big, long questions; "Erskine May" makes it clear that questions should never be read.
COP26 — House of Commons, 2021-11-15
Topic: Housing
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (Conservative, Centre-right): We are committed to retrofitting homes around the whole UK. As I said earlier, the housing stock is very various, so we need different approaches in different places. We are supporting households across the country to go green and thereby to save on their fuel bills as well. That is the Government’s approach.
Social Security (Up-rating of Benefits) Bill — House of Commons, 2021-11-15
Topic: Mixed Topics
Eleanor Fulton Laing (Conservative, Centre-right): I must draw the House’s attention to the fact that financial privilege is engaged by both Lords amendments. If the House agrees to either Lords amendment, I shall ensure that the appropriate entry is made in the Journal Clause 1 Up-rating of state pension and certain other benefits following review in tax year 2021-22
Social Security (Up-rating of Benefits) Bill — House of Commons, 2021-11-15
Topic: Mixed Topics
Guy Thomas Opperman (Conservative, Centre-right): The Social Security (Up-rating of Benefits) Bill is a one-year Bill by reason of the pandemic. Last year, as you will be aware, Madam Deputy Speaker, we changed the law for one year to increase state pensions by 2.5% at a time when average earnings had fallen and consumer price inflation had increased by half a percentage point. If we had not taken this action, state pensions would have been frozen This year, average earnings growth is estimated to be unusually high, distorted by the cumulative effects of a natural economic reaction to the coronavirus pandemic and the response to the supportive measures introduced by the Government to protect livelihoods. The figure for average weekly earnings from May to July—the measure used for uprating earnings-linked benefits—has grown at 8.3%, which is over two percentage points higher than at any time over the past two decades. Recognising this covid-related distortion, the Government are setting aside the earnings link for one more year, 2022-23, and continuing the double lock of at least inflation or 2.5%. The triple lock will be applied again in the usual way for the basic and new state pensions from the following year.
Social Security (Up-rating of Benefits) Bill — House of Commons, 2021-11-15
Topic: Mixed Topics
Guy Thomas Opperman (Conservative, Centre-right): The right hon. Gentleman will be aware that we remain committed to the triple lock. This is a one-year-only Bill. This will be a continuation of the policy that the Government introduced as part of the coalition in 2010 and have continued to pursue on an ongoing basis since then. There is no intention to change that.
Social Security (Up-rating of Benefits) Bill — House of Commons, 2021-11-15
Topic: Mixed Topics
Guy Thomas Opperman (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank all colleagues for their contributions. The factual reality of the situation is that this Government are spending £129 billion on pensioners. That is £105 billion on the state pension and £24 billion extra on the various add-ons for pensioners, including winter fuel; free eye tests; bus passes; free NHS, obviously; pension credit—I could go on in great detail. My hon. Friend the Member for North Norfolk (Duncan Baker) asked whether the triple lock will return. I can assure him that that is the case.
Social Security (Up-rating of Benefits) Bill — House of Commons, 2021-11-15
Topic: Other
Guy Thomas Opperman (Conservative, Centre-right): No. This is a two-clause Bill introduced by reason of the pandemic. The law will last for only one year before reverting. I commend the progress made by the Government on this issue, and I invite the House to reject the Lords amendments Question put, That this House disagrees with Lords amendment 1.
Skills and Post-16 Education Bill [Lords] — House of Commons, 2021-11-15
Topic: Mixed Topics
Nadhim Zahawi (Conservative, Centre-right): I hope, as I did in the weekly briefings that I gave as Vaccines Minister, to convince the hon. Lady tonight that that is incorrect. We are not getting rid of BTECs I know at first hand how important education is. As colleagues who have known me for a long time will know, I came to this country with my family at the age of 11, without a word of English—and here I am now in this Chamber. With the right education, opportunity abounds Unfortunately, we are still feeling the aftershocks of the pandemic and we still have many challenges ahead. We need to recover economically; we need to level up our country. I am glad to say that we are already making headway with levelling up. The Chancellor’s Budget is putting the money where it is needed, with £374 billion of direct support for the economy over this year and last year. The Prime Minister’s plan for jobs is working, with the peak of unemployment forecast to be 2 million lower than was previously predicted. Wages are growing, and we will build on that by having skills at the very heart of our plan.
Skills and Post-16 Education Bill [Lords] — House of Commons, 2021-11-15
Topic: Mixed Topics
Daniel Leonard James Poulter (Conservative, Centre-right): My right hon. Friend is making a very good speech. Would he consider and welcome the improved approach to collaboration that the Treasury Bench has taken this evening, with the involvement of metro Mayors and combined authorities? Does he also agree that if we want to have a truly locally driven skills agenda, we need to involve local enterprise partnerships? They are often a much better voice for local employers than the chambers of commerce, which can be quite variable— not in the case of Suffolk, I hasten to add, but more generally.
Amnesty International Offices in Hong Kong — House of Commons, 2021-11-15
Topic: Mixed Topics
Andrew Richard Rosindell (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank the hon. Member for his intervention, and I of course agree with everything he said I was going to go on to say that other organisations have been forced to close as well, including Human Rights Watch. In the last few months, I believe that Beijing has weaponised this draconian law to force the disbanding of the Hong Kong Professional Teachers Union, the Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions, the civil society group that organised the annual Tiananmen Square massacre vigil, and the 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund, which provided the financial assistance and paid the legal fees of protesters.
Amnesty International Offices in Hong Kong — House of Commons, 2021-11-15
Topic: Mixed Topics
Andrew Richard Rosindell (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend has hit the nail on the head. I believe that the way China has treated Hong Kong is a betrayal of everything we thought we had agreed with China. My hon. Friend makes the point very clearly, and I intend to emphasise this still further as the debate progresses Let us make no mistake about this: the dismantling of civil society organisations is another step in the Chinese Government’s relentless pursuit of the destruction of Hong Kong’s autonomy and the freedoms that were previously guaranteed by the one country, two systems model and the Sino-British joint declaration that underpinned it. Despite previous claims that the national security law would be used sparingly, would not be applied retrospectively and would not impact on the rule of law, we have seen the Chinese Communist party use the smokescreen of state security to arrest journalists, former pro-democracy lawmakers, activists, students, trade unionists, lawyers and even speech therapists This month alone, Beijing and the Hong Kong Government warned the Foreign Correspondents Club that it risked closure and possibly violated the national security law for publishing a survey of its members on press freedom. The Justice Secretary stated that gestures, words and signs could lead to convictions, and the Security Minister cautioned that Hong Kongers who cast blank ballots or boycott the upcoming Legislative Council elections could be violating this draconian law No one looking at these developments can be under any illusion whatsoever that the old Hong Kong that guaranteed freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, freedom of association and freedom of religion or belief, and upheld the rule of law, exists today: that has gone. The two trials we have seen under the national security law have already demonstrated the export and establishment of China’s judicial system in Hong Kong, with suspects denied bail on spurious grounds, judges hand-picked by Beijing and one individual receiving a sentence of six and a half years in jail simply for carrying a flag with a pro-democracy slogan on it.
Food and Drink Sector: Labour Supply — House of Commons, 2021-10-28
Topic: Immigration
Charles George Eustice (Conservative, Centre-right): I regularly speak to Cabinet colleagues about the current state of the labour market in the food and drink sector. Working across Government, we have extended the seasonal workers pilot this year to 30,000 visas and introduced additional temporary visa routes for poultry workers, pig butchers and heavy goods vehicle drivers in the food sector.
Food and Drink Sector: Labour Supply — House of Commons, 2021-10-28
Topic: Mixed Topics
Charles George Eustice (Conservative, Centre-right): My Department has regular dialogue with all the supermarkets and the major food manufacturers. They had some anxiety around their ability to deliver for Christmas about a month ago. That is why we acted expeditiously to introduce those temporary visa schemes. I can say that confidence in the industry is now higher, and it is gearing its logistics chains to make sure that we have food on the shelves. It is an improving situation.
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2021-10-28
Topic: Mixed Topics
Charles George Eustice (Conservative, Centre-right): The position of the UK Government was set out very clearly and comprehensively in the Command Paper we published earlier this summer. We also have specialised committees working with EU and UK officials to resolve some of the technical and veterinary issues. We are clear, however, that we want goods to be able to travel from Great Britain to Northern Ireland without unnecessary barriers in the way.
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2021-10-28
Topic: Mixed Topics
Questions: May I confirm that the Secretary of State and his team are aware of the Isle of Wight’s achievement of UNESCO biosphere reserve status and of our desire to work with the Government on new landscape designations that recognise the Island’s unique sea life, landscape, rare flora, fauna, birds, butterflies and animal species?
Charles George Eustice (Conservative, Centre-right): My officials are investigating the circumstances around the vessel that has been detained in France. It is too early to be able to identify precisely what happened, but I have seen reports that it was on a list originally and then appeared not to be on a list. I have asked our officials to investigate urgently.
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2021-10-28
Topic: Mixed Topics
Questions: May I confirm that the Secretary of State and his team are aware of the Isle of Wight’s achievement of UNESCO biosphere reserve status and of our desire to work with the Government on new landscape designations that recognise the Island’s unique sea life, landscape, rare flora, fauna, birds, butterflies and animal species?; Marine Scotland’s sea fisheries statistics have recently shown that the value of landings right across Scotland has fallen. In Aberdeen alone, it has fallen by some 34%, so I ask the Secretary of State: where is the sea of opportunity?
Victoria Mary Boswell Prentis (Conservative, Centre-right): I visited the Kent agricultural showground last week for the very impressive national fruit show, and I was able to talk to many growers about the very tight labour market that we are suffering from at the moment. As my right hon. Friend knows, we have a seasonal workers pilot with 30,000 visas. Growers can also continue to recruit workers under the EU settlement scheme. For the longer term, we are working with the Department for Work and Pensions to encourage the recruitment of more UK workers and undertaking a review of how automation will help with this issue.
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2021-10-28
Topic: Public Lands
Questions: May I confirm that the Secretary of State and his team are aware of the Isle of Wight’s achievement of UNESCO biosphere reserve status and of our desire to work with the Government on new landscape designations that recognise the Island’s unique sea life, landscape, rare flora, fauna, birds, butterflies and animal species?; Marine Scotland’s sea fisheries statistics have recently shown that the value of landings right across Scotland has fallen. In Aberdeen alone, it has fallen by some 34%, so I ask the Secretary of State: where is the sea of opportunity?
Neil Peter Hammerton Hudson (Conservative, Centre-right): With adverse weather and flooding again affecting Cumbria and other areas in the north, will the Secretary of State join me in thanking everyone on the ground from the Environment Agency, local government, emergency services and volunteers? Can he reassure my constituents in Penrith and The Border that the Environment Agency will continue to have the funding and support that it needs to help, protect and support communities vulnerable to flooding?
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2021-10-28
Topic: Other
Questions: May I confirm that the Secretary of State and his team are aware of the Isle of Wight’s achievement of UNESCO biosphere reserve status and of our desire to work with the Government on new landscape designations that recognise the Island’s unique sea life, landscape, rare flora, fauna, birds, butterflies and animal species?; Marine Scotland’s sea fisheries statistics have recently shown that the value of landings right across Scotland has fallen. In Aberdeen alone, it has fallen by some 34%, so I ask the Secretary of State: where is the sea of opportunity?
Eleanor Fulton Laing (Conservative, Centre-right): Order. Before we come to the next group of questions, I point out that in the absence of the spokesperson for the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission, the hon. Member for Lancaster and Fleetwood (Cat Smith) will answer on the Committee’s behalf. I am grateful to her for doing so. I emphasise to the House that she will be answering on behalf of the Speaker’s Committee, rather than undertaking her Front-Bench responsibilities.
Refugees from Afghanistan — House of Commons, 2021-10-28
Topic: Immigration
Andrew Edmund Armstrong Selous (Conservative, Centre-right): Churches up and down the country have been co-ordinating gifts of cash, clothing, toys, prams and other items to Afghan refugees. Church members have taken Afghan families to buy shoes and other items and have offered them houses and flats.
Refugees from Afghanistan — House of Commons, 2021-10-28
Topic: Immigration
Andrew Edmund Armstrong Selous (Conservative, Centre-right): I can tell the hon. Lady that lowest income communities funding from the Church Commissioners helps dioceses to support parishes such as St Mary’s, Scarborough, that have been at the forefront of our effort to help Afghan refugees. I can also tell her that in the diocese of Chelmsford, five vacant vicarages have been allocated to refugee households, including to Afghan refugees.
Number of Ordinands — House of Commons, 2021-10-28
Topic: Civil Rights
Andrew Edmund Armstrong Selous (Conservative, Centre-right): In 2020, despite the pandemic, 591 people were recommended for training for ordained ministry—the highest figure for 13 years. Ordinations to stipendiary ministry have increased by 43% since 2013, reflecting our commitment to the long-term resourcing of the Church of England.
Number of Ordinands — House of Commons, 2021-10-28
Topic: Civil Rights
Scott Lloyd Benton (Conservative, Centre-right): What assurances can my hon. Friend provide the House that the Church of England remains fully committed to parish ministry? I have seen how important it has been during the pandemic at a range of churches in Blackpool, such as Holy Cross.
Number of Ordinands — House of Commons, 2021-10-28
Topic: Civil Rights
Andrew Edmund Armstrong Selous (Conservative, Centre-right): I am delighted to learn of the good work of Holy Cross and other churches in my hon. Friend’s constituency. I can reassure him, because the Archbishop of York said in July that "the means whereby we will serve and reach our nation…is a parish system revitalised for mission." Over the past year and a half, we have seen the very best of the parish system, finding creative ways to proclaim the unchanging love of Jesus in meeting the needs of those suffering in the pandemic, in quite extraordinary ways.
Number of Ordinands — House of Commons, 2021-10-28
Topic: Mixed Topics
Andrew Edmund Armstrong Selous (Conservative, Centre-right): I will certainly take that suggestion back to the Church Commissioners, and we will look at it seriously. I know that the hon. Gentleman takes a serious interest in these matters, and we will get back to him.
England’s Historic Cathedrals: Cost of Maintenance — House of Commons, 2021-10-28
Topic: Public Lands
Andrew Edmund Armstrong Selous (Conservative, Centre-right): I should like to start by commending my hon. Friend for the consistent way in which he sticks up for his cathedral in Lichfield. Other Members could follow his example, if I may say so. In 2019, England’s 42 Anglican cathedrals estimated that they required £140 million for repairs and maintenance over the next five years. The Church Commissioners are providing from the cathedral sustainability fund £20 million between 2020 and 2022, which is double the original planned figure.
England’s Historic Cathedrals: Cost of Maintenance — House of Commons, 2021-10-28
Topic: Public Lands
Michael Louis David Fabricant (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank my hon. Friend for his kind comments and for his answer. Lichfield cathedral costs around £2 million a year to run. In good years, it is able to set aside a few hundred thousand pounds each year to try to repair the damage being done to an 800-year-old building by the usual environmental impacts. It is not making the £2 million, because we are still recovering from covid, so is there any chance of the recovery fund continuing?
Apprenticeship Programme — House of Commons, 2021-10-28
Topic: Mixed Topics
Eleanor Fulton Laing (Conservative, Centre-right): I apologise to the hon. Member for Lichfield (Michael Fabricant) and to the Second Church Estates Commissioner, the hon. Member for South West Bedfordshire (Andrew Selous), because I have made a mistake. Having called the hon. Member for Lichfield to ask his question, I did not then give the hon. Member for South West Bedfordshire the opportunity to answer it. I do apologise. Perhaps the hon. Member for Lichfield could remind us of the gist of his question.
Apprenticeship Programme — House of Commons, 2021-10-28
Topic: Civil Rights
Andrew Edmund Armstrong Selous (Conservative, Centre-right): As you have invited me to answer, Madam Deputy Speaker, I can say that the Church of England will absolutely carry on pressing the Government to continue with that funding, because it has been so important.
Level of Financial Donations to the Church: Covid-19 — House of Commons, 2021-10-28
Topic: Mixed Topics
Questions: What assessment the Commissioners have made of the impact of the covid-19 outbreak on trends in the level of financial donations to the Church.
Andrew Edmund Armstrong Selous (Conservative, Centre-right): In 2020 the amount of parish share received by dioceses was 7% below 2019 levels, and in the year to date it is running at 10% less than in the same period of 2019. Parish income has also been badly affected by the loss of hall letting and other events income.
Level of Financial Donations to the Church: Covid-19 — House of Commons, 2021-10-28
Topic: Civil Rights
Questions: What assessment the Commissioners have made of the impact of the covid-19 outbreak on trends in the level of financial donations to the Church.
Andrew Edmund Armstrong Selous (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank my hon. Friend for his kind words. St Patrick’s church in Patterdale and Lanercost priory are among the 110 churches in the Carlisle diocese that have been given contactless units, not all of which require connectivity to take donations. Since June this year, £30,000 has been given through these units, which is 30% more than we budgeted for. The average contactless donation is almost three times more than the average cash donation, and the average online donation is 10 times more. Where Cumbria leads, the Church of England should follow.