argyrotsipi/train-dataset huggingface dataset:
Schools That Work For Everyone — House of Commons, 2018-05-14
Topic: Education
Paul Christopher Blomfield (Labour, Centre-left): Sheffield’s schools are losing out in comparison with those in similar cities under the new funding formula. Money is being shifted away from primary schools, and there is simply not enough for children with special educational needs and disabilities. I shall be meeting Sheffield primary heads on Friday to discuss the crisis in their schools. Does the Secretary of State understand why they will feel that providing £200 million extra for grammar schools is simply the wrong priority?
Schools That Work For Everyone — House of Commons, 2018-05-14
Topic: Education
Daniel Stephen Zeichner (Labour, Centre-left): This morning three excellent primary schools in my area, including The Spinney and Mayfield Primary School, announced that, after two years’ work, they are pulling out of their plan to form a multi-academy trust because "the recent change in education policy now makes the current educational climate too ambiguous for us to proceed" I am pleased that they are staying with the local authority, but does the Secretary of State really believe that ambiguity is a good way to run our school system?
Schools That Work For Everyone — House of Commons, 2018-05-14
Topic: Education
Nicholas Dakin (Labour, Centre-left): Students on free school meals in selective areas do less well than those in non-selective areas. At this time of scarce cash and difficult choices, would it not be better to support the dissemination of best practice from the non-selective areas, where we know that it works?
Schools That Work For Everyone — House of Commons, 2018-05-14
Topic: Education
Peter John Kyle (Labour, Centre-left): If we are to have more investment in grammar schools, will the right hon. Gentleman at least treat them according to the same standards as other schools? Will he start by amending the Education and Adoption Act 2016 so that if a grammar school is deemed to be coasting, it will, just like any other local authority school, be converted to an academy instantly?
Points of Order — House of Commons, 2018-05-14
Topic: Government Operations
Anthony Joseph Lloyd (Labour, Centre-left): On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. Earlier today, the High Court in Belfast ruled that a civil servant who had granted planning permission for an incinerator in Mallusk in County Antrim had acted beyond his powers. The specific event does not concern the House today, but there is now an implication for all decision making by civil servants in Northern Ireland. You will be aware that there has been no devolved Assembly or governance in Belfast for nearly a year and a half. On the back of this ruling, we now need certainty about how decisions can be taken forward. Have you had any indication as to whether the Secretary of State plans to make a statement to the House or whether there are, in any case, other ways in which I can pursue this fundamental constitutional question?
Haulage Permits and Trailer Registration Bill [Lords] — House of Commons, 2018-05-14
Topic: Transportation
Christopher Michael Leslie (Labour, Centre-left): The Secretary of State might be putting a gloss on what is potentially a catastrophic situation. I give him the opportunity, from the Dispatch Box, to give a categorical guarantee that, after exit day, the licences of 318,000 HGV drivers will still be valid to deliver goods across the European Union. Is that right?
Haulage Permits and Trailer Registration Bill [Lords] — House of Commons, 2018-05-14
Topic: International Affairs
Christopher Michael Leslie (Labour, Centre-left): I am sorry to interrupt the Secretary of State, but this is quite important. He acknowledges that I asked a straight question about the guarantee. Is it not the case that, even in that worst-case situation, some sort of bilateral agreement with other EU countries would be required and there is no guarantee that such an agreement will come forward? Is that not the truth?
Haulage Permits and Trailer Registration Bill [Lords] — House of Commons, 2018-05-14
Topic: Transportation
Andrew Joseph McDonald (Labour, Centre-left): The Bill presents a long overdue opportunity to consider the importance of the transport and logistics industries to the United Kingdom and the commercial road haulage sector in particular. The industry employs more than 2.5 million people and is the fifth biggest sector of the economy contributing £124 billion One of the privileges of my job is to meet people from across the transport, freight and logistics sectors. In the course of those discussions around transitional and post-Brexit arrangements, I hear an increasing frustration and anger at the cavalier "it will be all right on the night" approach from this Government, and rightly so, because there is no evidence that economic self-interest will prevail As we debate the prospect of a permit system for the haulage industry in the event of a no-deal Brexit, it should be recalled that the UK has 600,000 goods vehicle driving licence holders. There are nearly half a million commercial vehicles over 3.5 tonnes registered in the UK, which are responsible for moving 98% of goods. This is a serious and vital industry and we meddle with it at our peril.
Haulage Permits and Trailer Registration Bill [Lords] — House of Commons, 2018-05-14
Topic: Foreign Trade
Andrew Joseph McDonald (Labour, Centre-left): I am grateful to the right hon. Gentleman for his intervention, but I just do not share his sense of confidence that the provisions of the Bill are anything like adequate in the event of a no deal. These measures will not respond to the needs of the country should that contingency arise The Bill must be regarded as the first piece of legislation that provides for a no-deal Brexit. It sets out new powers for the Government to allocate permits to hauliers if required by future agreement or lack thereof, so that UK lorries can continue to operate to and within the European Union. A newspaper headline this weekend—in The Sunday Times, no less—was correct to say that "this government is failing business at every turn" Today’s debate is a further foretaste of the damage that this Government’s prevaricating is doing to the British economy.
Haulage Permits and Trailer Registration Bill [Lords] — House of Commons, 2018-05-14
Topic: Transportation
Christopher Michael Leslie (Labour, Centre-left): My hon. Friend will have noticed that the Secretary of State—in all his finger-crossing hopes for something to crop up before Brexit day—did not actually update the House on the progress that he might be making towards a comprehensive land transport agreement, which is what the Freight Transport Association is asking for. The Secretary of State did not confirm whether he is personally in discussions with the Irish Government, other Governments or the European Commission. Is it not lamentable that he could not even give this vital industry some level of update on the progress of negotiations towards those agreements?
Haulage Permits and Trailer Registration Bill [Lords] — House of Commons, 2018-05-14
Topic: Macroeconomics
Andrew Joseph McDonald (Labour, Centre-left): My hon. Friend has got it absolutely right. It is indeed lamentable that there has been a complete absence of those discussions. It is a question of hit and hope, finger in the air and everything will be alright on the night. This is not the right way to go about it. The Secretary of State has come to the Dispatch Box and said that he does not speak for the other 27 Governments. I sometimes wonder whether he speaks for the one of which he is a member. A damaged and disrupted logistics sector will result in a damaged and disrupted British economy.
Haulage Permits and Trailer Registration Bill [Lords] — House of Commons, 2018-05-14
Topic: Foreign Trade
Andrew Joseph McDonald (Labour, Centre-left): If the right hon. Gentleman will allow me to continue, that is exactly what I am going to outline during the course of my speech I hope that this Bill represents the dawn of the realisation of the catastrophe that would flow from a chaotic Brexit. A few months ago the "beast from the east" left supermarket shelves across the country empty, while logistics problems forced fast food chain KFC to close hundreds of outlets because of supply shortages. These examples provide the merest glimpse of what shocks to the supply and distribution chain will look like for British consumers and businesses if the free flow of trade is not maintained following our departure from the European Union The Bill has serious implications for the UK’s music industry, particularly the concert haulage industry, which supports the music industry in the UK and the EU. Concert haulage operators require a community licence for road transport to the EU, which will be lost after Brexit. The Road Haulage Association says that a permit system will not work for concert hauliers, and estimates that the UK will run out of permits in 2.5 days. I have to ask: when will the Government listen to business and accept that there has to be a continuation of the current trading and transport environment, if a massive disruption of the flow of goods and produce is to be avoided As an island nation, ports are and will remain vital to our trading relationship with Europe and the rest of the world, so it is quite extraordinary that no Minister from the Department for Exiting the European Union has visited Britain’s most important gateway to Europe—the port of Dover. Half of the UK’s international road haulage traffic comes through Dover alone. I ask the Minister, is transport really a top priority in the Government’s Brexit negotiations?
Haulage Permits and Trailer Registration Bill [Lords] — House of Commons, 2018-05-14
Topic: Transportation
Andrew Joseph McDonald (Labour, Centre-left): I am grateful to the right hon. Gentleman for making that point. I am just delighted that the hon. Lady got there eventually Road haulage is essential to the complex and sensitive just-in-time supply chains that underpin the UK and EU economies. Roll-on roll-off ferries face the most serious impact from a no-deal Brexit. A staggering 10,000 trucks pass through Dover each day. Almost none of these currently requires a customs clearance process. The port estimates that a two-minute delay per vehicle will generate a permanent 20-mile-long traffic jam.
Haulage Permits and Trailer Registration Bill [Lords] — House of Commons, 2018-05-14
Topic: International Affairs
Alexander David Sobel (Labour, Centre-left): My hon. Friend is making an excellent speech. Given the current snail’s pace in the negotiations, with the Cabinet split in two to look for solutions rather than no solutions, should there not have been some contingency in this Bill for customs checks, which are looking increasingly likely due to the Government’s handling of Brexit?
Haulage Permits and Trailer Registration Bill [Lords] — House of Commons, 2018-05-14
Topic: Foreign Trade
Andrew Joseph McDonald (Labour, Centre-left): My hon. Friend makes a good point. One does wonder why no such contingency has been put in the Bill, and we will have to address that in Committee The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders tells me that, on average, 1,100 trucks from the EU deliver components worth £35 million to UK car and engine plants every single day. The UK automotive industry relies on just six major ports for the export of 95% of completed vehicles. The SMMT says that some manufacturers face costs of up to £1 million an hour if production is stopped due to component supply issues. A 15-minute delay to parts delivered just in time can cost manufacturers £850,000 per year. Is it not blindingly obvious that the current trajectory of this Government, with Brextremists at their core, means that we are heading for economic and trading chaos?
Haulage Permits and Trailer Registration Bill [Lords] — House of Commons, 2018-05-14
Topic: Transportation
Andrew Joseph McDonald (Labour, Centre-left): If the Secretary of State had looked at the papers over the weekend, he would have seen exactly why. A lot of people are making their plans to get out of the UK if necessary. That is exactly what has happened. He is playing with fire on this, and he really should wake up and smell the coffee The Government have done little to help the road haulage industry. They have made a complete and utter dog’s breakfast of contingency planning for the M20 motorway. A lorry park off the motorway has been desperately needed to help alleviate problems during Operation Stack, and it is all the more needed ahead of Brexit next March. Yet the Department for Transport failed properly to undertake the critically important environmental risk assessment before the planning process for the £250 million project and had to scrap it last September. This incompetence will have disastrous consequences. If this Government cannot successfully plan how to build a lorry park in Kent, how do they expect anyone to believe that they are capable of introducing an alternative haulage permit scheme?
Haulage Permits and Trailer Registration Bill [Lords] — House of Commons, 2018-05-14
Topic: Transportation
Andrew Joseph McDonald (Labour, Centre-left): If the right hon. Gentleman had had the pleasure of listening to the Road Haulage Association last week, and the FTA as well, he would probably agree with me that they are not exactly overjoyed by the prospect of the uncertainty that is facing them. A lot of these companies are small companies working on very small margins. He raised the issue of costs that are now going to be put on to those companies. He should be worrying about how that is going to impact on them.
Haulage Permits and Trailer Registration Bill [Lords] — House of Commons, 2018-05-14
Topic: Agriculture
James Dolan Cunningham (Labour, Centre-left): The hon. Gentleman raises a very interesting point. I suspect that when we talk about the import of food into this country, the Government will be reliant on the American market. If they do that, they will be held to ransom. That is what I suspect they are up to.
Haulage Permits and Trailer Registration Bill [Lords] — House of Commons, 2018-05-14
Topic: International Affairs
Andrew Joseph McDonald (Labour, Centre-left): Does not the right hon. Gentleman accept that while a principle of solidarity exists in an EU comprising 28 countries, once we are a third country, that principle of solidarity will obtain across 27 countries and their duty will be to each other, not the UK?
Haulage Permits and Trailer Registration Bill [Lords] — House of Commons, 2018-05-14
Topic: Labor
Andrew Joseph McDonald (Labour, Centre-left): Does the right hon. Gentleman also agree that this is not only about attracting people into the industry but about retaining them? The figures show that many young people coming into the industry do not hang around but go on to pastures new, and that requires urgent and focused attention.
Haulage Permits and Trailer Registration Bill [Lords] — House of Commons, 2018-05-14
Topic: Foreign Trade
Karin Marguerite Smyth (Labour, Centre-left): I fail to understand why there is no co-operation, when 5.2 million tonnes of trade is going north-south and 3.4 million tonnes of trade is going south-north—I think that is the right way round. The movement of freight across the island of Ireland is clearly critical to both economies. It might help the right hon. Gentleman if we had the results of the mapping exercise mentioned in paragraph 47 of the joint report on phase 1 of the negotiations. There are 140 areas of agreement across the border, but the Government are refusing to let us see the results of that mapping exercise so that we can really understand the true impact across the whole island.
Haulage Permits and Trailer Registration Bill [Lords] — House of Commons, 2018-05-14
Topic: Transportation
Karin Marguerite Smyth (Labour, Centre-left): I thank the Minister for his comments. I know that he knows that I will pursue the trailer safety regime with great vigour. I hope that many hon. Members will support me in that work in the coming months and years.
Delegated Legislation — House of Commons, 2018-05-14
Topic: Macroeconomics
Rosalie Winterton (Labour, Centre-left): With the leave of the House, I will take motions 4 to 9 together Motion made, and Question put forthwith (Standing Order No. 118(6)), Local Government That the draft East Suffolk (Modification of Boundary Change Enactments) Regulations 2018, which were laid before this House on 19 March, be approved That the draft East Suffolk (Local Government Changes) Order 2018, which was laid before this House on 19 March, be approved Capital Gains Tax That the draft Double Taxation Relief (Switzerland) Order 2018, which was laid before this House on 29 March, be approved That the draft Double Taxation Relief (Base Erosion and Profit Shifting) Order 2018, which was laid before this House on 28 March, be approved. That the draft Double Taxation Relief and International Tax Enforcement (Uzbekistan) Order 2018, which was laid before this House on 16 April, be approved Immigration That the draft Special Immigration Appeals Commission (Procedure) (Amendment) Rules 2018, which were laid before this House on 28 March, be approved.—(Rebecca Harris.) Question agreed to.
Environment Agency: Enforcement Action — House of Commons, 2018-05-14
Topic: Environment
Kevan David Jones (Labour, Centre-left): I agree with my hon. Friend that the Environment Agency is a toothless tiger, but does she agree that this is not just about the agency but about the fact that it does not work with other Government agencies, such as Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, to crack down on illegal activity—not just dumping, but avoidance of landfill tax and other taxes that should be going to the Exchequer?
Environment Agency: Enforcement Action — House of Commons, 2018-05-14
Topic: Environment
Sharon Hodgson (Labour, Centre-left): Yes, I agree with my right hon. Friend, and that is not an issue that I had planned to cover in my speech, so I am pleased that he has raised it. I am sure that those on the Treasury Bench heard him This issue has gone on for many, many years with many, many complaints and investigations, resulting in significant resources being directed at addressing the problems by the Environment Agency, by my office and by the numerous councillors who have to deal with them week in, week out, trying to take up the cases on behalf of constituents. The Environment Agency has been into my office with a team at least twice, and once into the council offices, and has stressed the amount of resources it is putting in to deal with this one small area in the larger north-east, but the issues returned after breaches occurred and, in no uncertain terms, that has infuriated my constituents—and, I must add, me. It cannot continue.
Environment Agency: Enforcement Action — House of Commons, 2018-05-14
Topic: Environment
Mary Elizabeth Twist (Labour, Centre-left): Does my hon. Friend agree that it is important that the Environment Agency has additional powers and that the polluters—the people causing the problem—should pay for the time and resources put into resolving these problems? My constituency had a similar problem with litter a couple of years ago, and it devastated our area. The signs are still there. It is really important to local people.
Environment Agency: Enforcement Action — House of Commons, 2018-05-14
Topic: Environment
Sharon Hodgson (Labour, Centre-left): I agree with my hon. Friend, and I remember the case she mentions in her constituency of Blaydon. In certain areas, such as driving along the A1231, people can see the plastic still in the trees. We now know that local councils do not have the resources to be picking up constantly after these companies, as they did years ago. It is therefore up to these businesses to be more responsible, and if that means that the Environment Agency has to fine them to make them pay for picking up the litter, so be it As I have said, I have convened several meetings with the Environment Agency, which is supposed to deal with these problems, and I have repeatedly been told that it does not have the powers or the authority to do anything other than the bare minimum that it has done. To me, it just seems as though these companies get a slap on the wrist. One constituent, Mr Morgan, has described this sorry saga as "a badly written Groundhog Day movie sequel", and I have to admit that I agree with him. The repeated incidents that have been reported and the breaching of operating permits, with the lack of any apparent enforcement action for so long, have left many constituents and me feeling frustrated and disappointed. I am not blaming the Environment Agency, which is acting within its remit and in accordance with what it is allowed to do under the current law. That is what has brought me to the Floor of the House to plead with the Minister, and I have some solutions about what might be done.
Environment Agency: Enforcement Action — House of Commons, 2018-05-14
Topic: Environment
Kevan David Jones (Labour, Centre-left): I am very interested in what my hon. Friend is saying about wanting more powers, but the Environment Agency already has powers—for example, to enforce the storage of waste at waste transfer stations. In my experience, it is very reluctant to use such powers, or if it does, it gives a slap on the wrist, as she suggests, rather than real enforcement action in conjunction with HMRC and local councils, which would be far more effective in bringing these rogue operators to book.
Environment Agency: Enforcement Action — House of Commons, 2018-05-14
Topic: Environment
Kevan David Jones (Labour, Centre-left): The Minister says that the Environment Agency is the main enforcement body, so why in the last few years has it not investigated the clear breaches we have asked about in parliamentary questions? For example, there have been a number of fires at waste transfer stations, which are clearly designed to avoid landfill tax and are linked to tax fraud. Why have the Environment Agency and HMRC not looked in detail at any of those?
Environment Agency: Enforcement Action — House of Commons, 2018-05-14
Topic: Environment
Sharon Hodgson (Labour, Centre-left): The Minister has plenty of time as we have until 10.30 pm, unless he has a pressing engagement—although what could be more pressing than talking about environmental issues in my constituency On that point, the Minister will appreciate that fly-tipping is very different from the issue I raised today. Waste is flying off the back of lorries, which are supposed to be netted, and on to the A1231. One of the problems for the Environment Agency is that that waste will have come from all over the place. Even if the EA or residents see it happening, the waste that they find may come from Joe Bloggs and somebody else. It could be traced back to the lorry and the company to which it belongs, and if an EA officer sees that take place, it should be enough for a spot fine. That was what I was calling for the Minister to bring forward.
Environment Agency: Enforcement Action — House of Commons, 2018-05-14
Topic: Environment
Mary Elizabeth Twist (Labour, Centre-left): Does the Minister understand that people in my Blaydon constituency, where two landfill sites have produced their own problems, including with litter, cannot see why the Environment Agency does not have the power to say, "Let’s close this site straightaway—it is not working properly. We need to resolve this issue"? It is absolutely crazy that rubbish is being transported across the country in huge lorries to my constituency when we do not dump our own waste there. The rubbish comes from all over the country. Does he not agree that we need to put right that absolutely crazy system?