argyrotsipi/train-dataset huggingface dataset:
Finance Bill — House of Commons, 2020-07-01
Topic: Macroeconomics
Taiwo Owatemi (Labour, Centre-left): I agree with my hon. Friend; that is completely wrong No business or individual should be left behind. Every livelihood deserves the chance to survive this crisis. Otherwise, who knows what impact it will cause? Where there are job losses, will the Government commit to retraining those workers, whether old or young, through a future jobs fund so that they can harness the jobs that will come out of the crisis? Those jobs should be part of a new, prosperous economy, and they should be green, well-paid and sustainable. We do not need a race to the bottom, the slashing of safety regulations or the austere measures that we have seen in the past 10 years. The Chancellor said that he would do "whatever it takes" and frankly that is the least that my constituents in Coventry North West deserve. We have seen 18 years of growth and millions of jobs lost in two short months. To restore dignity, to save jobs and create new ones and to stimulate this much-needed recovery, bold progressive action is required. Nothing less will do.
Covid-19: International Language Schools — House of Commons, 2020-07-01
Topic: International Affairs
Christian John Patrick Matheson (Labour, Centre-left): I endorse the congratulations to the hon. Lady on standing up for this important sector. She is talking about the financial value, which is considerable. Is there not also a cultural value of projecting British values and the notion of being British right across the world as we welcome visitors and then they go back to their home countries?
Covid-19: Domestic Violence — House of Commons, 2020-04-28
Topic: Law and Crime
Carolyn Harris (Labour, Centre-left): Calls to the national domestic abuse helpline have increased by almost 50%, and 16 deaths of women and children were linked to domestic violence in the first three weeks of lockdown. With the CPS issuing new guidance as a result of the pandemic that advises prosecutors to prioritise the most serious cases, what assurances can the Attorney General provide that domestic abuse cases will fall into that category?
Covid-19: Domestic Violence — House of Commons, 2020-04-28
Topic: Law and Crime
Nicholas Desmond John Smith (Labour, Centre-left): It is vital that cases of domestic violence are properly prosecuted during this covid-19 crisis. To avoid delays in prosecution, are the Government taking the necessary steps to enable the most serious cases to be heard through virtual court hearings where necessary?
Covid-19: Domestic Violence — House of Commons, 2020-04-28
Topic: Law and Crime
Eleanor Claire Reeves (Labour, Centre-left): I congratulate the Attorney General on her appointment; likewise, I look forward to a constructive working relationship with her Charities and police forces across the country anticipated a rise in domestic abuse during the lockdown. Indeed, the Met is currently arresting an average of 100 people a day, with charges and cautions up 24%. Devastatingly, domestic abuse killings doubled in the first three weeks of lockdown. Meanwhile, in January, a report by the Crown Prosecution Service inspectorate stated that the domestic abuse case load for both the CPS and police had increased by 88%, against the backdrop of a 25% reduction in funding, therefore stretching prosecutors’ workload and forcing them to make difficult decisions about priorities. I am extremely grateful for what the AG has said, but I urge her to significantly increase funding—
Covid-19: Remand on Bail — House of Commons, 2020-04-28
Topic: Law and Crime
Kerry Gillian McCarthy (Labour, Centre-left): Given that there was already a backlog of more than 37,400 Crown court cases before the covid-19 outbreak—I am sure that many of those defendants were remanded in custody—what is the CPS doing to ensure that bail hearings for people who perhaps do not need to be remanded in custody can be expedited and that people can be released into the community when it is safe to do so? In that way, we can ease the pressures on the prison estate in terms of dealing with the coronavirus outbreak.
Pro Bono Work — House of Commons, 2020-04-28
Topic: Law and Crime
Eleanor Claire Reeves (Labour, Centre-left): The Bar Council survey of 145 chambers revealed that 81% cannot survive the next 12 months without additional support. Similarly, many law firms are also struggling to make ends meet. Even before the pandemic, the publicly funded legal sector was already on its knees due to cuts to legal aid under the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012, hindering not only pro bono work but access to advice and representation across the piece. Will the Law Officers work together with us, at this time of national crisis, and commit to reversing LASPO?
Covid-19: Waste Collection Staff — House of Commons, 2020-04-28
Topic: Labor
John Francis Spellar (Labour, Centre-left): Earlier today we paid tribute to key workers who have lost their lives during the pandemic, and those who take away our rubbish and thereby protect the health of our communities are certainly key workers. The Secretary of State will know that their unions—Unison, the GMB and Unite—have been working with councils and contractors to agree safe working practices and the provision of personal protective equipment. The advice and guidance from his Department is welcome, but what steps is he taking to ensure that this is actually spread out right the way across the country and that best practice is being followed to protect these key workers?
Covid-19: Local Authority Funding — House of Commons, 2020-04-28
Topic: Government Operations
Steven Mark Ward Reed (Labour, Centre-left): May I first echo the Secretary of State’s thanks to everybody working in local government? They are all heroes helping to keep our communities safe. As he is aware, councils are not allowed to go into debt, so if the Government do not keep their promise to fund the full cost of the crisis, councils will be forced to make cuts potentially totalling billions of pounds, which will mean job losses Councils say that the additional funding announced so far covers barely a quarter of what is needed; it is not enough. Will he reconfirm the Government’s original promise to fund whatever is necessary in full? If he does not, the frontline heroes we are cheering today will lose their jobs tomorrow.
Covid-19: Support for Extremely Vulnerable People — House of Commons, 2020-04-28
Topic: Government Operations
Clive James Charles Betts (Labour, Centre-left): To even more scenic Yorkshire The Secretary of State is right to commend councils for the excellent work they are doing, particularly to help the most vulnerable in our communities and to commit the resources necessary to ensure councils have the finances to do that. Yesterday at the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee, both the Local Government Association and the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy said that in the current circumstances it would be wise to postpone the fair funding review and the business rate retention scheme changes, and in 12 months’ time have a much more fundamental review to put local government finances on a sustainable footing for the long term. Will the Secretary of State give serious consideration to those proposals?
Covid-19: Local Authority Revenue — House of Commons, 2020-04-28
Topic: Macroeconomics
Yvonne Helen Fovargue (Labour, Centre-left): Wigan Council estimates that it will lose £40 million in income this year, while spending on frontline services has absolutely rocketed because of the coronavirus crisis. In addition, the loss of the dividend from Manchester airport will exacerbate that pressure—[Inaudible.]
Covid-19: Local Authority Revenue — House of Commons, 2020-04-28
Topic: Macroeconomics
Jeffrey Smith (Labour, Centre-left): I suspect that the Minister is going to tell me how much Manchester has been given, which is about 12% of what is actually needed. In Manchester, the council is forecasting £125 million in lost income this financial year as a result of coronavirus. That is the money that has kept services going in the face of some of the harshest cuts in the public sector and is allowing the council to lead the response to covid-19. Will the Minister pledge to fully reimburse councils for lost income, so that they can have the certainty they need to carry on their vital work on the frontline?
Public Services — House of Commons, 2020-04-28
Topic: Government Operations
Anna Rhiannon McMorrin (Labour, Centre-left): We have seen Wales move ahead of the UK Government in many areas throughout this crisis, but in an effort to ensure greater collaboration, with decisions coming out of the lockdown made equally, the First Minister of Wales has called for a new weekly framework of decision making between the four nations. Will the right hon. Gentleman agree to that proposal, under which officials meet during the first part of the week and Ministers then meet before a final meeting at Cobra?
Public Services — House of Commons, 2020-04-28
Topic: Social Welfare
Stephen James McCabe (Labour, Centre-left): Does the Minister accept that one of the lessons of this crisis is that the Government should collect much more data on a routine basis so that they have a much more informed picture of the reality of life in our care homes?
Public Services — House of Commons, 2020-04-28
Topic: Law and Crime
Christopher Philip James Elmore (Labour, Centre-left): I would like to ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster a question about child sexual abuse and exploitation, and online platform management. Over the weekend, the Internet Watch Foundation reported that there had been an 89% reduction in the number of URLs that were taken down in the past month compared to the previous month, the comparison being 496 in the past month and 14,947 the month before. One of the concerns of the IWF and the industry more widely is the pressure on police in being able to take down indecent images and videos. In his deliberations in the Cabinet Office, will he ensure that the police have enough resources to ensure that children are protected from this form of paedophilia?
Public Services — House of Commons, 2020-04-28
Topic: Macroeconomics
Barbara Mary Keeley (Labour, Centre-left): Local authorities like Salford City Council are on the frontline of fighting covid-19, from supporting our social care services to providing food for vulnerable people and supporting local businesses. The Chancellor of the Exchequer said the Government will do whatever it takes to defeat covid-19, but councils are now facing the prospect of not having all their additional costs covered. It is imperative that the Government fully fund the cost of this vital local response. Will the Minister assure me that the Government will do that for Salford City Council?
Leaving the EU: Transition Period — House of Commons, 2020-06-11
Topic: Foreign Trade
Paul Christopher Blomfield (Labour, Centre-left): The Minister talks about certainty, and he is right: businesses need certainty on the outcome of the talks. On Tuesday, the Paymaster General told the House: "On… zero tariffs and zero quotas, our policy has not changed."—[Official Report, 9 June 2020; Vol. 677, c. 161.] That was the pledge the Conservative party won the election on. But last week, the Government’s chief negotiator wrote: "we would be willing to discuss a relationship that was based on less than that" Who is speaking for the Government—the Paymaster General or their chief negotiator?
EU Trade Negotiations — House of Commons, 2020-06-11
Topic: International Affairs
Anna Rhiannon McMorrin (Labour, Centre-left): With such slow progress on the talks, the Government somehow believe they can hold the EU bloc to ransom, but all they are doing is taking the country perilously close to no deal. Will the Minister confirm that the Government will do everything in their power to reach an agreement and translate legally what is written in the political declaration? On one specific point, will he push for the ability of the devolved Governments of Wales and Scotland to participate in the Erasmus programme and other schemes, so that students do not to miss out, if he will not stand up and do that for England?
EU Trade Negotiations — House of Commons, 2020-06-11
Topic: International Affairs
Alison McGovern (Labour, Centre-left): The British people were promised an oven-ready deal, but given the speculation in recent weeks, what they have is half-baked. Will the Secretary of State therefore commit to no unpicking of the political declaration or the withdrawal agreement—the work of the past three years?
EU Trade Negotiations — House of Commons, 2020-06-11
Topic: Foreign Trade
Rachel Jane Reeves (Labour, Centre-left): The Government’s approach to trade negotiations with the EU and with the US will have huge implications for all of us. The Government’s election manifesto guaranteed that food imports would have to be produced at the same standards as in UK farming. The EU also says that a free trade deal depends on the UK maintaining those high standards. Does this remain Government policy in our approach to EU and other trade negotiations, and, if it does, why were such commitments not upheld in the Agriculture Bill?
EU Trade Negotiations — House of Commons, 2020-06-11
Topic: Agriculture
Rachel Jane Reeves (Labour, Centre-left): I am afraid that that does not quite answer the question about why the amendment from the chair of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee was not accepted. Let me push the right hon. Gentleman a bit further. He said on "Countryfile" in October 2018 that "there is no point in having high animal and high environmental standards if you then allow them to be undercut from outside." When pressed on whether it would be a red line in any trade discussions, the Minister stated, "absolutely". Yet on Tuesday in this House, in an answer to a question about such standards, the Paymaster General said that "we should trust the consumer."—[Official Report, 9 June 2020; Vol. 677, c. 162.] Are we, or are we not, able to trust the Government to maintain such standards? Can the Minister guarantee absolutely that there will be no dilution of environmental or animal welfare standards, and that the Government will not risk our ability to secure what is supposed to be an oven-ready trade deal with the EU for the sake of getting any deal with the US that would hurt British farming and water down environmental and animal welfare standards?
EU Trade Negotiations — House of Commons, 2020-06-11
Topic: Foreign Trade
Hilary James Benn (Labour, Centre-left): We all know that the right hon. Gentleman is not very keen on economic forecasts, but given the growing warnings from business—the latest today has come from the CBI—he must be aware of the damage that would be inflicted on businesses by red tape, tariffs and loss of access if there is no agreement reached with the European Union in the next four months. We all want a deal, but, with British businesses already reeling from coronavirus, what does he propose to say to those businesses come January if the Government’s gamble does not pay off?
Boundary Review — House of Commons, 2020-06-11
Topic: Government Operations
Catherine Jane Smith (Labour, Centre-left): As a result of the Bill, England looks set to increase its number of constituencies at the expense of Scotland and Wales. What action are the Government taking to prevent the weakening of Scottish and Welsh voices in this place and to both strengthen and defend the Union?
Covid-19 Services: Private Provision — House of Commons, 2020-06-11
Topic: Government Operations
Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour, Centre-left): Rather than relying on local authorities and public services, since the start of the covid crisis, well in excess of £1.7 billion of taxpayers’ money has been spent by this Government on outsourcing directly related to coronavirus. Given that normal procurement rules have been suspended by the Government, there is no requirement for companies to go through the usual competitive bidding process to be awarded contracts. But lo and behold, major Tory party donors and prominent Members on the Government Benches—including Ministers, may I add—have major shareholdings in or are inextricably linked to many of these firms. So will the Minister commit to making public details of all negotiations pertaining to those companies?
Covid-19: Government Contracts — House of Commons, 2020-06-11
Topic: Government Operations
Lilian Rachel Greenwood (Labour, Centre-left): Further to the question from my hon. Friend the Member for Slough (Mr Dhesi), it was clear that transparency is absolutely vital to public trust in Government. Given that the Minister for the Cabinet Office, Lord Agnew, is responsible for the Government’s policy on coronavirus procurement and is also a shareholder in Faculty, a company that has recently been contracted to provide coronavirus-related services to Government, should not the Government make public the details of the services that Faculty will be providing and Lord Agnew’s involvement in any negotiations?
Future Relationship with the EU — House of Commons, 2020-06-11
Topic: International Affairs
Barry John Sheerman (Labour, Centre-left): Some of us on the Committee on the Future Relationship with the European Union are very worried about the Secretary of State. He was very lacklustre when he gave evidence to the Committee recently, and we are very sympathetic. This is a tough job. In reality, we have only five months to get it right for the country. Is it not a fact that there is a rift between him and the Prime Minister? The Prime Minister is not good on detail. There is a rift between them—does he need more help to overcome that?
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2020-06-11
Topic: Education
Lucy Maria Powell (Labour, Centre-left): It is marvellous here, Mr Speaker. Given the Cabinet Office’s unique role in co-ordinating across Government, will the Secretary of State commit to taking up the Leader of the Opposition’s call for a national mission to get children active, social and ready for learning this summer by using charities, clubs, theatres, musicians, libraries and others, given the damage caused by his Government’s mismanagement of school reopening?
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2020-06-11
Topic: Social Welfare
Katherine Anne Green (Labour, Centre-left): The right hon. Gentleman will have read yesterday’s damning report from the Social Mobility Commission, which highlights a failure of coherence and effort across Government to address this important agenda. Will he put his personal authority and the weight of his Department behind developing and supporting a cross-Government strategy to ensure that we narrow inequalities and injustices?
Planning Process: Probity — House of Commons, 2020-06-11
Topic: Government Operations
Clive James Charles Betts (Labour, Centre-left): In the interests of transparency, may I say that the Select Committee has not considered this matter? Last night I did receive a letter from the mayor of Tower Hamlets, but the Committee has not given consideration to that. Does the Minister agree that such matters as this are best dealt with when all the facts are in the public domain, otherwise judgments will be formed along the basis of supposition and conjecture, and, were the Committee to make a request to the Secretary of State, would he be willing to provide us with all relevant documentation so that the Committee could give proper, careful consideration to these matters, based on the facts that are available?
Planning Process: Probity — House of Commons, 2020-06-11
Topic: Government Operations
Rachel Louise Hopkins (Labour, Centre-left): Thank you, Mr Speaker. I speak as a local councillor. We are regularly reminded to abide by our code of conduct, based on the Nolan principles, including integrity, accountability, openness and honesty, and declare personal or pecuniary interests, be them real or perceived, in decision making. With that in mind, is it a coincidence that Mr Desmond made a substantial donation to the Conservative party just days after the Secretary of State rushed through permission for the Westferry development, against the advice of his own planning inspector, and one day before Mr Desmond would have become liable for a £50 million tax bill?
Planning Process: Probity — House of Commons, 2020-06-11
Topic: Government Operations
Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour, Centre-left): Did major Tory party donor Mr Desmond ask to sit next to the Secretary of State at the Conservative party dinner, on a table where—by mere coincidence, according to accounts—other developers involved in the scheme were seated? Mr Desmond himself has admitted that they discussed the scheme over dinner, but the Secretary of State says that they did not. Who, out of the two, is misleading the British people?
Probation Services — House of Commons, 2020-06-11
Topic: Law and Crime
Rachel Louise Hopkins (Labour, Centre-left): I am pleased that the Government are recognising what Labour Members and many others have known—that privatised probation is a flawed system that enables companies to put profit before people. I would like to thank my trade union, the Public and Commercial Services Union, as well as Napo and Unison, and their members, for highlighting the failures of privatisation. How will the Secretary of State improve morale in the profession, particularly after many experienced and highly skilled probation staff were lost as probation services were part-privatised?
Probation Services — House of Commons, 2020-06-11
Topic: Law and Crime
Charalambos Charalambous (Labour, Centre-left): Two years ago, the Justice Select Committee, on which I served, produced its highly critical report, "Transforming Rehabilitation" on the performance of the privatised probation service. One of the criticisms was how those contracts were measured on outputs, not outcomes. Will the Secretary of State confirm that sufficient funding will be available to tackle the issues of heavy caseload, poor IT systems and the need to work with specialist services and the voluntary sector to ensure that probation officers can deliver a decent service and help reduce reoffending?
Probation Services — House of Commons, 2020-06-11
Topic: Government Operations
Alexander James Jorden Norris (Labour, Centre-left): This has been a sorry episode, and it is a sobering reminder of what happens when we let ideology push ahead of the evidence in public policy making. That is something I hope those on the Government Benches will reflect on, but frankly it is something for all of us to reflect on. Secretary of State, you have a real opportunity as you build your unified model. There is so much talent in the NPS and those CRCs, so will you commit to getting staff around the table, finding the best of their experiences and building on them?
Probation Services — House of Commons, 2020-06-11
Topic: Law and Crime
Florence Eshalomi (Labour, Centre-left): I welcome the Secretary of State’s statement this morning—it is an important discussion area. Brixton prison sits in the neighbouring constituency to mine and I used to be the ward councillor for that prison. I will always remember the first time I visited and my conversation with the governor and his staff members. They said to me that short sentences do not work because the reoffending rates are so high. Will the Secretary of State consider the fact that to get those reoffending rates down, there needs to be a link with the local community? Will he look at ensuring that local links are formed with colleges, other education provision and local employers to make sure that we work to get those reoffenders back on track?
Probation Services — House of Commons, 2020-06-11
Topic: Law and Crime
Diana Ruth Johnson (Labour, Centre-left): I am very pleased that the Secretary of State has had the good grace today to admit that the ideological experiment has failed. What can he say to residents in my constituency who feel that the regime that his Government brought in lacked accountability in places such as the Beverley Road spine in Hull, a large area where many ex-offenders lived? What accountability will be put in place by the Secretary of State’s measures?