argyrotsipi/train-dataset huggingface dataset:
European Union Referendum Bill — House of Commons, 2015-12-08
Topic: Mixed Topics
Barry John Sheerman (Labour, Centre-left): The hon. Gentleman might be surprised to know that I certainly do not support votes at 16. Over some years as the Chair of the Children, Schools and Families Committee, what worried me was the increasing pressure on childhood in our country. It worries me that people will be adults at 16. The implications of that have never been seriously looked at by my party. There has never been any investigation of the impact of bringing down the voting age to 16 on children and childhood. The Opposition, including the SNP, have never done a proper evaluation of the impact on children and on the protection of children, which should be our top priority.
European Union Referendum Bill — House of Commons, 2015-12-08
Topic: Other
Natascha Engel (Labour, Centre-left): Order. As Members can see, quite a few people still want to speak. The debate must finish at quarter to 2. If Members keep their contributions as short as possible, hopefully we will get everybody in.
European Union Referendum Bill — House of Commons, 2015-12-08
Topic: Civil Rights
Victoria Jane Foxcroft (Labour, Centre-left): Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker "Our young people are no longer children, and they resent being treated as such. Our view is that, if we entrust them with responsibility, they will act responsibly."—[Official Report, 23 January 1969; Vol. 298, c. 1034.] Those are not my words, but the words of the late Lord Stonham during the debate that led to the voting age being reduced from 21 to 18. That was in 1969. The world has changed since then and so must we This debate is about enfranchising young people in one of the biggest decisions that will affect their lives. I want us to go further. One of my first acts as an MP was to introduce a private Member’s Bill on this issue. The Representation of the People (Young Persons’ Enfranchisement and Education) Bill would give 16 and 17-year-olds the vote, while increasing political education. It is now unlikely to be debated and voted on. I sincerely hope that the Government will see sense today and support the Lords amendment. I have spoken with many Government Members who agree with me on this issue.
European Union Referendum Bill — House of Commons, 2015-12-08
Topic: Other
Stephen Nathan Kinnock (Labour, Centre-left): In the 20 seconds that remain to me—[Interruption.] It is now 19 and counting, so I will not take any interventions. I wish to argue that this measure makes sense. We need to trust our young people and empower them. Let us give them this vote and this chance Question put, That this House disagrees with Lords amendment 1.
Serious and Organised Crime: Prüm Convention — House of Commons, 2015-12-08
Topic: Other
Natascha Engel (Labour, Centre-left): I inform the House that the Speaker has selected the amendment in the name of Sir William Cash. The amendment will be debated together with the motion, and the questions necessary to dispose of the amendment and the motion will be put at the end of the debate.
Serious and Organised Crime: Prüm Convention — House of Commons, 2015-12-08
Topic: Immigration
Keith Anthony Vaz (Labour, Centre-left): The Home Secretary is absolutely right to opt in to this mechanism. It is not about giving information away in its totality, but about sharing information. One of the lessons from Paris is the importance of EU countries knowing who is coming through the external borders. Does she agree that it is essential that when countries have concerns about individuals, they put them on the databases as quickly as possible?
Serious and Organised Crime: Prüm Convention — House of Commons, 2015-12-08
Topic: Immigration
Keith Anthony Vaz (Labour, Centre-left): It is a pleasure to follow the right hon. Member for Ashford (Damian Green). I woke up this morning by reading his article in The Daily Telegraph on this subject, and here he is live this afternoon quoting Lenin, who I am sure is required reading for all his electors in Ashford I will not quote Lenin, but I will quote the Home Secretary who, as you know, Madam Deputy Speaker, we revere on this side of the House. In 2014 she said that "we have neither the time nor the money to implement Prüm by 1 December. I have said that it will be senseless for us to rejoin it now and risk being infracted. Despite considerable pressure from the Commission and other member states, that remains the case."—[Official Report, 10 July 2014; Vol. 584, c. 492.] I was delighted to see her conversion, which was based—of course—on very strong evidence from the pilot that the Government put in place, and on a powerful case that we should join this important part of the EU. She has obviously thought about it carefully over the past 12 months, and I appreciate the courtesy of the Immigration Minister who rang me a week ago and told me what the Government planned to do All the arguments have been made. I could just say, "I agree" and sit down, but this would not be Parliament if I were to do that. It is rare for those on both Front Benches to speak so eloquently in support of a motion—perhaps that will be a feature of European debates to come.
Government Transparency — House of Commons, 2015-10-21
Topic: Civil Rights
Paula Michelle Sherriff (Labour, Centre-left): The Minister has admitted to me in a written answer that his so-called freedom of information commission is not itself subject to the Freedom of Information Act. Now he has reported that it will not commit to publishing evidence or minutes and that it may meet in private, ban journalists from naming its press spokesperson and even refuse to consider enforcing the Act on privatised services. Is it not time to end this farce and start again?
Government Transparency — House of Commons, 2015-10-21
Topic: Civil Rights
Tom Watson (Labour, Centre-left): I make a genuine offer to the Minister: we would like to build on the progress of the past decade in opening up government to more scrutiny. But we are very concerned that the commission on freedom of information may roll back the FOI Act. It is not subject to the FOI Act and it has recently held a secret briefing to invited-only journalists, off the record. It is not very transparent, is it? Is there a reason for that?
Engagements — House of Commons, 2015-10-21
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Susan Elan Jones (Labour, Centre-left): I thank the Prime Minister for that answer. Following an extensive public consultation, the Government’s retail sector champion, Kevin Hawkins, described our current Sunday trading laws as "a workable compromise. Most people seem to be satisfied with it most of the time." Does the Prime Minister agree?
Engagements — House of Commons, 2015-10-21
Topic: Civil Rights
Questions: I have here a question from Iain of Enfield. He says:“This is an appeal to help those who no longer have any dignity and self-respect; the down and outs.”He calls for “a constructive attempt to tackle this growing urban problem.” Those words, which were spoken nearly 50 years ago by the late, great Conservative Member for Enfield West, Iain Macleod, resonate today, so will the Prime Minister’s all-out assault on poverty tackle and prevent homelessness?
Jeremy Bernard Corbyn (Labour, Centre-left): Well, the Prime Minister met those Members to discuss the issue 11 months ago, but he has yet to go to the European Union to discuss how the British Government could intervene to protect our industry The final question I want to put to the Prime Minister comes from Louis. This is deeply embarrassing to all of us in this House and, indeed, to this country as a whole. He writes: "The United Kingdom is currently being investigated by the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities because of allegations of ‘grave and systematic‘ violations of disabled people’s human rights." This is very sad news indeed, but it is even sadder that we need to be investigated because of violations that have occurred. Will the Prime Minister commit to co-operate fully with the inquiry and publish in full the Government’s response to it, so that we can ensure that people with disabilities are treated properly and legally and given full respect by and opportunities in our society?
Cities and Local Government Devolution [Lords] Bill — House of Commons, 2015-10-21
Topic: Mixed Topics
Michael Joseph Patrick Kane (Labour, Centre-left): Can the Minister explain what first attracted the Chancellor of the Exchequer to the idea of extending the business rate relief zone to his constituency of Tatton, enabling it to be considered part of Greater Manchester?
Cities and Local Government Devolution [Lords] Bill — House of Commons, 2015-10-21
Topic: Mixed Topics
Jon Hedley Trickett (Labour, Centre-left): Is the Minister saying that he has entered into draft deals for which he has no legal powers and for which the Bill as presented on Second Reading gives him no powers? Is he also saying that without driving this amendment through this afternoon, he would not have had the legal powers to enter into the deals that he has done so far?
Cities and Local Government Devolution [Lords] Bill — House of Commons, 2015-10-21
Topic: Mixed Topics
Clive James Charles Betts (Labour, Centre-left): I would not want to second guess the motives of the Secretary of State, so I will use my own arguments to resist what the Government are trying to do Apart from the inconsistency of approach, the proposals are confusing. That takes me back to the point I made in my intervention on the Minister. In the Sheffield city region the economic powers, which are important and cover skills, economic development and the infrastructure associated with it, are to be devolved to the combined authority, which will cover nine districts—four metropolitan and five non-metropolitan districts. But as I understand it from the deal, the mayor will have responsibility for just transport. So the mayor is to run transport, and the combined authority is to run economic development. The public want some consistency of approach on these matters. I do not believe that the combined authority, the district, would naturally have come forward with a proposal that broke up the responsibilities in this way.
Cities and Local Government Devolution [Lords] Bill — House of Commons, 2015-10-21
Topic: Mixed Topics
Andrew John Gwynne (Labour, Centre-left): My hon. Friend is making a powerful case. The difference between his deal and the Greater Manchester deal is that the Greater Manchester deal is within a single metropolitan county, so functions such as police and eventually fire and rescue can also be devolved to the Mayor’s office.
Cities and Local Government Devolution [Lords] Bill — House of Commons, 2015-10-21
Topic: Other
Ann Coffey (Labour, Centre-left): I understand from my hon. Friend the Member for Nottingham North (Mr Allen), who is very knowledgeable in these matters, that it is the Member who writes the explanatory statement for an amendment, not the Clerks.
Cities and Local Government Devolution [Lords] Bill — House of Commons, 2015-10-21
Topic: Mixed Topics
Graham William Allen (Labour, Centre-left): Unless there is a written settlement, there has to be an evolutionary settlement and someone has to pile in first, make the breakthrough and be a pioneer. In terms of the nations of the United Kingdom, that has been Scotland. All those who contributed to that devolved settlement—including, obviously, Donald Dewar, but also the Scottish Constitutional Convention and many others in civic society—deserve acclaim for their achievements. It is up to the rest of us, whether we are in Wales, England or Northern Ireland, to go through the gap and say, "Devolution is a great thing." It is not an expedient to buy off Scotland, but a matter of principle that should be applied equally, and at an appropriate pace, to Wales, England and Northern Ireland.
Cities and Local Government Devolution [Lords] Bill — House of Commons, 2015-10-21
Topic: Other
David Anthony Crausby (Labour, Centre-left): Order. I want to call the Front Benchers at about 2.55 pm. There are still six or more Members who wish to speak, so unless Members keep their contributions below five minutes, we will not get through them all. I would therefore appreciate the co-operation of the Committee.
Cities and Local Government Devolution [Lords] Bill — House of Commons, 2015-10-21
Topic: Other
Karin Marguerite Smyth (Labour, Centre-left): I was not going to intervene, but the hon. Gentleman is maligning the great city of Bristol, which draws in people from North East Somerset with its great employment and cultural opportunities. Indeed, that causes some great problems in my constituency in respect of travel arrangements and so on, but we are grateful to have his constituents coming to work in the city. Perhaps we can have a more balanced discussion.
Cities and Local Government Devolution [Lords] Bill — House of Commons, 2015-10-21
Topic: Mixed Topics
James Ian Mearns (Labour, Centre-left): The North East LEP does not really hang together cohesively in its geography. It extends from south of Barnard Castle that borders North Yorkshire, right up to the Scottish border at Berwick-upon-Tweed—a considerable distance. This is not some sort of city region; it is an urban heart with a considerable rural hinterland. It does not hang together well from a business perspective.
Cities and Local Government Devolution [Lords] Bill — House of Commons, 2015-10-21
Topic: Mixed Topics
James Ian Mearns (Labour, Centre-left): I entirely concur with the arguments my hon. Friend is putting forward. Unfortunately, in the north-east of England, where there are seven local authorities involved in the North Eastern local enterprise partnership area, many councillors from different authorities have said to me and to colleagues, "We’ve been told it’s the only game in town" and that only with an elected mayor will the financial incentives for the LEP area be forthcoming. That is totally unfair and undemocratic.
Cities and Local Government Devolution [Lords] Bill — House of Commons, 2015-10-21
Topic: Domestic Commerce
James Ian Mearns (Labour, Centre-left): Will the Minister confirm that for the area of the North Eastern local enterprise partnership, which includes Durham, Northumberland and Tyne and Wear, a £30 million investment package is on the table, but that that £30 million is available only in the eventuality of an elected mayor being accepted by the seven authorities?
Cities and Local Government Devolution [Lords] Bill — House of Commons, 2015-10-21
Topic: Mixed Topics
Gareth Thomas (Labour, Centre-left): I agree with my hon. Friend’s argument on income tax. Might the full suite of property taxes, not just business rates, also be worth considering in this context? I draw his attention to my amendment, clearly not as well drafted as his, suggesting that property taxes should be devolved in full to London. I hope to catch Mrs Main’s eye and say a few words on that later.
Cities and Local Government Devolution [Lords] Bill — House of Commons, 2015-10-21
Topic: Mixed Topics
Kevan David Jones (Labour, Centre-left): I have been listening carefully to my hon. Friend and, while I do not disagree with him, the proposal to retain 100% of business rates will be a disaster for some poorer areas. It is fine for areas of central London, such as Westminster, to argue for the ability to retain 100% of their business rates. However, business rates in poorer areas of the north-east and elsewhere are never going to generate a great deal. In fact, one large closure can devastate the local income base. There has to be a redistribution mechanism.
Cities and Local Government Devolution [Lords] Bill — House of Commons, 2015-10-21
Topic: Housing
Gareth Thomas (Labour, Centre-left): Is not a further argument for local taxes being controlled at local level that it allows local government a full range of policy responses to deal with local problems? I offer the example—I hope to catch your eye on this later, Mrs Main—of the housing crisis in London, where an ability to impose higher taxes on empty homes might be one part of the solution to the housing crisis.
Cities and Local Government Devolution [Lords] Bill — House of Commons, 2015-10-21
Topic: Mixed Topics
John Mann (Labour, Centre-left): I concur that a constitutional convention would be very sensible, as my hon. Friend the Member for Nottingham North (Mr Allen) said I hear the idea of a hotel tax in London—I hope it is not on my constituents coming down for a good overnight stay, but on those coming from abroad. I am not sure a hotel tax would work particularly well in Bassetlaw, although it is worth considering. I recall that until the last few years Welbeck Estates levied £3 on every tonne of coal produced for a century. If local government had been allowed to do that, Bassetlaw would be a very different place, because the infrastructure and so on would have been appropriately remunerated for the coal that we provided for the rest of the country in wartime and in peacetime, at great cost. That concept of local decision making is a very good one, so I would accord with the idea, but I hope there would be some exemptions to anything that is done in relation to the good people of Bassetlaw.
Cities and Local Government Devolution [Lords] Bill — House of Commons, 2015-10-21
Topic: Mixed Topics
Graham William Allen (Labour, Centre-left): If the Minister thinks the system is serving us well, may I gently remind him that six or seven months ago we came within 6 percentage points of the Union breaking? We have all the shambles around English votes for English laws, and there are many other issues where people are clearly, given voter participation levels alone, disenchanted with politics. Does he not agree that the great work he is doing on English devolution could be the spark to re-engage a lot of people who are very jaundiced about our politics?
Cities and Local Government Devolution [Lords] Bill — House of Commons, 2015-10-21
Topic: Mixed Topics
Graham William Allen (Labour, Centre-left): On the Minister’s language, it is not so much a desire to go further as a desire for England to catch up with Scotland so that we can have a properly devolved settlement in the United Kingdom.
Cities and Local Government Devolution [Lords] Bill — House of Commons, 2015-10-21
Topic: Mixed Topics
Clive James Charles Betts (Labour, Centre-left): I apologise, but I shall have to go to chair a meeting about black and minority ethnic coaches and managers in football, another issue that I know will be close to the Minister’s heart The Minister may be trying to reassure the Committee, but in some ways he is giving me cause for concern. Devolution deals will, in particular, try to link social care and health in a more real way to the benefit of constituents. My concern is that if every line of accountability goes back to the Secretary of State in Whitehall, it will stop local innovation happening. Will not the line of command back to the centre simply stop things happening?
Human Rights (Joint Committee) — House of Commons, 2015-10-21
Topic: Civil Rights
Melanie Onn (Labour, Centre-left): I wish to state how important this Committee is. At a time when this Government are thinking of reviewing the Human Rights Act 1998 as early as November, with no Green Paper or White Paper, the imperative must be to set up this Committee to examine the matter of human rights and the most fundamental Act protecting humans and their rights in this country and in Europe. This is a crucial time for the House to have a Select Committee on a major constitutional issue. If there are changes to be made to its make-up further down the line, so be it, but there should be no delay in establishing this very important Select Committee.
ISIL in Syria — House of Commons, 2015-12-02
Topic: Other
Caroline Louise Flint (Labour, Centre-left): I thank the Prime Minister for giving way. He is right to say in his opening statement how important it is to respect opinion on all sides of the House, so will he apologise for the remarks he made in a meeting last night against my right hon. and hon. Friends on the Labour Benches?
ISIL in Syria — House of Commons, 2015-12-02
Topic: Other
John Woodcock (Labour, Centre-left): It would be helpful if the Prime Minister could retract his inappropriate comments from last night, but will he be reassured that no one on the Labour Benches will make a decision based on any such remarks, or be threatened and not do what we believe is the right thing—whether those threats come from online activists or, indeed, from our own Dispatch Box?
ISIL in Syria — House of Commons, 2015-12-02
Topic: Other
John Mann (Labour, Centre-left): My right hon. Friend is appropriately pointing out that by not withdrawing his slur on me and others, the Prime Minister is not showing leadership. Does he also agree that there is no place whatsoever in the Labour party for anybody who has been abusing those Labour Members who choose to vote with the Government on this resolution?
ISIL in Syria — House of Commons, 2015-12-02
Topic: Other
Andrew Joseph McDonald (Labour, Centre-left): Does my right hon. Friend agree that if the Prime Minister came to the Dispatch Box and made a clear apology with a simple "I’m sorry", he would clear the air immediately and we could move on with this debate?
ISIL in Syria — House of Commons, 2015-12-02
Topic: Other
Jeremy Bernard Corbyn (Labour, Centre-left): Mr Speaker, I am really sorry to have to tell Conservative Members that I have given way quite a lot to Members on both sides of the House, and I am now going to continue with my speech. Ultimately—
ISIL in Syria — House of Commons, 2015-12-02
Topic: Other
Jeremy Bernard Corbyn (Labour, Centre-left): I thought I had made it clear, and that the Speaker had made it clear, that at the moment I am not giving way; I am really sorry, but I am not. Okay? The Government’s proposals for—
ISIL in Syria — House of Commons, 2015-12-02
Topic: Other
David Julian Winnick (Labour, Centre-left): On a point of order, Mr Speaker. On a number of occasions complaints have been received from the public, particularly about Prime Minister’s questions. What do you think the public make of it when my right hon. Friend the Leader of the Opposition is shouted down constantly by those on the Government Benches?
ISIL in Syria — House of Commons, 2015-12-02
Topic: Mixed Topics
Catharine Letitia Hoey (Labour, Centre-left): No. Will removing Daesh from Syria by bombing reduce worldwide and, in particular, UK jihadism? Will it increase it, as Muslims react to the deaths? Why do we always have to be the policemen going in first? I have not yet heard a genuinely convincing answer to any of those questions. If they remain unanswered and we still go ahead and bomb civilians, we are being as unthinking and reactionary as some of those people we are fighting Daesh is an organisation that has no civilised values. We are fighting a cult that has no moral values whatsoever. Bombing will not change that. We have to look at other, cleverer ways and we have to spend some of the money that we are going to spend on this bombing on guarding our borders and making sure that the work against jihadism and fundamentalism in this country is carried out. There is no moral case for this action and I will be supporting the amendment.