argyrotsipi/train-dataset huggingface dataset:
Transport in the North — House of Commons, 2017-11-06
Topic: Transportation
Diana Ruth Johnson (Labour, Centre-left): We had an excellent debate until the last 10 minutes. We had a tour around the north of England. We went to Cumbria, Hull, Cleethorpes and Durham, and we heard a lot about the A1, the A15, the A63 and even A roads that go through farmyards. We heard about ports and regional airports. As northern MPs, across parties, we are all ambitious for our region, and we want regional inequalities to be addressed by fair funding. We will not be going away. We will be holding this Government to account I am disappointed with the Minister’s response, because I think he read out a pre-prepared speech. He did not listen to what people were saying. With the greatest of respect, and as the hon. Member for Westmorland and Lonsdale (Tim Farron) said, it is typical of a southern Transport Minister to think that the problems of the north can be dealt with by HS2 The Chair of the Backbench Business Committee, my hon. Friend the Member for Gateshead (Ian Mearns), talked about the 120 days he has been waiting for a response from the Department to a letter signed by 10 MPs. The Department managed to get itself working very quickly this evening, because it has already been on the phone to The Yorkshire Post to complain that the newspaper has apparently put about the idea that the Secretary of State has snubbed this debate. It is important to note that this was a national issue; it was not about local transport. It is about a national issue and the Secretary of State’s comments over the summer Question put and agreed to. Resolved, That this House has considered transport in the North.
Abortion Act 1967: 50th Anniversary — House of Commons, 2017-11-06
Topic: Social Welfare
Paula Michelle Sherriff (Labour, Centre-left): I thank my hon. Friend for securing this important debate. When I debated with the pro-life charity Life on the radio recently, I was told that if a women it was helping went on to decide to have a termination, it would withdraw support, including housing, from that women. Does she agree that that is incredibly concerning?
Social Mobility — House of Commons, 2017-12-11
Topic: Education
Nicholas Dakin (Labour, Centre-left): Sixth form colleges are well recognised for their role in delivering social mobility, yet that is now at risk with an underfunding of £1,200 per student, compared with 11 to 16 funding. Will the Secretary of State act to address this before it is too late?
Social Mobility — House of Commons, 2017-12-11
Topic: Social Welfare
Justin Piers Richard Madders (Labour, Centre-left): As chair of the all-party group on social mobility, I am very concerned to read the Social Mobility Commission’s report and the subsequent comments from the outgoing chair. Will the Secretary of State, or one of her ministerial team, agree to meet the all-party group to discuss where we go from here?
Social Mobility — House of Commons, 2017-12-11
Topic: Social Welfare
Tracy Lynn Brabin (Labour, Centre-left): I agree with the right hon. Member for Harlow (Robert Halfon). Last week the Minister for Children and Families used the 30 hours of free childcare as an example of the Government’s commitment to social mobility. He knows that foster children are some of the most vulnerable, often starting school having already fallen behind their peers, and that many would benefit from access to high-quality early years education. Why have they been excluded from the 30-hours offer, and will the Secretary of State tell us when this discrimination will end?
Multi-academy Trusts: Financial Accountability — House of Commons, 2017-12-11
Topic: Social Welfare
Michael Robert Hill (Labour, Centre-left): In my constituency, we have suffered significant cuts in central budgets that support the most vulnerable people in our communities. Hartlepool Council has suffered cuts of almost 50% over the last five years, at a time when demands on services continue to rise rapidly. The council has tried very hard to protect frontline children’s services, but there has nevertheless been a 14% reduction in funding for them, Can the Secretary of State explain how our most vulnerable children and young people will have increased social mobility, given the significant and growing pressures on social care, funding for those—
Multi-academy Trusts: Financial Accountability — House of Commons, 2017-12-11
Topic: Education
Mary Helen Creagh (Labour, Centre-left): I hope that the standard of the question is up to that of the jumper, Mr Speaker, but I fear that it may not be Notwithstanding what the Minister has said, the acting chief executive of Wakefield City Academies Trust managed to pay himself £1,000 a day in a company owned by his daughter and to pay £60,000 a year for clerking services. Despite those excessive sums, however, it appears that the audit committee did not meet for a full calendar year to sign off the probity of those payments. How many more academy trusts across the country are in special measures? Into how many more trusts has the Minister sent his special auditors so that they can have a look? He sent them into Wakefield, but he did not tell anyone else about what was going on, leaving the trust to fail in September during the first week of the new term.
Multi-academy Trusts: Financial Accountability — House of Commons, 2017-12-11
Topic: Education
Michael Joseph Patrick Kane (Labour, Centre-left): I am confused. In 2015 the Education Funding Agency conducted a financial management and governance review of the failed Wakefield City Academies Trust, but the Department refused to publish it, placing the trust’s commercial interests above the interests of the 8,500 pupils. So can the Minister answer the question of my hon. Friend the Member for Wakefield (Mary Creagh): how many more MATs are in peril on his watch?
Schools: Capital Funding — House of Commons, 2017-12-11
Topic: Education
Stephen James Morgan (Labour, Centre-left): Recent research by the National Education Union and Tes found that 94% of teachers pay for essential classroom supplies, including at schools in my constituency where glue-sticks are being brought in by hard-working staff. With this in mind, does the Minister still maintain that Portsmouth’s schools have enough money and resources?
Schools: Capital Funding — House of Commons, 2017-12-11
Topic: Education
Questions: The executive member for children on Leeds City Council wrote to me today after writing to the Secretary of State on 28 September about health and safety issues in local education authority schools, including schools that are trying to become academies. The response from the Department was about the condition improvement fund for academies, so I am going to ask again: what funding and support are available for LEA schools with serious health and safety concerns, including concerns about asbestos and fire safety? What funding is the Secretary of State going to provide for those schools?
Angela Rayner (Labour, Centre-left): Can the Minister confirm that the Budget actually cut education capital funding by £1 billion in this spending review, and that part of that cut involves removing more than three quarters of the healthy pupils capital programme? Perhaps he recalls the Government’s pledge earlier this year that the healthy pupils fund would not fall below £415 million, regardless. Will he now apologise for breaking that promise?
Academic A-levels: Knowsley — House of Commons, 2017-12-11
Topic: Education
Maria Eagle (Labour, Centre-left): I thank the Secretary of State for that answer, but in a number of meetings with Knowsley MPs over the past year, her Ministers have promised to bring in a recognised excellent provider to restore academic A-level provision to Knowsley. The provision of some college vocational A-levels is a welcome development, but it is not enough. What progress has the Department made on delivering the promises made by her Ministers to local MPs over the past year?
Academic A-levels: Knowsley — House of Commons, 2017-12-11
Topic: Education
George Edward Howarth (Labour, Centre-left): The new A-level provision from next September in Knowsley is very welcome, but will the Secretary of State commit to working with the local authority and the commission established under the leadership of Christine Gilbert to ensure that more young people in Knowsley are able to take advantage not only of academic A-levels but of vocational qualifications?
STEM Subjects — House of Commons, 2017-12-11
Topic: Education
Melanie Onn (Labour, Centre-left): At last week’s meeting of the all-party parliamentary group on the UK oil refining sector, I met several young ambassadors who had excellent suggestions for encouraging young people to study STEM subjects. One suggestion was that Ofsted should measure the number of engineers that schools produce, rather than how many of their pupils go to university. Will the Secretary of State consider that?
Coding and Programming Education — House of Commons, 2017-12-11
Topic: Education
James Richard Frith (Labour, Centre-left): The success of T-levels, which will incorporate coding and programming in education, will largely rely on addressing the chronic underfunding of our colleges, so was the Secretary of State disappointed, as Bury College and Holy Cross College in my constituency were, that the Chancellor ignored the pleas to address the great iniquity of post-16 funding? What will the Secretary of State do about it?
Home-schooling — House of Commons, 2017-12-11
Topic: Education
Lucy Maria Powell (Labour, Centre-left): Does the Minister agree with the chief inspector of schools, Amanda Spielman, that so-called off-rolling, which includes home-schooling and alternative provision off site, is one of the big scandals in our education system? The Institute for Public Policy Research estimates that 48,000 children are now off-rolled. What will the Government do to give local authorities the powers and capacity to deal with this issue, and to force multi-academy trusts to stop off-rolling people in the pursuit of standards?
Children in Care — House of Commons, 2017-12-11
Topic: Social Welfare
Anthony Joseph Lloyd (Labour, Centre-left): The hon. Member for Telford (Lucy Allan) is absolutely right on this, and there should be agreement across the House that early intervention is not only more cost-effective, but more effective in human terms. Does the Minister accept that there is a crisis in the funding of children’s care, and that unless we are prepared to make the money for early intervention available up front, we will simply force local authorities to chase the crisis and not do the early intervention work we need?
Children in Care — House of Commons, 2017-12-11
Topic: Social Welfare
Emma Louise Lewell-Buck (Labour, Centre-left): The Minister is presiding over a rise in care numbers and a shortage of foster carers. More than 70% of children’s homes are now run for profit. These providers are warning of imminent closures if his Government do not get their act together and tackle the issue of backdated sleep-in shift payments, which have led to debts of up to £2 million for some homes. Where on earth does the Minister propose placing our looked-after children when his Government’s reliance on the private sector fails?
Teacher Recruitment and Retention — House of Commons, 2017-12-11
Topic: Education
Mathew Richard Allen Rodda (Labour, Centre-left): I thank the Secretary of State for her answer, but I draw her attention to the situation in my constituency and the evidence from the School Teachers’ Review Body, which has stated that there is "a real risk that schools will not be able to recruit and retain a workforce of high quality teachers to support pupil achievement." It says that is particularly the case given the predicted increase in pupil numbers. What action have the Government taken to address teacher recruitment and retention? Will she meet me and local heads to discuss this matter?
Teacher Recruitment and Retention — House of Commons, 2017-12-11
Topic: Education
Angela Rayner (Labour, Centre-left): Given what the Secretary of State just said about our excellent teachers, I hope that we can all agree that it is time to end the real-terms pay cuts for teachers. However, the Office for Budget Responsibility has warned that this will lead to schools squeezing non-pay spending and reducing the workforce without extra funding. The Chancellor wants us to believe that he has ended the public sector pay cap. The Secretary of State wants us to believe that she has ended cuts to schools. They cannot both be right, so which one of them is putting the "con" into the Conservatives?
Apprenticeships — House of Commons, 2017-12-11
Topic: Labor
Michael Lee Amesbury (Labour, Centre-left): Given that average monthly apprenticeship starts are 17% lower than they need to be to hit the Government’s 2020 target, does the Minister agree that local leaders and businesses are better equipped to meet that target than the Conservative Government?
Apprenticeships — House of Commons, 2017-12-11
Topic: Education
Virendra Kumar Sharma (Labour, Centre-left): According to a new Sutton Trust report, "Better Apprenticeships", two thirds of apprenticeships are the result of merely rebadging existing employee training as apprenticeships. What steps is the Minister taking to ensure that existing employees are participating in substantial training to develop new skills, and not just being accredited for their existing competence?
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2017-12-11
Topic: Education
Gordon Marsden (Labour, Centre-left): Friday’s National Audit Office report on the higher education market is hugely damaging. It says that the market is failing students and that such practice anywhere else would raise questions of mis-selling. Meanwhile, the Student Loans Company is in crisis. This is all under the watch of the Minister for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation. What does he say now to the NAO?
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2017-12-11
Topic: Education
Questions: The Secretary of State is absolutely right to shout about the fact that 1.9 million more children are now in good or outstanding schools, including in Corby and east Northamptonshire. That equates to 87% of children in such schools now, compared with 66% in 2010. Does the Minister agree that that is real progress and not, as some have suggested, the result of an increase in the school-age population?; Many teachers in my constituency tell me that they spend a lot of time on their pastoral care responsibilities, particularly relating to mental health. What are the Government doing to help those schools where children’s mental health is a particularly acute issue?; The House of Commons nursery is an award-winning nursery, and its manager was recently named nursery manager of the year for looking after the children during the Westminster terror attack. Will the Minister join me in commending the staff for their work, and will he also acknowledge the pressure they and other nursery providers are put under by the inadequate funding for the 30 hours of free childcare?; The Minister has already spoken about proposals for revised guidance on home-schooling. Warwickshire County Council tells me that there is no requirement for parents to register with the local authority, which can make it difficult for home-schooled children to get the education they deserve. Would such a change be part of the revised guidance?; The parents of a child who has Asperger’s contacted me recently and explained in depth how their son’s school failed to consider his needs, and the great stress that that caused them as a family. As a signatory to the Ambitious about Autism pledge in the last Parliament, may I ask the Secretary of State what action her Department is taking to ensure that school staff are properly trained and have adequate resources?; What impact has the £659 million of cuts to Sure Start and early years investment had on the educational attainment of Britain’s poorest children?; A maintained primary school in my constituency has received over 20 pupils in year from a local academy because of their permanent exclusion, or because they have been pushed out due to the risk of a permanent exclusion. What more can the Department and local authorities do to disincentivise academies from excluding pupils and pushing them on to maintained primaries?; The Prime Minister’s refusal to remove foreign students from immigration figures is damaging our universities. What discussions has the Secretary of State had with the Home Secretary about the financial contribution of overseas students and staff, and their classification in Government immigration statistics?
Emma Ann Hardy (Labour, Centre-left): If the Department is serious about meeting its apprenticeships targets, surely the Minister will agree with me about the need to reclassify apprenticeships as improved education or training so that young, hard-working apprentices, such as Chloe from Hull, save money on their transport and prescription costs.
Brexit Negotiations — House of Commons, 2017-12-11
Topic: Foreign Trade
Hilary James Benn (Labour, Centre-left): The most important part of this agreement is paragraph 49, which I welcome. It says clearly that "the United Kingdom will maintain full alignment with those rules of the Internal Market and the Customs Union which, now or in the future, support North-South cooperation, the all island economy and the protection of the 1998 Agreement." Given that those words are prefaced by the words: "In the absence of agreed solutions," can the Prime Minister please confirm to the House today that this crystal-clear commitment will apply in all circumstances, including if no trade deal is reached with the European Union?
Brexit Negotiations — House of Commons, 2017-12-11
Topic: Foreign Trade
Mary Helen Creagh (Labour, Centre-left): The Brexit Secretary has captivated the House with tales of regulatory impact assessments that do not exist. The Chancellor has said that the divorce bill will be paid in all circumstances, but the Brexit Secretary contradicted him at the weekend, saying that it would be conditional on a trade deal. The Prime Minister’s deal with the Taoiseach, promising full regulatory alignment, has been dismissed by the Brexit Secretary as a statement of intent. If she cannot even get her Brexit Secretary to agree with her, how on earth is she going to get a good deal that protects jobs, investment and growth in this country?
Brexit Negotiations — House of Commons, 2017-12-11
Topic: Foreign Trade
Alison McGovern (Labour, Centre-left): Last week, the Chancellor of the Exchequer told me that the Cabinet had never even discussed the decision to leave the single market and the customs union. As we move on, we need to be absolutely clear about the Cabinet’s view, so will the Prime Minister inform the House when the Cabinet last discussed the negotiating objectives for the final trade deal?
Brexit Negotiations — House of Commons, 2017-12-11
Topic: Foreign Trade
Patrick Bosco McFadden (Labour, Centre-left): For phase 2 of the discussions, the Brexit Secretary has set a benchmark of securing a free trade agreement with the exact same benefits that we currently enjoy. Does the Prime Minister agree with her Environment Secretary and many others that if the public do not like the terms of the final deal, they have every right to change their mind?
Brexit Negotiations — House of Commons, 2017-12-11
Topic: Foreign Trade
George Edward Howarth (Labour, Centre-left): Does not CETA-plus-plus-plus amount to a similar—but not the same—set of arrangements to those in the single market and the customs union? Would not the Government have to accept a similar set of arrangements on free movement of labour?
Brexit Negotiations — House of Commons, 2017-12-11
Topic: International Affairs
Christopher Michael Leslie (Labour, Centre-left): I wonder whether the Prime Minister will help us to clarify what is meant by "full alignment". There was speculation in the newspapers this weekend that No. 10 had been selling it to the Foreign Secretary as a meaningless concept. I do not want her to say, "Full alignment means full alignment"; I want her to say whether she means it to apply to all areas of trade, or whether it is limited to agriculture and energy. Will she explain what she means by "full alignment"?
Brexit Negotiations — House of Commons, 2017-12-11
Topic: International Affairs
Catharine Letitia Hoey (Labour, Centre-left): This is a little bit of repetition, but to be absolutely clear, will the Prime Minister confirm that leaving the single market—the internal market, as I prefer to call it—and the customs union is not an option, and that anyone who is pushing for that is really still trying to stay in the EU?
Brexit Negotiations — House of Commons, 2017-12-11
Topic: International Affairs
Edward Samuel Miliband (Labour, Centre-left): In her reply to the hon. Member for Gainsborough (Sir Edward Leigh), the Prime Minister seemed to confirm that she believes that we will have full regulatory autonomy after we leave the European Union. Will she explain how that is compatible with regulatory alignment between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland and no hard border?
Brexit Negotiations — House of Commons, 2017-12-11
Topic: International Affairs
Stephen John Doughty (Labour, Centre-left): The Prime Minister said in her statement that "significant savings" would be made through the Brexit agreement. Will she tell us how she knows what those significant savings will be before she has reached an agreement? If she does know them, will she publish their value to allow the whole House to see what they are?
Brexit Negotiations — House of Commons, 2017-12-11
Topic: International Affairs
Michael John Gapes (Labour, Centre-left): The draft phase 2 guidelines say: "negotiations in the second phase can only progress as long as all commitments undertaken during the first phase are respected in full and translated faithfully in legal terms as quickly as possible." When are we going to get the legislation?
Brexit Negotiations — House of Commons, 2017-12-11
Topic: International Affairs
Wesley Paul William Streeting (Labour, Centre-left): Paragraph 49 of the agreement says very clearly: "In the absence of agreed solutions, the United Kingdom will maintain full alignment with those rules of the Internal Market and the Customs Union which, now or in the future, support North-South cooperation, the all-island economy and the protection of the 1998 Agreement." In making that undertaking, can the Prime Minister provide the reassurance that British people, businesses and public services are looking for—that she has finally closed the door to the disastrous no-deal scenario that so many Government Members have advocated?
Brexit Negotiations — House of Commons, 2017-12-11
Topic: International Affairs
Stephen Creswell Timms (Labour, Centre-left): The European Union says that we will stay in the single market and the customs union during the implementation phase. The Prime Minister is saying, I presume, that we will leave at the start of the implementation phase, but will she confirm that the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice will continue throughout the two years or so of the implementation phase?
Brexit Negotiations — House of Commons, 2017-12-11
Topic: International Affairs
Ian Murray (Labour, Centre-left): Within a few paragraphs of the Prime Minister’s statement, she reaffirms that the UK will leave the single market and the customs union, says that the Government "will fully protect and maintain Northern Ireland’s position within the single market of the United Kingdom", and says that there will be "no hard border" and "regulatory harmonisation". Are not those three statements contradictory?
Brexit Negotiations — House of Commons, 2017-12-11
Topic: International Affairs
Clive Stanley Efford (Labour, Centre-left): The Prime Minister has negotiated a financial package for exiting the European Union. Can she confirm that there is a further bill to be paid for access in the future, and that there is absolutely no question of our leaving the European Union without settling our tab for the commitments that we made prior to the referendum?