argyrotsipi/train-dataset huggingface dataset:
Engagements — House of Commons, 2017-02-08
Topic: Government Operations
Questions: Over the last 12 months, as a member of the Defence Committee, I have had the opportunity to look into the Iraq Historic Allegations Team and how we as a country more broadly deal with historical allegations against our servicemen and women. This has been a deeply disturbing experience not only for those of us who have served, but for many Members across the House. I know that the Prime Minister gets this, but will she commit to redouble her and her Government’s efforts to get a grip on this historical allegations process so that never again will our servicemen and women be exposed to the likes of Phil Shiner?
Jeremy Bernard Corbyn (Labour, Centre-left): My question was whether there had been a special deal done for Surrey. The leader said that they had had many conversations with the Government. We know they have, because I have been leaked copies of texts sent by the Tory leader, David Hodge, intended for somebody called "Nick" who works for Ministers in the Department for Communities and Local Government. One of the texts reads: "I am advised that DCLG officials have been working on a solution and you will be contacting me to agree a memorandum of understanding." Will the Government now publish this memorandum of understanding, and while they are about it, will all councils be offered the same deal?
Engagements — House of Commons, 2017-02-08
Topic: Social Welfare
Questions: Over the last 12 months, as a member of the Defence Committee, I have had the opportunity to look into the Iraq Historic Allegations Team and how we as a country more broadly deal with historical allegations against our servicemen and women. This has been a deeply disturbing experience not only for those of us who have served, but for many Members across the House. I know that the Prime Minister gets this, but will she commit to redouble her and her Government’s efforts to get a grip on this historical allegations process so that never again will our servicemen and women be exposed to the likes of Phil Shiner?
Jeremy Bernard Corbyn (Labour, Centre-left): I wonder if this has anything to do with the fact that the Chancellor and the Health Secretary both represent Surrey constituencies There was a second text from the Surrey County Council leader to "Nick". It says: "The numbers you indicated are the numbers I understand are acceptable for me to accept and call off the R" I have been reading a bit of John le Carré and apparently "R" means "referendum"—it is very subtle, all this. He goes on to say in his text to "Nick": "If it is possible for that info to be sent to myself I can then revert back soonest, really want to kill this off" So, how much did the Government offer Surrey to "kill this off", and is the same sweetheart deal on offer to every council facing the social care crisis created by this Government?
Engagements — House of Commons, 2017-02-08
Topic: Social Welfare
Questions: Over the last 12 months, as a member of the Defence Committee, I have had the opportunity to look into the Iraq Historic Allegations Team and how we as a country more broadly deal with historical allegations against our servicemen and women. This has been a deeply disturbing experience not only for those of us who have served, but for many Members across the House. I know that the Prime Minister gets this, but will she commit to redouble her and her Government’s efforts to get a grip on this historical allegations process so that never again will our servicemen and women be exposed to the likes of Phil Shiner?
Jeremy Bernard Corbyn (Labour, Centre-left): My question was, what deal was offered to Surrey that got it to call off a referendum, and will the same deal be offered to every other council going through a social care crisis Hospital wards are overcrowded, a million people are not getting the care they need, and family members, mostly women, are having to give up work to care for loved ones. Every day that the Prime Minister fails to act, this crisis gets worse. Will she finally come clean and provide local authorities with the funding they need to fund social care properly, so that our often elderly and vulnerable people can be treated with the support and dignity that they deserve in a civilised society?
European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill — House of Commons, 2017-02-08
Topic: Foreign Trade
Paul Christopher Blomfield (Labour, Centre-left): I rise to speak to new clause 2 and the other new clauses that stand in my name and those of my hon. and right hon. Friends, which have been judged to be in order. Over the past two days, we have had a series of important debates, primarily on the process that we face over the long period ahead. Today, we move on to new clauses and amendments on the substance of the Government’s negotiations. The debate on process was important precisely because it is about enabling the people of this country, through this elected Parliament, to hold the Government to account on the issues that matter to them: their jobs; the conditions under which our businesses operate; how we keep our country safe and secure; how we protect our environment for future generations; and how we ensure that we remain at the cutting edge of science and research and that we have an economy that is able to fund our NHS and all the services that are vital for our social fabric In the foreword to the White Paper, the Prime Minister claims that "the country is coming together", but we are not there yet, and those portraying anyone with a different approach to Brexit as attempting to frustrate the will of the people—as some have done over recent days—does not help. Today, however, we can take an important step, because new clause 2 addresses many of the concerns not only of the 48% but of many of the 52%—those who voted to come out but did not vote to lose out. It is, in fact, a manifesto for the 100%. It puts at the front of the Government’s objectives a duty to maintain a stable and sustainable economy through having trading arrangements with the European Union for goods and services that are free of tariff and with non-tariff barriers. We on this side of the House have been clear that, in the negotiations, it is the economy and jobs that should come first, but the Government have decided otherwise. They are taking a reckless gamble with people’s jobs and living standards by walking away from the single market and the customs union.
European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill — House of Commons, 2017-02-08
Topic: Technology
James Dolan Cunningham (Labour, Centre-left): My hon. Friend takes a big interest in science and technology and universities, so does he agree that it is important for Coventry and the west midlands economy that we get a proper agreement in relation to the single market? Does he also agree that the Government have guaranteed resources only up to 2020 should we pull out?
European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill — House of Commons, 2017-02-08
Topic: Foreign Trade
Paul Christopher Blomfield (Labour, Centre-left): My hon. Friend is absolutely right. I think the Prime Minister was quite shocked to discover, when she went to India seeking a trade deal, that one of the first things that the Indian Government wanted to put on the table was access to our labour markets and for students. My hon. Friend was right to cite other countries, but he missed Australia off his list. Australia is much heralded as a future trading partner, but it also wants to make the movement of people part of any settlement.
European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill — House of Commons, 2017-02-08
Topic: Foreign Trade
Paul Christopher Blomfield (Labour, Centre-left): Probably not, after Mrs Laing’s words Our approach is different: it is to put the economy and the jobs of British people first, and to get the right trading relationship with the EU. There may be lots of graphs in the White Paper, but there is little clarity about the Government’s ambitions. However, the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union was much clearer when he told the House a couple of weeks ago: "What we have come up with…is the idea of a comprehensive free trade agreement and a comprehensive customs agreement that will deliver the exact same benefits as we have"—[Official Report, 24 January 2017; Vol. 620, c. 169.] I am delighted that the Secretary of State has just joined us. He is promising us the exact same benefits that we have inside the single market. That is a benchmark that he has set for the negotiations—a benchmark against which we will measure his success. To help him, in a positive and collaborative spirit, we have tried to embed that in new clause 2, because livelihoods depend on it.
European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill — House of Commons, 2017-02-08
Topic: Foreign Trade
Angela Eagle (Labour, Centre-left): Does my hon. Friend agree that trying to get exactly the same access to the single market without paying any of the costs is like disappearing down the rabbit hole into Alice’s Wonderland? It is important that we have an assessment of what World Trade Organisation rules would cost, if we had to fall back on them.
European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill — House of Commons, 2017-02-08
Topic: Foreign Trade
Paul Christopher Blomfield (Labour, Centre-left): My hon. Friend makes an important point, and that is precisely why we have been pushing for proper economic assessments I acknowledge that that negotiation target is ambitious, but it is the one the Secretary of State has set, and against which his performance will be measured. It is all very well to speculate on trade deals that might or might not come to pass. The White Paper may tell us that the United States is "interested in an early trade agreement with the UK", but there is no indication of how "America first" protectionism will give better market access for UK-manufactured goods. Given the uncertainty, the Government need to do all they can to secure the jobs that depend on trade with our biggest and closet partner: the European Union.
European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill — House of Commons, 2017-02-08
Topic: Foreign Trade
Paul Christopher Blomfield (Labour, Centre-left): I am sure that the European Union will be interested in securing the trade agreement that we seek, but the question is whether the Government can secure it on the ambitious terms that the Secretary of State has himself set.
European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill — House of Commons, 2017-02-08
Topic: Foreign Trade
Paul Christopher Blomfield (Labour, Centre-left): No. I have made it clear that the right hon. Gentleman has had plenty of floor time. I shall press on On the trade deal, it really did not help for the Prime Minister to threaten our friends and neighbours with turning this country into an offshore tax haven if she did not get her way. [Interruption.] Government Members may not like it, but that was the clear threat. It was not a threat against the European Union; it was a threat against the British people. Those voting to leave the EU did so on the understanding that the NHS would receive more money, but that will not be possible if we slash taxes, and this House should not allow that. That is the purpose of new clause 7.
European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill — House of Commons, 2017-02-08
Topic: Macroeconomics
Paul Christopher Blomfield (Labour, Centre-left): I will make progress, because I am mindful of Mrs Laing’s comments New clause 7 should command support across the House. The Government have been working with our partners in the OECD on efforts to avoid a race to the bottom on corporation tax, and new clause 7 endorses that work, while new clause 2 would commit the Government to "maintaining all existing social, economic, consumer and workers’ rights", as well as to continuing to collaborate on environmental protection. The Government have paid lip service to those things, but they should understand people’s scepticism about their intentions, because although the White Paper boasts of increasing enforcement budgets for compliance with the national minimum wage, it fails to mention the appallingly low numbers of prosecutions for non-payment of the national minimum wage, or the rife abuse in the care sector, of which the Government are perfectly aware, but on which they have failed to act.
European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill — House of Commons, 2017-02-08
Topic: International Affairs
Paul Christopher Blomfield (Labour, Centre-left): I guess the right hon. Gentleman has spotted that triggering article 50 will signal our departure from the European Union; he can intervene if I have got that wrong. [Interruption.] The right hon. Member for Forest of Dean (Mr Harper) is not going to get a chance. Our departure puts at risk the many benefits—
European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill — House of Commons, 2017-02-08
Topic: Environment
Rachael Helen Maskell (Labour, Centre-left): Does my hon. Friend agree that the fact that the Government have been dragged to court on three occasions for failing on the air quality targets set by the EU, and have been negotiating behind the scenes to drop the European standards, means that it is really important that we discuss environmental protections as part of the negotiations?
European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill — House of Commons, 2017-02-08
Topic: Technology
Lilian Rachel Greenwood (Labour, Centre-left): My hon. Friend makes a compelling argument about that aspect of scientific research. I do not know whether he attended yesterday’s event held by the all-party group on medical research, which is looking at the impact of Brexit on life sciences. If he did, he will know that it was made absolutely clear that we need to maintain the closest possible ties with the EU in relation to Horizon 2020 funding, collaboration and the free movement of people. Does he not agree that the Government need to listen if we are to preserve our wonderful scientific research base in this country?
European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill — House of Commons, 2017-02-08
Topic: Energy
Albert Owen (Labour, Centre-left): The shadow Minister makes a very important point. These hugely important research projects in nuclear and nuclear build have long lead-in times. My concern is that if we trigger notice to leave Euratom, no agreement will be put in place at the end of the two-year period. That could seriously delay those projects and impact on future investment in this country. Does he agree that, at the very least, we need a transitional arrangement, if not continuing membership?
European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill — House of Commons, 2017-02-08
Topic: Energy
Paul Christopher Blomfield (Labour, Centre-left): No, I will not. I should respond to Mrs Laing’s appeal for us to make progress It has been suggested that the Government’s reservations about Euratom stem from the fact that the European Court of Justice is the regulatory body for the treaty. If that is so, their obsessional opposition to the Court of Justice leads them to want to rip up our membership of an organisation on which 21% of UK electricity generation relies and that supports a critical industry providing 78,000 jobs; that number is projected to rise to 110,000 by 2021. That membership led to us hosting the biggest nuclear fusion programme in the world in Culham.
European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill — House of Commons, 2017-02-08
Topic: Energy
Paul Christopher Blomfield (Labour, Centre-left): I will not give way, because I wish to make progress The organisation also helps to ensure nuclear safety. Before the Secretary of State leaves the Chamber, let me tell him that it would be helpful for the Government to explain their intentions. I will give way to him or to the Minister of State, Department for Exiting the European Union, because the people in this country deserve to know what is happening in relation to Euratom; people voting in Copeland in a couple of weeks’ time want to know, as their jobs are on the line. I give the Secretary of State or indeed the Minister the opportunity to intervene on me to make an unambiguous statement that it is the Government’s intention to remain in Euratom.
European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill — House of Commons, 2017-02-08
Topic: Foreign Trade
Adrian Edward Bailey (Labour, Centre-left): The right hon. Gentleman argues that our membership of the EU inhibits our ability to trade with the expanding economies of the rest of the world. If so, will he explain why Germany exports nearly four times as much as we do to China and exceeds our exports to both India and Brazil, the other fast-growing economies, and why France also exports more to China and Brazil than we do? What is it that they do in the EU that we will do when we come out?
European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill — House of Commons, 2017-02-08
Topic: Foreign Trade
Angela Christine Smith (Labour, Centre-left): May I take it from what the right hon. Gentleman has just said that in any free trade deal with New Zealand he will continue to ensure that sheep farmers in this country are not sacrificed in the interests of getting good access to the New Zealand market for our financial services?
European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill — House of Commons, 2017-02-08
Topic: International Affairs
Michael John Gapes (Labour, Centre-left): I will not make a speech now, as I hope to be called later. I just want to emphasise that there is an important need to protect the interests of Gibraltar. As the hon. and learned Lady said, the Bill does not refer to Gibraltar, but it was specifically mentioned in an amendment when the legislation to hold the referendum was agreed. The people of Gibraltar voted in the referendum. Surely the Bill should be amended to reflect the need for Gibraltar’s interests also to be considered.
European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill — House of Commons, 2017-02-08
Topic: International Affairs
Hilary James Benn (Labour, Centre-left): Is not the fundamental difficulty with the document’s proposal about the possibility of Scotland remaining in the single market the fact that there is absolutely no evidence that I have seen thus far—perhaps the hon. and learned Lady has—that any one of the other 27 member states, never mind the British Government’s view, has indicated that it would consent to such an arrangement, given that all the other parallels, the Faroes aside, relate to countries, which is not the case in relation to this proposal?
European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill — House of Commons, 2017-02-08
Topic: Foreign Trade
Melanie Onn (Labour, Centre-left): The right hon. Gentleman is being generous with his time. I agree with his point about trying to reach consensus for the sake of the country. Is he as concerned as I am about the protectionism of other countries and the dangers it presents in international trade? After a change of leadership in Nigeria, the Nigerians, on a whim, wrote a list of imports that they would no longer accept, which cut off all existing trade with UK companies, including one in my constituency that exported to Nigeria.
European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill — House of Commons, 2017-02-08
Topic: Energy
Sue Hayman (Labour, Centre-left): A constituent of mine who is an employee of the National Nuclear Laboratory has told me he is concerned that an exit from Euratom would impair his ability to collaborate with leading scientists and engineers across Europe, to the detriment of science and technology in this country. Does the right hon. Gentleman agree with that point?
European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill — House of Commons, 2017-02-08
Topic: International Affairs
Michael John Gapes (Labour, Centre-left): It is a great pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Howarth. I do not want to go on for too long, but nine amendments in my name have been selected, though I will not speak to all of them. Amendment 31 relates to the implications of leaving Euratom. I agree very strongly with the concerns expressed by the right hon. Member for Wantage (Mr Vaizey). He also talked about the implications of the decision to leave the European Union for British citizens overseas. I declare an interest as the honorary president of Labour International, which represents the interests of Labour party members who live in other countries, many of whom were able to vote in the referendum. However, those living in the EU for longer than 15 years did not have a vote in the referendum, even though many still have very close connections to this country.
European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill — House of Commons, 2017-02-08
Topic: Foreign Trade
Michael John Gapes (Labour, Centre-left): The hon. Gentleman will find that globalisation and the expansion of the wealth of the world, led by regional trading blocs such as the EU, have led to a significant change in the types of industries located in particular countries. Hundreds of millions of people have been taken out of poverty because of industrialisation in China. The same thing is happening in Vietnam, the Philippines and India. Globalisation is affecting everyone. He refers to eastern Europe. Yes, the days when the polluting Trabi cars were being made in the German Democratic Republic, and when Škoda vehicles were regarded as a joke, have gone There is now high-quality manufacturing in many countries throughout Europe, but they often have integrated supply chains, which is why Ford Dagenham makes diesel engines for cars also manufactured in Belgium, Spain and other European countries. That is the nature of modern capitalism and the global world. The danger in our leaving the EU is that we could make those industries in this country less successful and put tens of thousands of jobs at risk.
European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill — House of Commons, 2017-02-08
Topic: International Affairs
Liam Dominic Byrne (Labour, Centre-left): My hon. Friend is making an excellent speech. Does he agree that we should go further? Now that we are leaving the federal project, we have an opportunity to create a confederal project, in which we strengthen co-operation on defence, social rights, science, international development and climate change. The Prime Minister says that we might be leaving the EU, but we are not leaving Europe. In that case, let us see the plan for strengthening our relationships across a host of areas of work across the continent.
European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill — House of Commons, 2017-02-08
Topic: International Affairs
Michael John Gapes (Labour, Centre-left): A stitch-up, as my right hon. Friend says, which John Smith certainly did not agree to. When I first entered this House in 1992, I had many happy hours and late nights debating the Maastricht treaty. I can recall—some of the faces on the other side of the Chamber are still there—taking interventions from seven or eight Conservative Members late at night on that issue. For that Bill, we had five, six or seven—[Interruption.]—eight times as much time as we have today.
European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill — House of Commons, 2017-02-08
Topic: Foreign Trade
Christopher Michael Leslie (Labour, Centre-left): The hon. Gentleman should perhaps take another look at new clause 77. It makes the point about the need for the UK to retain its role around the table as a rule maker in our tariff arrangements for trade. There are some serious issues to do with our position in the customs union and so forth, and I suggest that Britain should retain its role around the table. Does the hon. Gentleman disagree?
European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill — House of Commons, 2017-02-08
Topic: Energy
Albert Owen (Labour, Centre-left): I am glad the hon. Gentleman mentioned the good voters of Copeland, because they will be looking after the nuclear workers whose pensions are under threat from his Government The agreement between France and Britain comes under the umbrella of Euratom, and the people who know—the academics and the industry—are lobbying us to maintain that link.