argyrotsipi/train-dataset huggingface dataset:
Freedom of Religion or Belief — House of Commons, 2018-04-26
Topic: International Affairs
Questions: To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, what discussions the Church of England had at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2018 on freedom of religion or belief; and if she will make a statement.
Caroline Alice Spelman (Conservative, Centre-right): The Church of England is very aware of those reports, and China is a priority for the Archbishop of Canterbury. He hopes to be able to take up the invitation to go there, when I am sure he will raise these issues. Even before such a visit, Church officials are engaging with Chinese officials to discover the implications of the new five-year plan on religious engagement and raise concerns where it appears that Christians are being oppressed.
Circular Economy — House of Commons, 2018-04-26
Topic: Environment
Questions: To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, what assessment the Church of England has made of the potential merits of the circular economy.
Caroline Alice Spelman (Conservative, Centre-right): The Church has for many years been involved in the recycling, reuse and repurposing of materials. It completely embraces the circular economy. Most recently, the Church’s environment programme ran a "Lent Plastic Challenge", which was supported by 40 MPs. It produced a calendar of things we could do on each of the 40 days of Lent, and it was helpful to all who took part to see how much we can do individually.
Circular Economy — House of Commons, 2018-04-26
Topic: Environment
Questions: To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, what assessment the Church of England has made of the potential merits of the circular economy.
Caroline Alice Spelman (Conservative, Centre-right): As I have said, all of us as MPs had a golden opportunity during Lent to use the calendar produced by the Church of England, which was available to all Church members and was very popular throughout the Church community. Every day it set a challenge to each of us to do something to change the way we live our lives so that they are simpler and embrace the circular economy. Within the Church, a number of churches embrace the concept completely, with 860 participating as eco-churches in the Big Church Switch, for example, which is looking at ways to ensure that the energy we use comes from renewable sources. We promote the circular economy right across the Church of England.
Rural Schools — House of Commons, 2018-04-26
Topic: Education
Caroline Alice Spelman (Conservative, Centre-right): Yesterday I hosted a reception to highlight the interest of the Church of England in working with the Government and others to support a viable future for rural schools. The Church has published "Embracing Change: Rural and Small Schools", which I commend to the House.
Rural Schools — House of Commons, 2018-04-26
Topic: Education
Caroline Alice Spelman (Conservative, Centre-right): The Church of England has 4,700 schools, of which 53% are in rural areas. That often presents challenges—for example, the difficulty in recruiting and retaining teachers—but the report that I have referred to highlights those challenges. In addition to that report, we have a Church of England educational leadership foundation, which is designed to encourage and retain teachers, to ensure that children in small rural schools do not suffer as a result of the shortage of teachers.
Out-of-school Education — House of Commons, 2018-04-26
Topic: Education
Questions: To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, what assessment the Church of England has made of the Government response to the consultation on out-of-school education settings.
Caroline Alice Spelman (Conservative, Centre-right): Following the publication of the findings from the Department for Education’s consultation on out-of-school settings, I am pleased to say that the Government have sharpened their focus on tackling risks associated with unregulated out-of-school settings and have come up with proposals that are far more proportionate for use. The Church of England has welcomed this.
Out-of-school Education — House of Commons, 2018-04-26
Topic: Law and Crime
Questions: To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, what assessment the Church of England has made of the Government response to the consultation on out-of-school education settings.
Caroline Alice Spelman (Conservative, Centre-right): Of course, the Church of England completely underlines the importance of tackling radicalisation, but the original proposals might have caught education in out-of-school settings such as Sunday schools, where teachers are subject to Criminal Records Bureau checks—as everybody in this place who has ever taught in one will know—and domestic premises used to teach children out of school have to be inspected too. The new proposals are proportionate to use and have been welcomed by the Church of England.
Rail Electrification — House of Commons, 2018-04-26
Topic: Transportation
Questions: To ask the Chairman of the Public Accounts Commission, what criteria the National Audit Office used to establish the timescale for its investigation into the cancellation of rail electrification projects by the Department for Transport; and if he will make a statement.
Julian Carlton Knight (Conservative, Centre-right): I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Chairman of the Public Accounts Commission The National Audit Office’s investigation published in March 2018 sets out factually the sequence of events leading up to the Department for Transport’s announcement in July 2017, cancelling the three electrification projects in response to concerns raised about the decision-making process. As such, the majority of the report is focused on the period up to, and including, July 2017 when the Department announced its decision. The investigation also considered the Department’s assessment of the subsequent impact of its decision on promised benefits. The facts in the report were agreed by the Department and reflect evidence that was provided to the NAO.
Rail Electrification — House of Commons, 2018-04-26
Topic: Transportation
Questions: To ask the Chairman of the Public Accounts Commission, what criteria the National Audit Office used to establish the timescale for its investigation into the cancellation of rail electrification projects by the Department for Transport; and if he will make a statement.
Julian Carlton Knight (Conservative, Centre-right): I pay tribute to my hon. Friend for his tireless work in this area on behalf of his constituents. The NAO conducts investigations to establish the underlying facts and circumstances where concerns have been raised. Investigations are not evaluative and do not seek to provide a conclusion on value for money. The report was focused on the concerns that had been raised. However, the report does comment on the costs and benefits of the three cancelled electrification projects and the case for electrification more generally. In the Secretary of State’s announcement in July 2017, he explained that projects were cancelled on the basis that it was no longer necessary to electrify every line to deliver passenger benefits. The NAO investigation says that it was too early to tell whether the promised benefits could be achieved without full electrification. When the Secretary of State made his decision to cancel electrification, the Department told the NAO that it expected the manufacturers to be able to develop bi-mode trains that would deliver the required service improvements on the midland main line.
Theft from Churches — House of Commons, 2018-04-26
Topic: Law and Crime
Questions: To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, what recent discussions the Church of England has had with the Government and the insurance industry on the theft of metal, stone and decorative objects from churches.; To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, what recent discussions the Church of England has had with the Government and the insurance industry on the theft of metal, stone and decorative objects from churches.
Caroline Alice Spelman (Conservative, Centre-right): The Church is concerned about the significant rise in metal theft, which is not unconnected to the fact that the price of lead and copper on world markets has risen by 65%. Our advice to churches follows that of the police, which is to do target hardening wherever possible. There are a certain number of practical suggestions that I can provide that may assist with this inquiry.
Theft from Churches — House of Commons, 2018-04-26
Topic: Law and Crime
Questions: To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, what recent discussions the Church of England has had with the Government and the insurance industry on the theft of metal, stone and decorative objects from churches.; To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, what recent discussions the Church of England has had with the Government and the insurance industry on the theft of metal, stone and decorative objects from churches.
David Anthony Andrew Amess (Conservative, Centre-right): While all thefts should be condemned, it is particularly despicable to steal from churches and their graveyards. Will my right hon. Friend tell the House what impact the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013—pioneered by Sir Richard Ottaway—has had on the situation?
Theft from Churches — House of Commons, 2018-04-26
Topic: Law and Crime
Questions: To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, what recent discussions the Church of England has had with the Government and the insurance industry on the theft of metal, stone and decorative objects from churches.; To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, what recent discussions the Church of England has had with the Government and the insurance industry on the theft of metal, stone and decorative objects from churches.
Caroline Alice Spelman (Conservative, Centre-right): There is no question but that the private Member’s Bill promoted by our dear friend and former Member of this House gave rise to a change in Government legislation on metal theft. However, there are new thefts—not just of metal, but of stone, ornamental artefacts and even, recently, some 12th-century keys. This is why I have joined the revised all-party parliamentary group on metal and stone theft, and I encourage other Members to support its work in Parliament.
Theft from Churches — House of Commons, 2018-04-26
Topic: Law and Crime
Questions: To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, what recent discussions the Church of England has had with the Government and the insurance industry on the theft of metal, stone and decorative objects from churches.; To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, what recent discussions the Church of England has had with the Government and the insurance industry on the theft of metal, stone and decorative objects from churches.
Caroline Alice Spelman (Conservative, Centre-right): Just as with metal, it is very important to mark artefacts with smart water, dye or in other ways where possible, so that thieves may be caught and ultimately prosecuted when artefacts turn up in dealers’ yards. The APPG will be involved in this work and the Church of England will actively support it.
Home Office Removal Targets — House of Commons, 2018-04-26
Topic: Law and Crime
Amber Rudd (Conservative, Centre-right): I want to make it clear that I would never use that phrase, and it is not an approach I would want anybody working in the Home Office to take. I have said that, as a result of the Windrush changes, I will make sure that the Home Office has a more human face. I am setting up a new contact centre and making sure there are more senior caseworkers so that the more junior caseworkers have the confidence to make their decisions by engaging with somebody really experienced. I accept that we need to make the Home Office more personal, and I will be doing that.
Home Office Removal Targets — House of Commons, 2018-04-26
Topic: Law and Crime
Amber Rudd (Conservative, Centre-right): I do recall that, and I do recall some of the choice phrases that previous Labour Home Secretaries used about the Home Office. Under this leadership, we will be able to change that and make real progress.
Home Office Removal Targets — House of Commons, 2018-04-26
Topic: Social Welfare
Jeremy Mark Quin (Conservative, Centre-right): Whatever the historical background to the problems, the Government have committed to paying compensation, where appropriate, to members of the Windrush generation. Will the Home Secretary confirm that she will have a wide-ranging consultation before putting that scheme in place?
Home Office Removal Targets — House of Commons, 2018-04-26
Topic: Government Operations
Amber Rudd (Conservative, Centre-right): I committed in the House to making sure that when the information is collected by my taskforce, the conclusions and the documents are passed to the individuals within two weeks. That target is being exceeded at the moment, and it is my strong aim and ambition to ensure that that high level of service is kept up, because those individuals deserve nothing less.
Home Office Removal Targets — House of Commons, 2018-04-26
Topic: Government Operations
Amber Rudd (Conservative, Centre-right): I do take seriously my responsibility, but I think that I am the person who can put this right. I understand that the House will want to hold me to account for that, but I am confident that the changes I am committed to putting in place, and the transparency that will go with them, will deliver the changes that are expected.
Home Office Removal Targets — House of Commons, 2018-04-26
Topic: Law and Crime
Amber Rudd (Conservative, Centre-right): I accept the criticism regarding the issue that I debated earlier today and my conversations with the Home Affairs Committee, and that is why I am in the House to set out the changes that I will make. I hope I will have the opportunity to make those changes clear to the House in future, and to continue to develop the confidence of everybody involved.
Home Office Removal Targets — House of Commons, 2018-04-26
Topic: Social Welfare
Victoria Grace Ford (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank my right hon. Friend for being completely focused on getting help to real people who need and deserve it. Can she reassure my constituent that the compensation scheme will be designed in full consultation with those people who deserve compensation?
Home Office Removal Targets — House of Commons, 2018-04-26
Topic: Social Welfare
Amber Rudd (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend is right. We need to make sure that the compensation scheme addresses the actual needs of people who have lost out by not having their proper documentation put in place by successive Governments. That is why I am committed to having a consultation on the scheme and making sure that it is run independently.
Home Office Removal Targets — House of Commons, 2018-04-26
Topic: Social Welfare
Amber Rudd (Conservative, Centre-right): We made changes in 2010 that were specifically to support families and children who might be at risk of being removed. For instance, we banned the detention of children outside of families, which had been taking place before 2010. So I believe we made some changes in 2010 and going forward, which really were trying to assist families and children, rather than the opposite.
Home Office Removal Targets — House of Commons, 2018-04-26
Topic: International Affairs
Amber Rudd (Conservative, Centre-right): I know the Chagos islands have a specific situation. I also know that my hon. Friend the Member for Crawley (Henry Smith) will be bringing his British Indian Ocean Territory (Citizenship) Bill to the Chamber soon and I look forward to hearing the arguments on it.
Artificial Intelligence Sector Deal — House of Commons, 2018-04-26
Topic: Technology
Margot Cathleen James (Conservative, Centre-right): I apologise if the right hon. Gentleman received my statement such a short time ago. That was certainly not my intention. I shortened my statement in anticipation of Mr Speaker’s wish for brevity, and perhaps that delayed matters. It is a shame that the right hon. Gentleman’s response was pretty overwhelmingly negative, given that we start from a good base in this country with our world-leading institutions and our state of readiness. Oxford Insights, which I mentioned in my statement, has put us at No. 1 across the world on its Government AI readiness index. He referred to other countries, predominantly in Asia, which are indeed investing hugely in this area. [Interruption.] He mentions Macron from a sedentary position; he also mentioned him in his response. We are of course delighted that President Macron is also seeing the potential for AI. There is nothing wrong with that. We are a global-facing country. It is great that our partners in Europe are also committing to this agenda The right hon. Gentleman mentioned the importance of data and digital performance in this country. The UK is in a very competitive position in terms of digital performance. We now have 95% access to superfast broadband, which was delivered by the end of last year. Only yesterday, I was at a meeting with all the successful parts of the country that bid for the 5G test bed and pilot programme, which will put us in a pivotal position to take advantage of the internet of things. These test beds and pilots extend right across the country, from the Orkney Islands to the south-west of England, and a new wave of bids will be announced this summer. We are very determined on this front The right hon. Gentleman asked about the British Business Bank. I can assure him that this is new money that will be provided to tech start-ups and tech scale-ups via both equity finance and loans. I remind him that as of September last year, the British Business Bank had supported, through a combination of loans and equity finance, very many tech companies to the tune of £350 million. We are building on success The right hon. Gentleman talked about the future of work. This is an extremely important issue. Of course, we recognise that we are in for a fast ride here. The pace of technological change is such that momentous changes that are not always predictable can potentially displace groups of workers. We are very cognisant of the need to smooth the path through continuous training. The industrial strategy has at its heart improving the world of work and access to retraining throughout people’s lives, so that no one is left behind by these technological advances Finally, on that critical subject, the Government’s response to the Taylor review and the consultations that we announced at the beginning of the year will be out at some point this summer, and I am sure that the points raised by the right hon. Gentleman about the future of work in the context of technological advance will be taken extremely seriously.
Artificial Intelligence Sector Deal — House of Commons, 2018-04-26
Topic: Foreign Trade
Margot Cathleen James (Conservative, Centre-right): The right hon. Gentleman makes some very serious points. We are committed to making the UK a destination for global talent and equity finance and venture capital in the years to come, post Brexit. As he says, we already have companies that have invested substantially in the UK; he mentioned DeepMind, and we have many others. We have doubled the number of exceptional talent visas to 2,000, and we are offering scientists who have come to this country on tier 1 visas full settlement rights at three years. I mentioned in my response to the right hon. Member for Birmingham, Hodge Hill (Liam Byrne) that, post the EU investment in this country and AI, the Chancellor has announced substantial additional moneys available through the British Business Bank to replace over the long term EU funding that will be lost once we leave the EU.
Artificial Intelligence Sector Deal — House of Commons, 2018-04-26
Topic: Technology
Margot Cathleen James (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Gentleman will forgive me if I fail to address all his questions, for want of time, but I appreciate his positive response to the sector deal. On 5G, I take his point about the licensing of spectrum. The Department is undertaking a telecoms infrastructure review looking at, among other things, the way we license spectrum to make sure it is the most efficient at reaching all the areas currently underserved, including in many parts of Scotland The hon. Gentleman asks about jobs and the digital skills gap. We are addressing this through the sector deal and our wider industrial strategy—for example, by placing an emphasis on reskilling throughout people’s lives. He asks particularly about diversity and women. We have launched the tech challenge charter to engage businesses in both AI and the wider technology sectors and to encourage them to commit to looking closely at their recruitment, retention and progression policies— to make sure that women and girls are supported throughout—and to publishing their data in a transparent manner I have not personally had discussions with the Scottish Government, but I am sure the Secretary of State has, and I look forward to working with them and Scottish colleagues across the House to make sure that Scotland gets its fair share of the benefits of the sector deal.
Artificial Intelligence Sector Deal — House of Commons, 2018-04-26
Topic: Labor
Margot Cathleen James (Conservative, Centre-right): I want to reassure the hon. Gentleman that, just as there will undoubtedly be some job displacement as a result of technology, let alone AI, so new jobs will be created. We are looking at this. I mentioned the response to the Taylor review by colleagues in the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, who are looking at this. We are taking it extremely seriously and will come forth with more developments on our projections in due course, but be assured: new jobs will come and replace many of the more routine and repetitive jobs, and we will be upskilling people so that they can take advantage of these new opportunities.
Stamp Duty Land Tax — House of Commons, 2018-04-26
Topic: Macroeconomics
John Simon Bercow (Conservative, Centre-right): The Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General wishes to make a statement on stamp duty land tax—a subject he has obviously decided is of intense and pressing interest to the House—but I feel sure that, with his usual sensitivity to the concerns of colleagues who wish to speak in the subsequent debate, he has no plans to expatiate at length.
Customs and Borders — House of Commons, 2018-04-26
Topic: Foreign Trade
John Alan Redwood (Conservative, Centre-right): Can the right hon. Lady explain how it is that we have such a smooth-running, fast-growing and very large trade with the rest of the world, on World Trade Organisation terms, where we have to pay EU tariffs, and we are not allowed to negotiate them down all the time we are a member of the customs union?
Customs and Borders — House of Commons, 2018-04-26
Topic: Foreign Trade
Anna Mary Soubry (Conservative, Centre-right): Would it not also be the case that, as a country that champions free trade, we have seen the reduction of barriers with those other non-EU members, which may explain the growth? Does the right hon. Lady agree that it seems rather perverse that, at a time when we want to increase free trade, we are going to put up a whole load of barriers to stop access, in the best existing free trade area in the world?