argyrotsipi/train-dataset huggingface dataset:
Intelligence and Security Committee Report on Russia — House of Commons, 2019-11-05
Topic: Government Operations
Barry John Sheerman (Labour, Centre-left): May I be helpful to the Minister? I listened to your speech yesterday, Mr Speaker, and you will note that this urgent question goes to the heart of our proceedings: this is an all-party report, the Government are not publishing it, they should publish it, and there is all-party support for it to be published. Only a few minutes ago we had the Foreign Secretary here, and he could have stayed to make a statement. This is a very important issue. I want to fight this election on health, employment, jobs and all those other important things. If we do not stop this issue now, it will run and run, almost like a Watergate thing, throughout the campaign, so please publish the report now and let’s get on with the general election on the real issues.
Intelligence and Security Committee Report on Russia — House of Commons, 2019-11-05
Topic: International Affairs
Ian Colin Lucas (Labour, Centre-left): We know that there was overseas interference in the US presidential election and the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee in its disinformation report last year called for an independent inquiry based on evidence that we produced to the Government. That request to the Government was rejected, and is not the problem that this decision to withhold this report is part of a course of conduct by this Government to refuse to look at whether there has been the level of interference that many in the country believe?
Thomas Cook Customers — House of Commons, 2019-11-05
Topic: Labor
Michael Joseph Patrick Kane (Labour, Centre-left): I thank the Secretary of State for her personal energy, commitment and skill in chairing the Government taskforce on the collapse of Thomas Cook. I agree with both Front-Bench spokespeople that the directors did not comport themselves well before, during or after the collapse. With 2.8 million passengers taken out of the equation at Manchester airport, with the huge repatriation event, and with employees still employed on temporary contracts trying to close the company, will she join me in thanking the workers who remain after losing their jobs and the trade union reps at Unite and the Transport Salaried Staffs Association, who have worked so hard to represent them so ably?
Thomas Cook Customers — House of Commons, 2019-11-05
Topic: Government Operations
Jeffrey Smith (Labour, Centre-left): I thank the Secretary of State for her statement. This is clearly a combination of shocking system failure and a failure by the company, but I am unclear whether the Secretary of State thinks that the law has been broken here. If it turns out that the law has been broken by executives, who may well have been taking large bonuses at the time, will she reassure us that the Government will be seeking some redress?
Points of Order — House of Commons, 2019-11-05
Topic: Energy
Gordon Marsden (Labour, Centre-left): On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. It is a great pleasure to see you in the Chair. My point of order, which I gave notice of to the Speaker’s Office, relates to the written statement on shale gas that the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy put out yesterday. It said a lot about the past but very little about the immediate future. The Government were forced to introduce a so-called moratorium on fracking at the weekend because of the tremors that affected my constituents in Blackpool in August, with the Oil and Gas Authority subsequently saying that they were unacceptable However, in a Radio 4 interview and in that statement, the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has rather hedged her bets, undermining that promise. The Government have not provided any response to the National Audit Office report that talked about the real problems of decommissioning, which should be taking place at Cuadrilla’s site on Preston New Road as we speak. Madam Deputy Speaker, have you received any information about whether the Government are going to answer those big questions? The Secretary of State is in the Chamber, so she may like to respond now.
Points of Order — House of Commons, 2019-11-05
Topic: Energy
William Roffen Esterson (Labour, Centre-left): Further to the point of order from my hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool South (Gordon Marsden), Madam Deputy Speaker. Perhaps through your good offices, I can ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, who is still here, about not only the fracking that affects my hon. Friend’s constituency, but whether planning applications for fracking will be withdrawn as a result of the Government’s moratorium. If I could get that on the record, I would be extremely grateful because the matter also affects my constituency.
Historical Institutional Abuse (Northern Ireland) Bill [Lords] — House of Commons, 2019-11-05
Topic: International Affairs
Catharine Letitia Hoey (Labour, Centre-left): Does the right hon. Gentleman agree that sometimes in this House there is a feeling that Northern Ireland gets neglected or is a sideshow, but this measure today shows that the Government and Opposition knew that this was a hugely crucial issue to the people of Northern Ireland and that getting it to the House today and through this procedure is a mark of this House’s responsibility and care for Northern Ireland?
Historical Institutional Abuse (Northern Ireland) Bill [Lords] — House of Commons, 2019-11-05
Topic: Law and Crime
Anthony Joseph Lloyd (Labour, Centre-left): Let me join the Secretary of State in applauding the fact that the House has seen fit to move the Bill so swiftly through the House today. I want to place on record our thanks to my colleague Lord Hain and Lord Duncan, the Minister involved, because they were instrumental in ensuring that this House had the opportunity to move things forward I want to say to those with us today who are victims, representing many other victims, that this Bill would have been necessary had there only been one victim of this kind of abuse. We know that many thousands suffered—thousands more than will come under the ambit of the scheme, because many of them have already died, and we cannot offer anything by way of recognition or compensation to those people. But today we are saying to those who are with us that we recognise what took place, and it is a matter of real and profound shame to every one of us in this country. It is also a matter of anger, and we should use that anger to ensure that we are determined to do everything we can to insist that this cannot be the pattern for the future. We know that sexual abuse will take place in Northern Ireland and in the whole of the United Kingdom. This should impel us to do everything we can to protect our young people and those who are victims, because we have to learn the lessons of the past That is the triumph for those who have been through this campaign. They have campaigned for themselves and those they represent, but they have also campaigned on a much wider basis—they have campaigned for decency and justice for people across this land of ours. The real emotion that was rightly expressed by the Secretary of State, by my hon. Friend the Member for Ealing North (Stephen Pound) and by others is not just about empathy. It is because we profoundly believe in the need to ensure that there is justice for those who have campaigned and those they campaigned for and, in the end, to set a different moral tone around this issue for the future. This is a good Bill, and I thank all our colleagues for making it possible to pass it today.
Valedictory Debate — House of Commons, 2019-11-05
Topic: Transportation
Adrian Edward Bailey (Labour, Centre-left): I would just like to put on record that during the right hon. Gentleman’s spell as Secretary of State for Transport, a company—it will be unnamed—came to me in desperate straits over a problem that involved the Department for Transport and other countries, and it would have gone out of business within 10 days had it not been resolved. I took it to the right hon. Gentleman, we had a discussion, he did what was necessary and that company was saved, with about 120 jobs, and I would just like that to go on the record.
Human Rights in Kashmir — House of Commons, 2019-11-05
Topic: International Affairs
Holly Jamie Walker-Lynch (Labour, Centre-left): It is a pleasure to see you in your place, Mr Speaker I started a petition earlier this year on the situation in Indian-administered Kashmir. The situation has deteriorated further since the petition’s wording was agreed, and it is with great urgency that I present the petition to the House on this, the last sitting day of the Parliament The petition has been signed by 1,608 people, in addition to the 250 people who signed it online The petition states: The petition of residents of the UK, Declares that the security situation in Kashmir remains unacceptable with continued human rights violations; further that recent events, particularly around the Indian General Election, have seen an increase in violence and deaths in the region The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges the Government to put further pressure on the Indian Government to resolve the long running dispute; and further to commit to working with both parties to encourage dialogue to deliver a resolution to the status of the region; and further to support development in the region; and further to support calls for self-determination for the Kashmiri people by empowering those who live in Kashmir to determine their own future through the ballot box And the petitioners remain, etc [P002540]
Climate Change — House of Commons, 2019-11-05
Topic: Environment
Rachael Helen Maskell (Labour, Centre-left): I am delighted that you are in your rightful place, Mr Speaker The residents of York, who have sent me to this place, are deeply disturbed about the environment and climate crisis, the loss of species and habitats and the impact that has on our biodiversity and human race, whether flood or famine, drought or conflict, poverty or migration. I support their call for a climate emergency Bill. There is no planet B—we must care for the one we have The petition states: The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges the Government to introduce a Climate Emergency Bill to set out in detail as to how the United Kingdom will play its full roll nationally and globally to meet its commitments made in Paris in 2016, and to ensure it overhauls its consumption of all resources to end the climate and environmental crisis and build a sustainable world And the petitioners remain, etc Following is the full text of the petition: [The petition of residents of York, Declares that the Government must now prioritise the climate and environmental emergency since there is no time to waste as each day global warming is causing irreversible ecological degradation, which is having untold damage on our biodiversity, on the survival of species losing their habitats and the human race, now facing floods and famine, conflict and migration as a result or climate of climate change; further that if we do not act now to cut our consumption, to clear up our air pollution, to use renewable energy, to cut plastics and to transform our transport system, it will be too late. The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges the Government to introduce a Climate Emergency Bill to set out in detail as to how the United Kingdom will play its full roll nationally and globally to meet its commitments made in Paris in 2016, and to ensure it overhauls its consumption of all resources to end the climate and environmental crisis and build a sustainable world. And the petitioners remain, etc. [P002543]
Dispute in Kashmir — House of Commons, 2019-11-05
Topic: International Affairs
Stella Judith Creasy (Labour, Centre-left): Mr Speaker, I rise for what is probably the last time for some time, for a number of reasons, to speak on behalf of my constituents about a matter of grave concern to them. We had thought we might have a bit longer to gather signatures, but the calling of a general election and my impending maternity leave have put paid to that. However, we are community that has long been concerned about the situation in Kashmir The petition states: The petition of residents of Walthamstow, Declares that the dispute in Kashmir should be resolved peacefully The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urge the UK Government to use its international standing to encourage India to engage in a comprehensive and sustained dialogue process with its neighbour Pakistan to resolve the Kashmir dispute, and urge the international community to play its role in securing a just and peaceful resolution of the Kashmir dispute in accordance with the aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir And the petitioners remain, etc [P002545]
Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (Suffolk) — House of Commons, 2019-11-05
Topic: Education
Alexander Gordon Martin (Labour, Centre-left): The hon. Gentleman is absolutely correct; he has put his finger right on the main point Two days ago, in response to the news that I had secured this debate, I received an email from a distressed parent. She says: "My son has been out of school for 3 years in December. He was signed off by our consultant paediatrician as medically unfit for mainstream school. He has an Education & Health Care Plan. He has all the paperwork to state he has autism with a pathological demand avoidance profile but he cannot sit through the formal assessment as it runs for too long and he finds it too difficult to cope in the situation I have contacted the local authority so many times with regard to providing my son with an education; I have put in formal complaints and yet he still has no education. I applied to the tribunal last December as the Local Authority insisted in his Education Health Care Plan that mainstream schooling was suitable for him, but they simultaneously refused to name a school he could go to The tribunal have made numerous orders ordering the Local Authority to name a school for my son but these have all been ignored We went to the tribunal last Tuesday, 29th October, at which the Judge told the Local Authority that they need to name a school on his education and health care plan and that the tribunal had to be adjourned until 13th December because of this, adding more of a delay to my son getting an education. He is now 12 years old My son is still without an education and we are in limbo My son deserves the correct education but he has been thoroughly let down by the education system. The strain of fighting the system tires you out but you still have to keep going. It should not be like this—every child has the right to an education. We keep being told that it is not the label that counts, but the child’s needs. Well we know our son needs an education but we cannot access any support for him to get that education because he doesn’t seem to have the right label." I had already secured this debate when that message was sent to me. The reason why I applied for the debate was that parent after parent has written to me, emailed me, met with me at my surgeries, and invited me to visit their child’s school or visit the school that their child would be going to if they had enough support in place, or the school that would be ideal for the child, but which has no more capacity.
Election of Speaker — House of Commons, 2019-11-04
Topic: Government Operations
John Francis Spellar (Labour, Centre-left): I think colleagues know who has dropped out. It seems to me utterly absurd not to have just reprinted the ballot paper for people to put their cross. All of this delay is quite unnecessary and bureaucratic.
Election of Speaker — House of Commons, 2019-11-04
Topic: Government Operations
Jeremy Bernard Corbyn (Labour, Centre-left): Mr Speaker-Elect, may I join others in offering my congratulations to you on winning the election, and thank the Father of the House for conducting the election in the way in which he did? Congratulations and commiserations to the other candidates who did not succeed in getting elected, but who nevertheless made sure that we had a good campaign and serious debate all across the House; that was very important We are well aware, Mr Speaker-Elect, of your abilities at chairing the House because we have been through Finance Bills and Budgets in which you are robust in ensuring that people stick to the point and the subject of the debate, as some comrades on my side of the House and Members on the Government side sometimes deviate from the subject in hand—unprecedented, I know, but there we are In your position, Mr Speaker-Elect, you are going to need eyes in the back of your head. It is a difficult job; you do not know what is coming at you next. I realise that you have actually been in training in this regard, because I have been looking at a photograph of you at the weekend apparently watching the rugby world cup final while at the same time not watching the television. The only conclusion that I can draw from this is that you literally do have eyes in the back of your head, because you were able to make some very wise comments about the progress of the match that you were apparently not watching at the same time. These qualities alone equip you to be an absolutely brilliant Chair of this House Mr Speaker-Elect, as you have said and many know, the job of Speaker is not just a ceremonial one. It is about the rights of Back Benchers to be able to speak up, and the power of Parliament to hold the Government to account. The whole principle and point of a parliamentary democracy is that we have a strong Parliament that can hold the Executive to account, and I know that you will stand up for that principle because that is what you believe in. It is absolutely at the heart of our political system. Mr Speaker-Elect, you take the wellbeing of everybody who works in this building, and of Members, very seriously. This is a fevered and imaginative place that we all work in. People are put under enormous stress, and both staff and Members of this House sometimes find themselves in a lonely and desperate place because of that. I know that you take your responsibilities in that area very seriously, and that you want to make this an even more compassionate and humane place in which to work Mr Speaker-Elect, thank you for your work and for taking this job on, but also for assuring us that you will always stand up for the democratic values that this House represents, and the power of an elected Parliament to express its views and hold the Executive to account, because that is the whole principle behind our parliamentary democracy.
Disclosure and Barring Service — House of Commons, 2019-07-15
Topic: Law and Crime
John Francis Spellar (Labour, Centre-left): Does the Home Secretary not understand —I think he does, along with the Justice Secretary—that it is widely accepted across the House that the service is not fit for purpose, because it makes it far too difficult for those with a record to get back into work, which is bad not only for them but for their families and society? Can we have some urgent action to get back to trying to rehabilitate offenders by putting tight limits on disclosure, especially for cautions and minor offences in early years, and so let many of our citizens turn their lives around? Why does he not cut through the bureaucratic inertia in the Home Office and get a move on?
Economic Crime — House of Commons, 2019-07-15
Topic: Law and Crime
Questions: Given that the Government are constantly telling us how much more money they are putting into funding the police forces across the UK, can the Minister tell us how many detectives were assigned to serious organised crime in 2010, and how many there were in the latest available data?
Nicholas Desmond John Smith (Labour, Centre-left): Poor pension transfer advice can amount to fraud, but in my experience local police officers often refer such cases to the Financial Conduct Authority, which often focuses on administrative penalties rather than criminal prosecutions. Will the Minister agree to meet me, and to review economic crimes against pensioners, so that justice can be done?
Economic Crime — House of Commons, 2019-07-15
Topic: Law and Crime
Questions: Given that the Government are constantly telling us how much more money they are putting into funding the police forces across the UK, can the Minister tell us how many detectives were assigned to serious organised crime in 2010, and how many there were in the latest available data?
Nicklaus Thomas-Symonds (Labour, Centre-left): As capital moves ever more easily, it is imperative that we look again at the very limited circumstances in which large financial actors can at present be held accountable before the law. The Minister mentioned corporations a moment ago, but the Government’s economic crime plan totally fails to take on the issue of corporate criminal liability, which we must consider. Here is a very simple question: what are the Government afraid of?
Modern Slavery Act: Business Compliance — House of Commons, 2019-07-15
Topic: Law and Crime
Eleanor Claire Reeves (Labour, Centre-left): I thank the Minister for her answer, but the number of potential victims of modern slavery identified in the UK each year has more than doubled since 2015 and now stands at just under 7,000. The Modern Slavery Act was a step in the right direction, but it has been left to go stale due to lack of enforcement, with a staggering 40% of companies not complying with it at all. Will the Minister take urgent action to commit to an enforcement body to enforce sanctions against non-compliant companies?
Modern Slavery Act: Business Compliance — House of Commons, 2019-07-15
Topic: Agriculture
Diane Julie Abbott (Labour, Centre-left): We on the Labour Benches appreciate the progress that has been made on modern slavery thus far, but the House will be aware that there was recently a shocking case of agricultural slavery. A fresh produce supplier to major US supermarkets was using slave labour in its supply chain. Does the Minister accept that consumers who are conscious of issues such as organic production and sustainable food production will not appreciate unwittingly purchasing fresh food with slave labour in its production? Will the Government act more swiftly? We need faster action than she is suggesting to get proper business compliance with their modern slavery legislation.
Violent Crime: Young People — House of Commons, 2019-07-15
Topic: Law and Crime
Questions: Reducing school exclusions is key to tackling this problem. Will the Home Secretary join the Housing, Communities and Local Government Secretary to co-fund high-quality intervention for young men who are falling out of school and being excluded from school between the ages of 13 to 15, which appear to be the key ages when they are at risk of going from pupil referral units to prison?; What is the Home Secretary doing with other Departments in the spending review to fund youth centres properly? That would go some way to tackling youth crime.
Yvette Cooper (Labour, Centre-left): Often, the focus is on violent crime in cities, but towns such as ours in West Yorkshire have seen an increase in robberies and antisocial behaviour, and the results of county lines and drug violence, too. Our area has lost nearly half its neighbourhood policing, which the Home Secretary will know has been cut throughout the country. The Home Affairs Committee has called for more police on the beat—we need more police back on the beat—and the Home Secretary has recognised that we need 20,000 more police back on the beat. When does he estimate we will get them?