argyrotsipi/train-dataset huggingface dataset:
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2015-07-09
Topic: Mixed Topics
Questions: With the Ashes series beginning and the sun out, many of our local cricket clubs in Cornwall are once again opening their doors for the summer season. Does my right hon. Friend agree that we need to make it easier for sports clubs to access grant funding and planning consent to improve facilities for our young cricketers in Cornwall, to give them the opportunity to one day pull on the three lions and play at the highest level?; The whole House will have been appalled by the mindless destruction of cultural heritage sites by terrorists in the middle east. The ancient Iraqi city of Hatra is just one of the many historic sites cruelly targeted as part of a concerted campaign to destroy the history and heritage of us all. Will my right hon. Friend assure the House that the Government are doing all they can to prevent the senseless destruction and exploitation of our ancient history?; I have been recently contacted by a constituent whose nine-year-old daughter, Lola, is a talented young ice skater. Lola competes in skating competitions all across the UK. Although her family do all they can to support her financially, they find it difficult to secure sponsorship because of her age. Will my hon. Friend provide any guidance on where my constituent can apply for funding to ensure that we continue to encourage and support our stars of the future?; On Saturday, I will have the colossal joy of sitting at Edgar Street and watching the first home game of Hereford football club—the new football club in my constituency. Will the sports Minister join me in congratulating the new club, the Hereford United Supporters Trust and all the fans who have got behind it? Does she share my view that more can be done to crack down on and improve the owners and directors test, which has signally failed so far and which needs to be improved if we are to improve governance in our grassroots football?
John Flasby Lawrance Whittingdale (Conservative, Centre-right): I have previously visited the eisteddfod, so I know what a magnificent event it is, and I hope that perhaps I will have a chance to do so again in the future. I am very conscious of the issue that the hon. Gentleman raises. I am anxious that those who have skill and talent should be able to visit this country, so that as many people as possible can enjoy them at the eisteddfod and elsewhere, and I will certainly continue to pursue this matter with the Home Secretary
Palace of Westminster (Restoration and Renewal) — House of Commons, 2015-07-09
Topic: Public Lands
Questions: What assessment he has made of the implications for the House of the proposals for the restoration and renewal of the Palace of Westminster.; What assessment he has made of the implications for the House of the proposals for the restoration and renewal of the Palace of Westminster.
Christopher Stephen Grayling (Conservative, Centre-right): We intend to establish a Joint Committee of Parliament on the restoration and renewal of the Palace of Westminster. I expect this to be established before the summer recess. The Committee, which will be co-chaired by the Leaders of both Houses, will consider the independent options appraisal report, which was laid before both Houses on 18 June, as well as related evidence. It will then make recommendations to both Houses on a way forward, taking account of costs, benefits, risks and potential timescales.
Palace of Westminster (Restoration and Renewal) — House of Commons, 2015-07-09
Topic: Housing
Questions: What assessment he has made of the implications for the House of the proposals for the restoration and renewal of the Palace of Westminster.; What assessment he has made of the implications for the House of the proposals for the restoration and renewal of the Palace of Westminster.
Ranil Malcolm Jayawardena (Conservative, Centre-right): I welcome what the Leader says about providing a plan for the restoration. My introduction to the House of Commons was in Committee Room 18, where the leaking roof demonstrates the importance of restoration. Does my right hon. Friend agree that we should not rule out a half-and-half solution to refurbishment?
Palace of Westminster (Restoration and Renewal) — House of Commons, 2015-07-09
Topic: Other
Questions: What assessment he has made of the implications for the House of the proposals for the restoration and renewal of the Palace of Westminster.; What assessment he has made of the implications for the House of the proposals for the restoration and renewal of the Palace of Westminster.
Christopher Stephen Grayling (Conservative, Centre-right): I hear my hon. Friend’s view. Of course the possibility of temporary relocation is one of the options that will have to be considered. I have to say that my own view is that we should move out of this place, were we to choose to do so, with the utmost caution and care, and that is not where I personally am inclined to take us.
Palace of Westminster (Restoration and Renewal) — House of Commons, 2015-07-09
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Questions: What assessment he has made of the implications for the House of the proposals for the restoration and renewal of the Palace of Westminster.; What assessment he has made of the implications for the House of the proposals for the restoration and renewal of the Palace of Westminster.
Philip Andrew Davies (Conservative, Centre-right): Will the Leader of the House take into account the impact on tourism and on the UK economy if we move out of this building? Many people come to the UK from abroad to visit the Houses of Parliament, but it is highly unlikely that they will come to visit us in some aircraft hangar in another part of the country. Will that be a key consideration when the decision is made? [Interruption.]
Palace of Westminster (Restoration and Renewal) — House of Commons, 2015-07-09
Topic: Mixed Topics
Questions: What assessment he has made of the implications for the House of the proposals for the restoration and renewal of the Palace of Westminster.; What assessment he has made of the implications for the House of the proposals for the restoration and renewal of the Palace of Westminster.
Christopher Stephen Grayling (Conservative, Centre-right): From a sedentary position, the hon. Member for Rhondda (Chris Bryant) was surprisingly self-deprecating in suggesting that my hon. Friend is the tourist attraction, rather than him. The position of this building as the centre of both our democracy and our national life—part of the magnet that brings so many tourists to London—is absolutely something that we should take into account.
English Votes on English Laws — House of Commons, 2015-07-09
Topic: Other
Christopher Stephen Grayling (Conservative, Centre-right): The Government’s proposals were published on Thursday 2 July, and they have been discussed twice in the Chamber. I have announced that there will be a full debate on them next week, and I shall discuss that further in the business statement at 10.30 am.
English Votes on English Laws — House of Commons, 2015-07-09
Topic: Other
Christopher Stephen Grayling (Conservative, Centre-right): One of the things I did upon our return to this place after the election and my assumption of my current responsibilities was to discuss with the—then previous, and now current—Chair of the Procedure Committee how to handle these matters. I have agreed with him that his Committee will play a very active part in considering the impact of these changes over the next few months, and its views will be central to how we approach the review in 12 months’ time.
English Votes on English Laws — House of Commons, 2015-07-09
Topic: Other
Thérèse Anne Coffey (Conservative, Centre-right): The Government have taken a modest step in addressing what is covered. If my hon. Friend wants to make further representations to the review, I am sure that the Procedure Committee and the Government will listen to his proposals.
English Votes on English Laws — House of Commons, 2015-07-09
Topic: Other
Thérèse Anne Coffey (Conservative, Centre-right): My right hon. Friend the Leader of the House has already made approaches to other parties. We are holding the open drop-in sessions—[Interruption.] Well, they are consultation sessions. I am not aware that the hon. Member for Wrexham (Ian C. Lucas) has approached me or the Leader of the House to have those conversations. I have already responded to the right hon. Member for Delyn (Mr Hanson). I remind the official Opposition that last autumn they were invited to have discussions, but they declined to do so.
House Business Committee — House of Commons, 2015-07-09
Topic: Other
Thérèse Anne Coffey (Conservative, Centre-right): There was an absence of consensus on this issue at the end of the previous Parliament, and there is still no consensus at the beginning of this Parliament. The Government therefore have no intention of bringing forward proposals.
House Business Committee — House of Commons, 2015-07-09
Topic: Other
Thérèse Anne Coffey (Conservative, Centre-right): The reforms that were voted on at the beginning of the 2010 Parliament gave much more time to Back-Bench business, to debate matters topical to Back Benchers. The hon. Gentleman will also note that we voted at the end of the last Parliament to add extra time in Westminster Hall for consideration of matters determined by Members of Parliament.
House Business Committee — House of Commons, 2015-07-09
Topic: Other
Thérèse Anne Coffey (Conservative, Centre-right): Members put the issue on the agenda all the time in these business questions, and they are right to do so to pursue their interests in that regard. However, I repeat what I said earlier: the Government have no intention of bringing forward those proposals.
Palace of Westminster (Restoration and Renewal) — House of Commons, 2015-07-09
Topic: Other
Questions: If the Commission will encourage hon. Members to choose the cheapest option available to the public purse for the restoration and renewal of the Palace of Westminster.
Alexander Paul Beresford (Conservative, Centre-right): The Commission is obviously always deeply concerned about cost, quality and the need to make a full assessment of the options. The Leader of the House is a member of the Commission and he will take the report to the Joint Committee.
Palace of Westminster (Restoration and Renewal) — House of Commons, 2015-07-09
Topic: Mixed Topics
Questions: If the Commission will encourage hon. Members to choose the cheapest option available to the public purse for the restoration and renewal of the Palace of Westminster.
Alexander Paul Beresford (Conservative, Centre-right): Clearly, the answer will be a combination of the assessment that will be made and the normal following of procedures to try to stop that happening. I am very aware of that issue as a member of the Commission, and as the hon. Gentleman will know from my background, I do not like overruns.
Budget Resolutions and Economic Situation — House of Commons, 2015-07-09
Topic: Mixed Topics
George Iain Duncan Smith (Conservative, Centre-right): I notice that the hon. Gentleman said "at this time" when talking about tax credits. We can take note of that. It suggests to me—indeed, I am sure of it—that after the next couple of years Labour will have abandoned its opposition to the measure The measures that I set out in the Budget are vital to delivering the commitments that this Government have always made. We are committed to ensuring that a renewed economy goes hand in hand with a renewed social settlement, yet consider what we inherited in 2010: nearly one in five households with no—[Interruption.] Labour Members really do not like listening to this, but they have to hear it—[Interruption.] I will give way in a minute. Perhaps the hon. Member for Bishop Auckland (Helen Goodman) will sit down. Let me remind her what Labour left behind when it left government: nearly one in five households had nobody working; 1.4 million people had been on benefits for most of the previous decade; the number of households where no one had ever worked had doubled; and close on half of all households in the social rented sector had no one in work. Surely that is a shameful record.
Budget Resolutions and Economic Situation — House of Commons, 2015-07-09
Topic: Mixed Topics
George Iain Duncan Smith (Conservative, Centre-right): I do understand that, and I am coming on to speak about tax credits. For some time I have believed that the way tax credits operated distorted the system, so that there were far too many families not in work, living in bigger and bigger houses and getting larger while being subsidised by the state, while many others—the vast majority of families in Britain—made decisions about how many children they could have and the houses they could live in. Getting that balance back is about getting fairness back into the system. It is not fair to have somebody living in a house that they cannot afford to pay for if they go back to work, as it means that they do not enter the work zone and their children grow up with no sense of work as a way out of poverty.
Budget Resolutions and Economic Situation — House of Commons, 2015-07-09
Topic: Mixed Topics
Miriam Jane Alice Davies (Conservative, Centre-right): Families set up their lives around the 16-hour week limitation and businesses had to react to that, which affected our productivity. Does my right hon. Friend agree that the Budget will deal with this and make people’s lives better?
Budget Resolutions and Economic Situation — House of Commons, 2015-07-09
Topic: Other
George Iain Duncan Smith (Conservative, Centre-right): I thought it was altogether too brief. My hon. Friend was just getting into his stride. I feel we need another intervention. I agree with him—how could I not? The Opposition never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity. They should have said years ago, "We’re sorry; we won’t do it again. We need to spend some more time thinking about what we did wrong." We intend to give them that time.
Budget Resolutions and Economic Situation — House of Commons, 2015-07-09
Topic: Mixed Topics
Jeremy Mark Quin (Conservative, Centre-right): Does my hon. Friend, like me, welcome the OBR’s confirmation that business investment grew by 8% last year? It expects business investment to grow this year and next year. I think my hon. Friend has quite a lot of ammunition with which to respond to the hon. Member for East Lothian (George Kerevan).
Budget Resolutions and Economic Situation — House of Commons, 2015-07-09
Topic: Mixed Topics
Kevin John Foster (Conservative, Centre-right): I would not necessarily agree with the right hon. Gentleman. There were issues involving local licensing authorities, going back to before the reforms that were brought in a decade ago, which meant that some authorities would permit later closing than others. That had worked for some years. There might be a challenge for local planning authorities, however, in that if slightly later opening were permitted, there could be pressure for development on the edge of their area to get around restrictions in neighbouring communities. I understand the difference that the proposals would make for consumers. At the moment, we all know that large supermarkets tend to open between 10 o’clock and 4 o’clock on Sundays, although some of them exploit the ability to have browsing time beforehand This is a positive Budget. It is one that we can take pride in, and it will take the country forward. It is notable that it has been based on policies that were agreed and supported by the electorate. The policies were endorsed by 51 of the 55 MPs in the south-west, and I am pleased to be able to support them today.
Budget Resolutions and Economic Situation — House of Commons, 2015-07-09
Topic: Other
Eleanor Fulton Laing (Conservative, Centre-right): Before I call the Minister, the House should note that several Members who have taken part in the debate were not here for the beginning of the speech of the right hon. Member for East Ham (Stephen Timms). That is discourteous. Some Members who have taken part in the debate are still not here. That is extremely discourteous and has been noted.
Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership — House of Commons, 2015-07-09
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Nicholas Edward Coleridge Boles (Conservative, Centre-right): I do not have that information in my pack, but I shall be happy to provide it. As I have said, my right hon. Friend the Minister for Small Business, Industry and Enterprise will reply in writing to any detailed questions that Members may have.
Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership — House of Commons, 2015-07-09
Topic: Other
Eleanor Fulton Laing (Conservative, Centre-right): Order. I let the hon. Lady get away with it the first time, but now that she has done it a second time, I must tell her that she must not address the Minister as "you". In the Chamber, "you" means the Chair. The Minister is the Minister.
Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership — House of Commons, 2015-07-09
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Nicholas Edward Coleridge Boles (Conservative, Centre-right): I must move on. I am afraid that there are a number of issues to be discussed The hon. Lady referred to—and the right hon. Member for Gordon also dwelt on—some of the questions relating to the ability that corporate interests might be given to challenge regulations. I want to be very clear about what will be involved. The ISDS tribunals will be able to grant compensation for actions and decisions by Governments according to regulations that investors can show to have been unfair or conducted in an undue way. They will not be able to overturn, amend or eradicate any regulations that Governments bring in legitimately As a believer in the rule of law and as a practitioner of that rule of law in other phases of his life, the right hon. Gentleman will understand that it is always important that every decision by Government, every rule and every law that we pass can be challenged in court or in proper tribunals by those interests that are affected by them. What matters is that ultimately the responsibility for changing or amending those rules rests with Parliaments, and there is nothing in the agreement that would alter that fact.
Prison Education — House of Commons, 2015-09-08
Topic: Mixed Topics
Michael Andrew Gove (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend is absolutely right. The levels of literacy and numeracy of many offenders in the system are far too low. If we can transform that and provide them with the skills to hold down a meaningful job, they can be genuine assets to our society rather than liabilities.
Prison Education — House of Commons, 2015-09-08
Topic: Mixed Topics
Michael Andrew Gove (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend makes a good point. One aspect of Dame Sally’s critically important review will cover engagement with employers. I am delighted that the chief executive of Timpson, one of the most inspirational organisations employing ex-offenders, is part of the team that will help Dame Sally to ensure that education, employability and rehabilitation are all operating together.
Bill of Rights — House of Commons, 2015-09-08
Topic: Civil Rights
Dominic Rennie Raab (Conservative, Centre-right): We will bring forward proposals on a Bill of Rights this autumn. They will be subject to full consultation. The preparation is going well. Given the hon. Gentleman’s excellent work on the Joint Committee on Human Rights, I look forward to engaging seriously with him on the substance.
Bill of Rights — House of Commons, 2015-09-08
Topic: Civil Rights
Dominic Rennie Raab (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank the hon. Gentleman for his question, but I have to say that the Human Rights Act was also rushed. There was no period of consultation and it was introduced into Parliament in just six months, which is why it has proved flawed in practice. We will take our time to get the plans right, and we will take on board all the views that have been expressed. We want to restore some balance to our human rights regime, and that is what a Bill of Rights will achieve.
Bill of Rights — House of Commons, 2015-09-08
Topic: Mixed Topics
Dominic Rennie Raab (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank the hon. Gentleman for his question. As he knows, there are many different ways in which we can implement the ECHR in domestic law. There are 47 states party to the European convention, and they all do it slightly differently. We want to see greater authority for the Supreme Court—the Labour Government set up the Supreme Court and we do not think that it should be subordinated—and a greater respect for the legislative role of hon. Members in this place.
Bill of Rights — House of Commons, 2015-09-08
Topic: Civil Rights
Ranil Malcolm Jayawardena (Conservative, Centre-right): Does my hon. Friend agree that it is totally wrong for criminals and those who wish to do our country harm to be able to use the Human Rights Act against us? Therefore, does he agree that it is important that the new British Bill of Rights balances the rights of citizens that were not invented in 1998—with the responsibilities of the citizens that existed then and indeed that exist today?
Bill of Rights — House of Commons, 2015-09-08
Topic: Civil Rights
Dominic Rennie Raab (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend is absolutely right. We want to protect fundamental rights, but we do not want to see them distorted by judicial legislation or abused by serious and serial criminals. Above all, we do not want to see human rights become dirty words in the minds of the public. That is what the Human Rights Act led to; our Bill of Rights will restore some balance.
Bill of Rights — House of Commons, 2015-09-08
Topic: Civil Rights
Andrew James Bridgen (Conservative, Centre-right): Will the Minister settle the nerves of some Members of this House by confirming that human rights existed in this country before the Human Rights Act and will continue to exist after the repeal of that Act?
Bill of Rights — House of Commons, 2015-09-08
Topic: Civil Rights
Dominic Rennie Raab (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend is absolutely right. The convention already reflects a huge amount of the common law tradition but, as he says, Britain was a member of the convention and had a long tradition of respect for human rights before the Human Rights Act, and we shall have after it.
Bill of Rights — House of Commons, 2015-09-08
Topic: Civil Rights
Questions: The rights contained in the European convention on human rights have been incorporated into our domestic law by the Human Rights Act 1998. Can the Minister guarantee that the British Bill of Rights will contain all the same rights as our citizens currently enjoy?
Dominic Rennie Raab (Conservative, Centre-right): I understand the hon. Gentleman’s concern. I will not be drawn on the substance and detail of our proposals—[Hon. Members: "Why?"] We will have a consultation and there will be ample time. We want to retain fundamental rights reflected in the convention, but we need to ensure their sensible application and proper respect for the Supreme Court of this country as well as for the democratic role of hon. Members in this place and their legislative function. Our Bill of Rights and proposals will be considering those areas.