argyrotsipi/train-dataset huggingface dataset:
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2018-11-01
Topic: Technology
Questions: What assessment has the Minister made of the UK’s ability to support any bright new businesses starting up in our regional towns, particularly start-up tech businesses, and to help them grow?; I will try to be brief, Mr Speaker. The all-party parliamentary group for rural business recently recommended mobile data roaming for areas that are quite isolated, such as my constituency of North Cornwall. The group reckons that this could boost mobile data by 8%. Will the Government apply pressure in this regard to ensure that my constituents get the best coverage?
Margot Cathleen James (Conservative, Centre-right): I heartily agree with my hon. Friend’s concerns. I was delighted that the Budget confirmed that there is now £200 million to kick-start connectivity for superfast broadband around the edge of the country, and the Red Book shows that one of the places that this process will start is in my hon. Friend’s county of Cornwall.
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2018-11-01
Topic: Technology
Questions: What assessment has the Minister made of the UK’s ability to support any bright new businesses starting up in our regional towns, particularly start-up tech businesses, and to help them grow?; I will try to be brief, Mr Speaker. The all-party parliamentary group for rural business recently recommended mobile data roaming for areas that are quite isolated, such as my constituency of North Cornwall. The group reckons that this could boost mobile data by 8%. Will the Government apply pressure in this regard to ensure that my constituents get the best coverage?
Jeremy Paul Wright (Conservative, Centre-right): There has been no delay, but the hon. Lady is right that a large part of the rationale for this decision was to protect exactly the people she refers to. This Government have made that substantive change, and it should be recognised that there are a number of factors in the process of determining when the change should come in. Once again, we will get into those—in some detail, I am sure—at about half-past 10 I join the hon. Lady in welcoming the decision that has been made about Glasgow. This will be an important move to get broadcasting talent out of London and into the rest of the country, so that the whole country can benefit from it.
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2018-11-01
Topic: Law and Crime
Questions: What assessment has the Minister made of the UK’s ability to support any bright new businesses starting up in our regional towns, particularly start-up tech businesses, and to help them grow?; I will try to be brief, Mr Speaker. The all-party parliamentary group for rural business recently recommended mobile data roaming for areas that are quite isolated, such as my constituency of North Cornwall. The group reckons that this could boost mobile data by 8%. Will the Government apply pressure in this regard to ensure that my constituents get the best coverage?; As well as the world’s best beer, one of the things that brings people into our pubs is live music. What assessment has the Minister made of the importance of the music industry’s contribution to our economic and cultural health?; A few months ago, some vandals burned down Spennymoor cricket club in my constituency. It is proving very difficult to get the insurance money and raise enough funds for a rebuild, so will the Secretary of State tell me where we could get some money so that a second season is not lost for the young people in the area?; With the world transplant games due to take place in less than a year’s time in Newcastle Gateshead, may I ask the Secretary of State what support he is giving to the games and urge him to give the best possible support that he can?
Margot Cathleen James (Conservative, Centre-right): It is a pleasure to see my hon. Friend, who raises a very important issue. Nuisance calls are not a victimless crime; they are a source of fear and intimidation to many older people and vulnerable groups. So I agree that those who flout the law on a persistent basis should be held to account, and that means directors being personally liable. That is why we have just completed a consultation on how we bring this into force, and company directors will face, potentially, fines of up to half a million pounds if it is decided on.
Leaving the EU: Rights of EU Citizens — House of Commons, 2018-11-01
Topic: Law and Crime
Charles Geoffrey Cox (Conservative, Centre-right): As the hon. Member for Glasgow East (David Linden) will know, the Law Officers convention prevents me from disclosing whether I have given advice—and, if so, the content of that advice—on this or any other subject.
Leaving the EU: Rights of EU Citizens — House of Commons, 2018-11-01
Topic: International Affairs
Kevin John Foster (Conservative, Centre-right): Does the Attorney General agree that EU citizens can take great comfort from the clear commitments that have been given in the case of no deal and that they should therefore ignore the scaremongering from the separatists on the Opposition Benches?
Exploitation of Vulnerable People — House of Commons, 2018-11-01
Topic: Law and Crime
Robert James Buckland (Conservative, Centre-right): The Crown Prosecution Service has had considerable success in prosecuting cases involving the exploitation of vulnerable people by gangs. The number of offences charged and prosecuted under trafficking and slavery legislation has risen year on year to 340 last year, and last month we saw the successful prosecution of Zakaria Mohammed, who is believed to be the first person to be jailed under modern slavery laws in respect of the exploitation of children.
Exploitation of Vulnerable People — House of Commons, 2018-11-01
Topic: Law and Crime
James Spencer Cleverly (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank my hon. and learned Friend for that answer. Does he agree that the use of some of the youngest and most vulnerable people in our society for county lines drugs trafficking is a particularly pernicious offence? What is the CPS doing to crack down on that activity?
Exploitation of Vulnerable People — House of Commons, 2018-11-01
Topic: Law and Crime
Robert James Buckland (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend is right to focus on the menace of organised crime and county lines. The CPS has developed an approach to county lines, particularly when it comes to the investigation and prosecution of offences involving vulnerable people—in other words, how to treat them and whether they should be treated as victims or defendants.
Exploitation of Vulnerable People — House of Commons, 2018-11-01
Topic: Law and Crime
Robert James Buckland (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Lady makes a very good point. The waste industry, car cleaning and such activities are clearly a focus for this type of unlawful behaviour. The police and the Crown Prosecution Service are indeed working with other agencies, but I take the particular point she makes and I will re-emphasise it to the CPS.
Exploitation of Vulnerable People — House of Commons, 2018-11-01
Topic: Law and Crime
Robert James Buckland (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend is absolutely right to talk about the victims. I have mentioned the decision to be made about the vulnerable victims of human trafficking. We have a particular mechanism that we use to protect the position of people who might otherwise be in the country unlawfully and to give them support so an informed decision can be made about their involvement in the process. I am confident that the CPS is working very hard always to improve its approach to victims.
Exploitation of Vulnerable People — House of Commons, 2018-11-01
Topic: Law and Crime
Robert James Buckland (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Gentleman is right to raise this issue. Since those figures have been obtained, I and others have been working very hard to establish what the often complex reasons for them are. Sadly, I think that a lot of them are long-standing ones. What is sometimes unattractively described as the rate of attrition, as well as the experience of victims in this service, is still something that needs to be dealt with fully. That involves not just the CPS end of it, but the very early stages of the investigation. I assure him that every effort is being made to try to close that gap in a meaningful sense.
Exploitation of Vulnerable People — House of Commons, 2018-11-01
Topic: Law and Crime
Robert James Buckland (Conservative, Centre-right): I assure the hon. Gentleman and the House that any suggestion that there should be an artificial target that trumps the tried and tested code for prosecutors would be wholly wrong. I will absolutely make sure myself, as will others within the CPS, that such observations—if, indeed, they have been made—are ones that carry no weight whatsoever.
CPS 2020 Strategy — House of Commons, 2018-11-01
Topic: Law and Crime
Charles Geoffrey Cox (Conservative, Centre-right): The strategic objectives of the Crown Prosecution Service are always reviewed in my meetings with the Director of Public Prosecutions. I am pleased to see that progress has been made by the CPS in many areas in fulfilling those objectives May I take this opportunity to welcome the new and incoming Director of Public Prosecutions, Max Hill? He is a very experienced member of the Bar—a man who has prosecuted successfully in many cases—and I am expecting that he will lead the service to new strengths. At the same time, may I put on the record today the gratitude that I feel and the public should feel to Alison Saunders, the outgoing director? She has been a decent and honourable public servant. She has served the CPS for 30 years, including five years as its leader. She has left the CPS in a condition where, in many areas, she has achieved notable success. I wish her well, and I hope that the whole House will wish her well, in her future endeavours.
CPS 2020 Strategy — House of Commons, 2018-11-01
Topic: Law and Crime
George William Freeman (Conservative, Centre-right): I am sure that the Attorney General agrees with me that nobody needs an effective CPS more than the victims of crime. Will he join me in welcoming the appointment of the new chief inspector of the CPS, and will he reassure me that the recently published victims strategy will sit at the heart of the CPS 2020 strategy so that the victims and witnesses of crime get the care and respect they deserve?
CPS 2020 Strategy — House of Commons, 2018-11-01
Topic: Law and Crime
Charles Geoffrey Cox (Conservative, Centre-right): I entirely confirm that. Victims are at the heart of everything that the CPS should be—and is—doing, and I agree with my hon. Friend about the appointment of Mr McGinty. I am most grateful to my hon. Friend the Member for Bromley (Robert Neill), who chairs the Justice Committee, for confirming that appointment, and I expect the appointment of Mr McGinty to lend considerable value as we move forward with important reforms in the governance of the CPS.
CPS 2020 Strategy — House of Commons, 2018-11-01
Topic: Law and Crime
Charles Geoffrey Cox (Conservative, Centre-right): I noted carefully the DPP’s concerns on that matter, but the performance and conviction rates of the CPS are the highest they have been in many years, and therefore they show no sign that it is creaking as a consequence of manpower. I think that the DPP was referring to a real challenge that we face, which is the increasing volume of evidence—particularly digital evidence from smartphones and computers—that is placing a real strain on both the police and the CPS. I shall be tackling that shortly in the review I am publishing on disclosure.
CPS 2020 Strategy — House of Commons, 2018-11-01
Topic: Law and Crime
Questions: In taking forward prosecutions for hate crimes, will the Attorney General encourage the CPS to work with the Community Security Trust, which has great expertise in combating antisemitism?
Robert James MacGillivray Neill (Conservative, Centre-right): May I, and all residents of Bromley and Chislehurst, welcome and endorse the comments of my right hon. and learned Friend about Mr Hill QC—a barrister of the very highest standing—Alison Saunders and Mr McGinty, who greatly impressed our Committee with his rigour as inspector? The Attorney General referred to proposals to reform the governance of the Crown Prosecution Service, and when we investigated the issue of disclosure, there was some concern about the potential ambiguity in how the role of superintendence over the CPS works. Will the Attorney General give us his thoughts on how that issue might be strengthened and clarified?
CPS 2020 Strategy — House of Commons, 2018-11-01
Topic: Law and Crime
Questions: In taking forward prosecutions for hate crimes, will the Attorney General encourage the CPS to work with the Community Security Trust, which has great expertise in combating antisemitism?
Charles Geoffrey Cox (Conservative, Centre-right): I am most grateful to my hon. Friend for that question, and as he knows, I am currently considering how further detail and structure could be given to the statutory superintendence role. It is important that in that role I ensure—in so far as it is appropriate to do so and while protecting the fierce independence of prosecutorial decisions that the CPS rightly shows—that I am able to understand more clearly how matters are developing, for example, in connection with disclosure. I am therefore considering structural changes to the governance arrangements, and they will be announced in due course.
Domestic Abuse Victims — House of Commons, 2018-11-01
Topic: Law and Crime
Questions: What steps he is taking with the CPS and Cabinet colleagues to improve the effectiveness of the criminal justice system for victims of domestic abuse.
Robert James Buckland (Conservative, Centre-right): Tackling domestic abuse is a top priority for this Government, and we are committed to securing justice for all victims. We have seen improved conviction rates—in 2017-18, the conviction rate for domestic abuse cases increased to 76.4%, which is the highest rate ever recorded.
Domestic Abuse Victims — House of Commons, 2018-11-01
Topic: Law and Crime
Questions: What steps he is taking with the CPS and Cabinet colleagues to improve the effectiveness of the criminal justice system for victims of domestic abuse.
Robert Henry Halfon (Conservative, Centre-right): In June 2012, Eystna Blunnie, a 20-year-old pregnant young lady was brutally kicked to death by her ex-fiancé, Tony McLernon, two days before her due date in Harlow. She sadly died in hospital and doctors were unable to save the baby. Despite McLernon’s death threats prior to the attack, he was not charged, and police assessed Eystna as being at "medium-risk" of domestic abuse. What changes has the Crown Prosecution Service made in how it decides to bring charges in cases of domestic violence, and what specialist training is given to CPS solicitors to deal with cases of domestic abuse and violence against women?
Domestic Abuse Victims — House of Commons, 2018-11-01
Topic: Law and Crime
Questions: What steps he is taking with the CPS and Cabinet colleagues to improve the effectiveness of the criminal justice system for victims of domestic abuse.
Robert James Buckland (Conservative, Centre-right): I pay tribute to my right hon. Friend and to the family of the victim for their dignity in the face of such tragedy. Steps have indeed been taken as the result of that case and others, for example: the existence of a victims’ right to review policy on prosecution decisions; the use of local scrutiny and inclusions panels to consider violence against women and girls cases; and the new offence of coercive control, which can capture cumulative abusive behaviour by one partner against another.
Domestic Abuse Victims — House of Commons, 2018-11-01
Topic: Law and Crime
Questions: What steps he is taking with the CPS and Cabinet colleagues to improve the effectiveness of the criminal justice system for victims of domestic abuse.
Robert James Buckland (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Lady knows police funding is a question for an announcement in December and the forthcoming spending review next year. I reassure her that the number of flagged referrals on domestic abuse from the police is remaining steady at about 110,000 in the past two years. As I have said, the number and rate of prosecutions continues to rise. We have seen a rise of over 50% in domestic abuse prosecutions in the past 10 years.
Terrorism Prosecutions — House of Commons, 2018-11-01
Topic: Law and Crime
Charles Geoffrey Cox (Conservative, Centre-right): The counter-terrorism division of the Crown Prosecution Service is one of the great successes of that organisation. It has an excellent reputation both at home and abroad. In its recent work, it has doubled in size and doubled the number of convictions. The CPS works closely with police and partners to help to implement the Government’s counter-terrorism strategy.
Terrorism Prosecutions — House of Commons, 2018-11-01
Topic: Law and Crime
Atta-Ur-Rehman Chishti (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank the Attorney General for that answer. As a member of the Home Affairs Committee, I understand that there are 500 live operations concerning 3,000 individuals of interest and a further 20,000 individuals who have been investigated under terrorism-related incidents. Can the Attorney General clarify and confirm that the CPS has adequate resources and the expertise to deal with these matters effectively?
Terrorism Prosecutions — House of Commons, 2018-11-01
Topic: Law and Crime
Charles Geoffrey Cox (Conservative, Centre-right): I meet the Director of Public Prosecutions regularly, and counter-terrorism is one of those things upon which we focus most closely. I have also met the head of the terrorism division, Deborah Walsh. This is a well-led, well-resourced division. Its prosecution and conviction rate is of the highest in the CPS. I am confident that it has the resources, and if it needs more, we will find them. This is a national priority.
Terrorism Prosecutions — House of Commons, 2018-11-01
Topic: Law and Crime
Charles Geoffrey Cox (Conservative, Centre-right): The Crown Prosecution Service this year recovered between £80 million and £100 million of illicit assets. Organised crime and the illicit financing of terrorism is one of the Government’s priorities. It is being co-ordinated by the National Crime Agency. It is being met with a range of new tools, including unexplained wealth orders, which we will be using as hard and as impactfully as we can in future months.
Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 — House of Commons, 2018-11-01
Topic: Law and Crime
Robert James Buckland (Conservative, Centre-right): Dealing with illicit finance through the prosecution of money laundering offences is a priority for the Crown Prosecution Service and the Serious Fraud Office. Prosecutors have not identified any specific concerns regarding the effectiveness of prosecutions under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002. We continue to use the Act, as it has evolved, to good effect.
Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 — House of Commons, 2018-11-01
Topic: Law and Crime
Robert James Buckland (Conservative, Centre-right): I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for raising the case. It would be invidious of me to comment on a particular case. I will simply say that there are different mechanisms within the Act that allow the pursuance of criminal proceeds. It might well be that in that case another mechanism is being used, but I will be happy to look at it further and write to him. Royal Assent
Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 — House of Commons, 2018-11-01
Topic: Government Operations
John Simon Bercow (Conservative, Centre-right): I have to notify the House, in accordance with the Royal Assent Act 1967, that Her Majesty has signified her Royal Assent to the following Acts: Rating (Property in Common Occupation) and Council Tax (Empty Dwellings) Act 2018 Non-Domestic Rating (Nursery Grounds) Act 2018 Mental Health Units (Use of Force) Act 2018 Northern Ireland (Executive Formation and Exercise of Functions) Act 2018 Middle Level Act 2018.
Fixed Odds Betting Terminals — House of Commons, 2018-11-01
Topic: Macroeconomics
John Simon Bercow (Conservative, Centre-right): Order. Today is heavily subscribed and there will be a significant number of Members who wish to take part in the final day’s debate on the Budget who will not be called simply on account of time. That is the brutal reality. This matter is important and Members must be heard—and they will be—but the Secretary of State has been called to the House to answer this question and he must be afforded the courtesy of being able to answer it without excessive noise.
Fixed Odds Betting Terminals — House of Commons, 2018-11-01
Topic: Government Operations
Jeremy Paul Wright (Conservative, Centre-right): On delay, I entirely understand that my hon. Friend and others want this to happen as soon as possible, and so do I, but he will know from his experience of Government that there are a number of factors that Governments always have to balance in making these decisions. That is not always easy and it certainly is not always popular, but it is important that we make this decision stick. He is right that it is a long time in coming, but the worst thing that can happen now is that we make this decision in a way that ends up unravelling because we have not made the necessary preparations and done this in a careful enough way. That is the objective here: to make sure that the substantive change that he has worked so hard for and that my hon. Friend the Member for Chatham and Aylesford has worked so hard for does not just happen, but lasts.
Fixed Odds Betting Terminals — House of Commons, 2018-11-01
Topic: Government Operations
Jeremy Paul Wright (Conservative, Centre-right): Again, it is this Government who are acting. That is why this substantive change is being made. It is precisely because of the damage that the hon. Lady describes that we are doing this. The argument we are having this morning is about the point in time at which implementation happens. What I have set out are not excuses but the reasons for the judgment that the Government have taken. Let us not forget that it is this Government who are making the change, and that their predecessors did not do so.
Fixed Odds Betting Terminals — House of Commons, 2018-11-01
Topic: Macroeconomics
Jeremy Paul Wright (Conservative, Centre-right): I understand what my hon. Friend says, but I would argue that we are allowing sufficient time for those industries to adapt. He is right that we need to consider such issues, but we have done that, and our approach properly allows those industries to adapt as they ought to and also allows the Government to do whatever we can to mitigate any economic harm that might arise from this measure—necessary and right though it undoubtedly is.
Fixed Odds Betting Terminals — House of Commons, 2018-11-01
Topic: Labor
Robert Henry Halfon (Conservative, Centre-right): I believe that action should come sooner rather than later—I refer Members to my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests—but what is the Department’s estimate of the number of job losses? What will the Department do to make sure that those who lose their job are helped to get another one?
Fixed Odds Betting Terminals — House of Commons, 2018-11-01
Topic: Technology
Jeremy Paul Wright (Conservative, Centre-right): I agree with my hon. Friend; there are examples we can look at around the world, and we will want to do that. The point he makes about advertising is important; there is a good deal we may be able to look at in the advertising field, and we intend to do that.
Fixed Odds Betting Terminals — House of Commons, 2018-11-01
Topic: Labor
Jeremy Paul Wright (Conservative, Centre-right): I do not accept the hon. Gentleman’s premise, but he has just heard me say that mitigating the effect of these changes is a cross-Government process, and the Department for Work and Pensions is fully engaged in it.