argyrotsipi/train-dataset huggingface dataset:
European Union (Withdrawal) Act — House of Commons, 2019-01-09
Topic: Other
John Simon Bercow (Conservative, Centre-right): Order. I am well aware that the hon. Lady is a former chair of the Internal Market Committee of the European Parliament. In case there are people present who were not aware of that, among the litany of achievements that she can proclaim, I have done a public service in advertising that important fact. However, it does not give her an automatic right to intervene. The right hon. and learned Member for Holborn and St Pancras (Keir Starmer) will decide whether he wishes to give way to the hon. Lady, and at the moment he is not giving way.
European Union (Withdrawal) Act — House of Commons, 2019-01-09
Topic: Other
John Simon Bercow (Conservative, Centre-right): Order. The House is now embarking on the resumption of the debate started on 4 December and interrupted. A lot of Members put in to speak on 9 and 10 December, and the order just agreed allows those who have already spoken the possibility of a second speech. I must tell hon. and right hon. Members that if they wish to speak on any of the next four days of debate, they should put their names in to my office, and that they cannot rely on notification that was given a month ago. Apart from anything else, the days have changed and my team cannot be expected to anticipate the thought processes of hon. and right hon. Members, so if people would notify my office, that would be greatly appreciated.
European Union (Withdrawal) Act — House of Commons, 2019-01-09
Topic: Mixed Topics
Stephen Charles Kerr (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Gentleman has mentioned a number of sectors; it is only right to put on the record that NFU Scotland, the Scotch Whisky Association and every other trade body in Scotland is imploring this House to support the Prime Minister’s agreement with the European Union. That is what our constituents and the businesses that employ them expect of all Scottish MPs.
European Union (Withdrawal) Act — House of Commons, 2019-01-09
Topic: Immigration
Douglas Gordon Ross (Conservative, Centre-right): Can the hon. Gentleman defend the SNP’s policy? In July 2014, in the run-up to the Scottish independence referendum, Nicola Sturgeon spoke about her "common sense position" on this issue. She said: "There are 160,000 EU nationals…living in Scotland… If Scotland was outside Europe, they would lose the right to stay here." Does he defend that?
European Union (Withdrawal) Act — House of Commons, 2019-01-09
Topic: Mixed Topics
Alberto Castrenze Costa (Conservative, Centre-right): I am proud to say that I am Scottish, British and with Italian heritage, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. We are the wonderful, fantastic United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. I urge the hon. Lady to start reflecting on her own party’s policies, which are divisive. I am not a nationalist; I am a British patriot. There is a difference between the narrow-mindedness of nationalism and being a good patriot I was talking about the issue of the so-called backstop. Let me make a simple analogy. There is one area about which, as a dually qualified solicitor, I am able to speak with some knowledge, and that is legal services. There is a lot of talk about creating a border down the Irish sea, but there is already a border down the Irish sea when it comes to legal services regulation In fact, the United Kingdom is blessed with three legal systems: distinct, proud, global and fair systems. We have the English and Welsh system, the Scottish system and the Northern Irish system. As fellow lawyers will know, each of those systems regards the others as foreign legal systems. England and Wales regards Northern Ireland’s system as a foreign legal system, and Scotland regards England and Wales’s system as a foreign legal system. A qualified Scottish solicitor does not have automatic regulatory rights to practise in Northern Ireland, because there is already a border down the Irish sea in respect of legal services regulation. Each jurisdiction has its own regulatory body when it comes to the profession of lawyers.
European Union (Withdrawal) Act — House of Commons, 2019-01-09
Topic: Mixed Topics
Alberto Castrenze Costa (Conservative, Centre-right): I understand the hon. Gentleman’s point, but my point is simply this. He does not have an automatic right to practise as a barrister in England and Wales unless the regulatory body in England and Wales permits a Northern Irish barrister to do so, because there is a border down the Irish sea. Under European Union law as it stands, the Law Society of Northern Ireland is, at least for solicitors, the regulatory body that is recognised as a competent authority. I speak as a Unionist—I have the scars on my back from fighting for the integrity of the United Kingdom when I stood against the SNP candidate in Angus—but there are already instances of different regulatory practices between the different constituent parts of the United Kingdom.
European Union (Withdrawal) Act — House of Commons, 2019-01-09
Topic: Other
John Simon Bercow (Conservative, Centre-right): Order. There is no formal time limit on Back-Bench speeches at present, but it would be helpful for colleagues to know that speeches of approximately 10 minutes each, and preferably no more, will happily enable everyone who wishes to contribute to do so.
European Union (Withdrawal) Act — House of Commons, 2019-01-09
Topic: Immigration
Stephen Charles Kerr (Conservative, Centre-right): The reality is that what the hon. Lady is describing is actually up for consultation. I am sure that she and other Members, including Conservative Members, will make representations to ensure that Scotland’s interests are looked after in our new immigration laws. She is making a valid point, but she is talking about what will happen, when this is in fact a consultation document.
European Union (Withdrawal) Act — House of Commons, 2019-01-09
Topic: Mixed Topics
David Roy Lidington (Conservative, Centre-right): Because these things are about the sovereign constitutional order of the United Kingdom. They involve decisions that we in this House make and that, in respect of certain devolved matters, we would need to make in partnership and consultation with the Governments in the three devolved areas of the United Kingdom. That is why these are things that we are expressing unilaterally.
European Union (Withdrawal) Act — House of Commons, 2019-01-09
Topic: Other
John Simon Bercow (Conservative, Centre-right): That that was an intervention of intoxicating significance I do not doubt for one moment, but may I just say to the hon. Gentleman that as a result of his intervention, he has helped the Minister to double the ration allocated to the shadow Minister? These are important matters, but I think the Minister is approaching his peroration.
UK Soft Power — House of Commons, 2019-02-26
Topic: Mixed Topics
Nicholas Soames (Conservative, Centre-right): I congratulate my hon. Friend and his colleagues on their excellent work to co-ordinate better our soft power effort, but does he agree that it is very important that there is a proper plan to follow up on some of the very successful royal visits overseas with a very well co-ordinated effort, particularly in soft power?
UK Soft Power — House of Commons, 2019-02-26
Topic: Mixed Topics
Mark Christopher Field (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank my right hon. Friend. We have already had questions today on Shakespeare and the BBC, but he is absolutely right that our royal family is one of our greatest soft power assets, and we will do our level best, through the GREAT campaign and elsewhere, to ensure that strength continues.
Persecution of Christians — House of Commons, 2019-02-26
Topic: Civil Rights
Jeremy Richard Streynsham Hunt (Conservative, Centre-right): The UK has long championed freedom of religion, but I am concerned that we could do more for the 240 million Christians estimated to be facing persecution for their faith around the world. I have therefore asked the Bishop of Truro to conduct an independent review into what more the FCO can do. Last week, I agreed the terms of reference for his review.
Persecution of Christians — House of Commons, 2019-02-26
Topic: Civil Rights
Jeremy Richard Streynsham Hunt (Conservative, Centre-right): It is often because they are in the grip of totally misguided ideologies. I thank my hon. Friend for his long championing of this issue. It is a little known fact that around 80% of the people who suffer persecution for their faith are Christians, often in some of the poorest countries in the world—and particularly in the middle east, which 100 years ago had a population that was about 20% Christian. Now that is down to 5%.
Persecution of Christians — House of Commons, 2019-02-26
Topic: Civil Rights
Maria Colette Caulfield (Conservative, Centre-right): Given that a third of Christians in China and Asia are experiencing high-level persecution—that is 140 million people—what discussions have the Government had with the Chinese to end that? What protection can the Government give those Christians facing persecution?
Persecution of Christians — House of Commons, 2019-02-26
Topic: Civil Rights
Michael Jon Wood (Conservative, Centre-right): It was reassuring to see the Pakistan Government protecting the independence of their courts in overturning the blasphemy conviction against Asia Bibi. What support are this Government giving the new Government in Pakistan to ensure consistent protection of Christians from persecution?
Persecution of Christians — House of Commons, 2019-02-26
Topic: Civil Rights
Jeremy Richard Streynsham Hunt (Conservative, Centre-right): On 4 July last year, Lord Ahmad, who is in Geneva at the moment, was appointed the Prime Minister’s special envoy for freedom of religious belief. He is himself from a persecuted Muslim minority, so he understands these issues. The answer is that China is, of course, a sovereign country but we raise this issue at every opportunity. We are very concerned about it. If we do not raise these issues, we have to ask who will. That is why we have a big obligation.
Persecution of Christians — House of Commons, 2019-02-26
Topic: Civil Rights
Jeremy Richard Streynsham Hunt (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right to raise that issue. Good data is available from the campaigning organisation Open Doors, from which we get the figure that there are 240 million persecuted Christians around the world. One of the recommendations that I am sure the Bishop of Truro will be considering is whether we need to be more robust in our data collection, so that we can better inform debates in this House.
Persecution of Christians — House of Commons, 2019-02-26
Topic: Other
Jeremy Richard Streynsham Hunt (Conservative, Centre-right): I shall try to give a one-sentence answer. The Bishop is free to make whatever recommendations he likes, and we have facilitated introductions to other Departments so that he can liaise with them during his review.
Zimbabwe — House of Commons, 2019-02-26
Topic: Immigration
Harriett Mary Morison Baldwin (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Lady will, of course, want to raise that case with Home Office colleagues, but my understanding is that each case is taken on its merits, and that neither the UK Government nor our courts would deport someone unless it was widely agreed by the courts that it was safe to do so.
Israel and Palestine — House of Commons, 2019-02-26
Topic: Other
John Simon Bercow (Conservative, Centre-right): Order. Resume your seat, Mr Russell-Moyle. There is a lot of pressure on time. We have not got time for lists; what I want is a question with a question mark, and then we will have a ministerial answer.
Equal Rights Coalition — House of Commons, 2019-02-26
Topic: Civil Rights
Nick Herbert (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank the Minister for that answer. It is good news that the UK is taking over this role, but the Equal Rights Coalition is in its infancy and needs more work to ensure that the global fight for LGBT rights is effective. Will the Minister assure me that she will commit sufficient resources to the UK’s chairmanship of the Equal Rights Coalition and ensure effective co-ordination between Departments in this important year?
Equal Rights Coalition — House of Commons, 2019-02-26
Topic: Civil Rights
Harriett Mary Morison Baldwin (Conservative, Centre-right): I pay tribute to my right hon. Friend’s leadership and to his all-party parliamentary group on global lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender rights for drawing cross-Government work together. I can assure him, on behalf of both the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for International Development, that we will certainly give the organisation the resourcing it needs. He will be aware that its work fits in with the Equalities Office’s overall strategy, including the international element.
Human Rights — House of Commons, 2019-02-26
Topic: Civil Rights
Mark Christopher Field (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Catherine West) will be pleased to know that the UK is wholeheartedly committed to the promotion and protection of human rights worldwide. As a result, we continue to support the work of the UN Human Rights Council and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. The UK is one of the longest-standing members of the UNHRC, and we are keen to maintain that record at next year’s elections.
Human Rights — House of Commons, 2019-02-26
Topic: Civil Rights
Nigel Martin Evans (Conservative, Centre-right): When I was chair of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, we tried on a couple of occasions to raise human rights violations against LGBT citizens around the world, but our attempts were regularly blocked by Uganda, China, Russia and several other countries. Will the Minister use his influence, particularly in the Commonwealth, to try to raise such issues so that we can give hope to millions of people living in those countries?
Human Rights — House of Commons, 2019-02-26
Topic: Mixed Topics
Mark Christopher Field (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend is right that the issue is still contested. We will continue to make the case for LGBT rights, and all Foreign Office Ministers and other Ministers with broader foreign affairs responsibilities will make it clear when abroad that we need to stand up for these important rights.
Human Rights — House of Commons, 2019-02-26
Topic: Civil Rights
Crispin Jeremy Rupert Blunt (Conservative, Centre-right): On 5 April, Professor Zaffaroni, a justice of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, will present to His Holiness the Pope a report on the consequences of the criminalisation of same-sex relations in the Caribbean. The Government will be invited to be represented at the presentation, so will the Minister ensure that they are?
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2019-02-26
Topic: Immigration
Jeremy Richard Streynsham Hunt (Conservative, Centre-right): My right hon. Friend the Minister for the Middle East, who has responsibility for north Africa, spoke to the Libyan Foreign Minister about that issue yesterday, and I spoke to the Italian Foreign Minister last week about immigration issues more generally.
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2019-02-26
Topic: Public Lands
Questions: This Government have done great work supporting marine conservation around the world, but will my right hon. Friend outline what plans the Department has to support the marine protected area around the pristine waters of Ascension Island? This would cost as little as £120,000 a year to enforce and oversee, which represents good value.
Alan James Carter Duncan (Conservative, Centre-right): As pioneers of the first marine protected area in the Southern ocean, the UK is working actively to see new designations in the Weddell sea, the east Antarctic and around the Antarctic peninsula. Ascension Island intends to designate a marine protected area this year, and a consultation is under way.
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2019-02-26
Topic: Mixed Topics
Questions: This Government have done great work supporting marine conservation around the world, but will my right hon. Friend outline what plans the Department has to support the marine protected area around the pristine waters of Ascension Island? This would cost as little as £120,000 a year to enforce and oversee, which represents good value.;   I welcome the work of the Foreign Office last year in hosting a major international conference on tackling the illegal wildlife trade, but what assessment has the Foreign Office made of the recent decisions made by Japan and Iceland to resume whaling? What steps will the Government take to encourage our friends to change their mind?
Mark Christopher Field (Conservative, Centre-right): The UK is disappointed that Japan has announced that it will withdraw from the International Whaling Commission in order to resume commercial whaling, and we urge it to rethink its decision. The Prime Minister raised this with Prime Minister Abe on 10 January, confirming that the UK is and remains strongly opposed to commercial whaling.
Leaving the European Union — House of Commons, 2019-02-26
Topic: Other
John Simon Bercow (Conservative, Centre-right): Order. This is rather discourteous. The Prime Minister is delivering a statement, and it should be heard. I understand the strong feelings, but colleagues know from the record that everybody will get the chance to question the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister’s statement must be heard.
Leaving the European Union — House of Commons, 2019-02-26
Topic: Other
John Simon Bercow (Conservative, Centre-right): Order. I indicated to the House that the Prime Minister should be fairly and courteously heard, and the same goes for the Leader of the Opposition. If the usual suspects could just calm down, it would be in their interests and, more importantly, those of the House.
Leaving the European Union — House of Commons, 2019-02-26
Topic: Other
John Simon Bercow (Conservative, Centre-right): Order. Mr Blunt—be quiet. Be quiet. You are not the arbiter of what the right hon. Lady says. I will be the judge of that. Do not try to shout her down. It is beneath you—and more importantly, it will fail.
Leaving the European Union — House of Commons, 2019-02-26
Topic: Immigration
Theresa Mary May (Conservative, Centre-right): I say to the hon. Lady that we now have the opportunity, as a result of leaving the European Union, to put a new immigration system into place—yes, to bring an end to free movement once and for all; that was an important element of the referendum debate and the reason why, I think, quite a number of people voted to leave the European Union. We can now put in place an immigration system based not on where somebody comes from, but on the skills they have and the contribution they will make to this country.
Leaving the European Union — House of Commons, 2019-02-26
Topic: Other
John Simon Bercow (Conservative, Centre-right): The right hon. Member for New Forest East (Dr Lewis) has perambulated from one part of the Chamber to another, but fortunately I can still see him. He is now next to the Father of the House—a very important position.
Leaving the European Union — House of Commons, 2019-02-26
Topic: Civil Rights
Theresa Mary May (Conservative, Centre-right): I absolutely agree with my right hon. Friend. Our party campaigned to respect the result of the referendum and the Labour party campaigned saying that it would respect the result of the referendum. It is important that we do just that.
Leaving the European Union — House of Commons, 2019-02-26
Topic: Mixed Topics
Theresa Mary May (Conservative, Centre-right): We have negotiated a deal with the European Union that is very clear on the issue of no tariffs. It is open to Members of this House, with the changes that will be brought back following our discussions with the European Union, to support that deal I also say to the hon. Lady that this Government have been dealing with a number of burning injustices in this country, which were not dealt with by a previous Labour Government. I cite things like the action we have taken on stop and search, in relation to mental health and on the race disparity audit.
Leaving the European Union — House of Commons, 2019-02-26
Topic: Civil Rights
Theresa Mary May (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Lady says yes to that. I have to say to her that it would not be respecting the result of the referendum, and that 80% of the votes cast in the last general election were for parties that said they would respect it.
Leaving the European Union — House of Commons, 2019-02-26
Topic: Other
Theresa Mary May (Conservative, Centre-right): Of course it is absolutely right that the Standing Orders of this House can be changed by this House; in recent times the Standing Orders of this House have often been interpreted in ways that were not expected.
Leaving the European Union — House of Commons, 2019-02-26
Topic: Other
Theresa Mary May (Conservative, Centre-right): I refer the right hon. Gentleman to the answer that I have given to that question earlier this afternoon, and indeed to the answer that I have given to the same question that he has asked me in every statement I have made on this issue in recent months.
Leaving the European Union — House of Commons, 2019-02-26
Topic: Immigration
Alexander John Gervase Chalk (Conservative, Centre-right): It is encouraging to hear from my right hon. Friend that, in her words, good progress has been made towards securing an alternative to the vexed issue of the backstop, but it is critical that hon. and right hon. Members have the opportunity to consider such new arrangements in advance of any vote. Is she confident that we will indeed have that opportunity in advance of the vote on 12 March?
Leaving the European Union — House of Commons, 2019-02-26
Topic: Immigration
Theresa Mary May (Conservative, Centre-right): As I have said, we are in discussions about the legal changes. The hon. Lady says that it appears from listening to me that the issue is the backstop. Actually, this House made it clear that the issue was the backstop, because that is how this House voted on the 29 January.
Leaving the European Union — House of Commons, 2019-02-26
Topic: Civil Rights
Theresa Mary May (Conservative, Centre-right): My right hon. Friend is absolutely right. Whether it is called a people’s vote or a confirmatory vote, it is a second referendum. It is putting the decision back to the British people. We said that we would honour the decision, the Labour party stood on a manifesto of respecting that decision, and we should both do just that.
Leaving the European Union — House of Commons, 2019-02-26
Topic: Mixed Topics
Marcus John Hudson Fysh (Conservative, Centre-right): I welcome the fact that, contrary to certain less than well informed opinions in this House, even among my right hon. Friend’s Cabinet and junior Ministers, significant preparations have been undertaken by the EU, UK and Ireland for any eventuality. We now know, for instance, that aviation, financial derivatives, euro clearing, aerospace manufacturing, auto making, agriculture and other sectors of our economy will have access to the EU, that electricity interconnectors will be licensed, that UK insurance and extradition will be operative in Ireland and that simplified customs procedures will eliminate, or greatly reduce, checks at our borders. Three further practical enhancements to border efficiency are suggested by my work with customs and freight operators that my right hon. Friend now has in her hands to implement in the national interest. [Interruption.]
Leaving the European Union — House of Commons, 2019-02-26
Topic: Other
John Simon Bercow (Conservative, Centre-right): Order. Resume your seat, Mr Fysh. [Interruption.] Order. I indulged the hon. Gentleman, whose sincerity I greatly admire, but may I very politely suggest that he needs to develop some feel, some antennae, for the House? The House’s fascination with his points is not as great as his own.