argyrotsipi/train-dataset huggingface dataset:
Children and Young Persons — House of Commons, 2021-03-01
Topic: Mixed Topics
Victoria Grace Ford (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank everyone for their contributions to this debate. It is good to hear that the shadow Minister will not be opposing the regulations, as to do so would potentially have put children at risk. I am glad she agrees that it is better to have left the EU with a deal than without one, but I am sorry that I did not hear her put on the record her thanks to all those who negotiated right up to the deadline in order to secure a deal. I would like to put on the record my thanks to all those from both sides of the negotiations, including the EU negotiators, who worked through that holiday period to ensure that we could have as smooth an exit as possible The shadow Minister asked what had been done to inform people of changes to the law, so let me be extremely clear that the underlying law has not changed. What has changed is where people will be prosecuted if they breach the underlying law. That is extremely important and it should be clear to the shadow Minister, so I am surprised that her lawyers have not got that extremely important point. All that is changing is where people will be prosecuted The regulations do not diminish in any way the offences I have described as set out both in the Education Act 2002 and in the 2005 electronic commerce directive regulations. They do not impact in any way on the policy behind those regulations. The identity of teachers who are accused by a pupil of an offence will be protected until the point at which relevant legal proceedings have begun and children in care will continue to be kept safe and protected by our ensuring that arranging and advertising adoption can legally only be undertaken by adoption agencies The regulations simply fix the deficiencies of retained EU law. They will ensure the enforcement of UK laws when the offence is committed in the UK, irrespective of the country in the European economic area in which the online service providers are based. My understanding is that the devolved Administrations were consulted—I did have discussion on this—and Northern Ireland did give its consent. On the point about malpractice, that is covered only in England and Wales and there is a devolved point in this regard, but I can assure colleagues that the Administrations were contacted as part of this exercise. On that basis, I commend the regulations to the House Question put and agreed to.
Pensions — House of Commons, 2021-03-01
Topic: Mixed Topics
Mark Gino Francois (Conservative, Centre-right): My question is this. The very helpful notes that go with the instrument state: "A full impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument." We were not expecting "War and Peace". There will be a reason why the Government took that decision; perhaps the Minister will explain it to the House.
Pensions — House of Commons, 2021-03-01
Topic: Other
Guy Thomas Opperman (Conservative, Centre-right): As always, I am grateful for my right hon. Friend’s intervention and support, and for his kind comments. I accept and take any praise that is due, and likewise hope that all Whips have taken due note of that.
Income Tax — House of Commons, 2021-03-01
Topic: Mixed Topics
Alexander Jesse Norman (Conservative, Centre-right): It is testimony to the unifying quality of football as a game that we can have such a unanimity of view across the different nations of this country. I thank the hon. Member for Ealing North (James Murray) for the Opposition’s support. I also thank the hon. Member for Glenrothes (Peter Grant) for his and his party’s support; I am not going to comment on the relative order in the finals between England and Scotland, but we shall see. I thank very much the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon), who asks if we will consider a few more days of relief. I thank him for his question. He has put it on the record here in Parliament, and we will of course give it consideration It is a great sadness to me personally that it is unlikely that the England team will feature any members of the Hereford FC team, now making their way triumphantly towards the finals—I hope, in due course—of the FA trophy, but I can say that Members of this House will, I hope, have the joy of seeing players of the quality of a Kane, a Rashford, a Mount, a Calvert-Lewin and a McTominay. With that, I hope that we can all have a fantastic tournament, ably supported by our tax system Question put and agreed to.
National Autism Strategy — House of Commons, 2021-01-13
Topic: Mixed Topics
Helen Olivia Bicknell Whately (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank the hon. Lady for raising this important issue and congratulate her on all the work that she does for autistic people. We are working across Government and particularly with the Department for Education to develop a new impactful all-age autism strategy. This will set out specific actions to address the significant inequalities that autistic people and their families face We aim to publish the strategy in the spring.
Levelling-up Agenda — House of Commons, 2021-01-13
Topic: Civil Rights
Elizabeth Mary Truss (Conservative, Centre-right): We are determined that everyone in Britain should be treated fairly and have a fair chance in life, whether they come from Redcar or Reading. That is why we have a new approach in the Equality Hub that is focused on the scourge of geographic inequality.
Equality of Opportunity: Children — House of Commons, 2021-01-13
Topic: Mixed Topics
Peter James Guy Aldous (Conservative, Centre-right): Coastal communities such as Lowestoft face particular challenges in improving social mobility. I would be most grateful if my hon. Friend outlined the co-ordinating action being taken to ensure that all Government Departments work together to ensure that children in seaside towns have every opportunity to realise their full potential.
Equality of Opportunity: Children — House of Commons, 2021-01-13
Topic: Mixed Topics
Paul Stuart Scully (Conservative, Centre-right): Clearly, what we need to do for coastal communities—as we are doing, working with the Under-Secretary of State for Education, my hon. Friend the Member for Chelmsford (Vicky Ford)—is to make sure that childcare is available for every child. That is why we are, in particular, keeping early years open, and why the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy is working to make sure that we protect jobs and create new job opportunities for those in coastal communities.
Equalities Policy — House of Commons, 2021-01-13
Topic: Civil Rights
Elizabeth Mary Truss (Conservative, Centre-right): I want to make sure that the equality agenda moves beyond just protected characteristics. Instead, we will make sure that we are focused on every individual in Britain having a fair chance in life and fair access to public services.
Equalities Policy — House of Commons, 2021-01-13
Topic: Civil Rights
James Sunderland (Conservative, Centre-right): I really welcome the Government’s agenda on women and equalities, and I commend my right hon. Friend for her outstanding leadership, but could I please also ask her to reassure me that we will never bow to those who suggest that white people should feel guilty for being white or to those who peddle the notion of white privilege? We are in this together, so will she please undertake today to write to other Government Departments to reinforce that?
Equalities Policy — House of Commons, 2021-01-13
Topic: Civil Rights
Elizabeth Mary Truss (Conservative, Centre-right): Britain is one of the best places in the world to live, no matter what a person’s skin colour, sexuality, religion or anything else is. We need to be positively empowering people in Britain to succeed so that everyone has access to opportunity, and not using positive discrimination. That is the approach we are taking right across Government.
Equalities Policy — House of Commons, 2021-01-13
Topic: Civil Rights
Robert John Blackman (Conservative, Centre-right): A very happy Lohri for the Dogra community, who are celebrating today. I agree completely with my right hon. Friend on the need to ensure that we move beyond the Equality Act 2010, but first we need to reform it. Will she bring forward proposals to remove caste as a protected characteristic from the Equality Act 2010, so that we can ensure that Hindu, Sikh, Jain and Muslim communities are not disadvantaged in our society?
Equalities Policy — House of Commons, 2021-01-13
Topic: Civil Rights
Elizabeth Mary Truss (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank my hon. Friend for his question. Caste is not a protected characteristic in the Equality Act 2010, and case law has already shown that a claim of caste discrimination could qualify for protection under the race provisions in the Act.
Equalities Policy: Evidence Base — House of Commons, 2021-01-13
Topic: Civil Rights
Elizabeth Mary Truss (Conservative, Centre-right): We can and must have an equality agenda that is driven by evidence, and that is why we have launched an equality data project, which will look at the life paths of individuals across this country and deliver hard data about the barriers that people face.
Equalities Policy: Evidence Base — House of Commons, 2021-01-13
Topic: Civil Rights
Thomas William Randall (Conservative, Centre-right): Over the Christmas break, I was disappointed to read comments in The Guardian by Halima Begum of the Runnymede Trust, who ridiculously claimed: "I think the government’s long-term plan is to work up white nationalism for the next elections" Does my right hon. Friend agree that not only should that insulting thinking have no place in the setting of Government policy, but it should have no place in mainstream discourse?
Equalities Policy: Evidence Base — House of Commons, 2021-01-13
Topic: Civil Rights
Elizabeth Mary Truss (Conservative, Centre-right): I agree with my hon. Friend—these comments are appalling. They reflect an attitude on the left of politics that says, "If you’re not from an oppressed group, you’re not entitled to an opinion", and I think that is fundamentally wrong. I believe that equality is for everyone, and I am not going to let this debate be dominated by a few campaign groups Topical Questions
Equalities Policy: Evidence Base — House of Commons, 2021-01-13
Topic: Civil Rights
Elizabeth Mary Truss (Conservative, Centre-right): As we recover from covid, we need to make sure that everyone in Britain has a chance to succeed and is being treated fairly in the workplace. We are broadening the focus of the Equality Hub from protected characteristics to equality for all and, in particular, tackling the scourge of geographical inequality. I will shortly be saying more about our new fight for fairness, delivering a better deal for everyone and standing up for fundamental human rights and freedoms across the world.
Equalities Policy: Evidence Base — House of Commons, 2021-01-13
Topic: Civil Rights
Thomas Patrick Hunt (Conservative, Centre-right): I very much welcome the fact that the equality agenda will be looking beyond simply protected characteristics. One key problem has been white pupils eligible for free school meals and how they have underperformed academically compared with other low income groups. Does the Minister feel that the equality agenda we have been working with, which has been almost exclusively focused on protected characteristics, may be an explainer in why that is the case?
Equalities Policy: Evidence Base — House of Commons, 2021-01-13
Topic: Civil Rights
Elizabeth Mary Truss (Conservative, Centre-right): We have made significant progress since 2010 in addressing disparities—for example, closing the attainment gap in education—but we recognise that, during the covid crisis, more needs to be done to address inequality and help to level up our country. The way we are going to do that is to focus on equality for everyone across our country, making sure that everyone has a fair chance—including addressing the issue of geographical inequality, which is severe in this nation.
Equalities Policy: Evidence Base — House of Commons, 2021-01-13
Topic: Civil Rights
Maria Frances Lewis Miller (Conservative, Centre-right): The evidence shows that women face a significantly greater risk of violence and harassment than men in many aspects of their lives. To show their continued commitment to this issue, when will the Government ratify the International Labour Organisation’s new global convention outlawing violence and harassment at work, and will my right hon. Friend join me in supporting UN Women’s "Safe Spaces Now" campaign for better safety online and in public spaces?
Equalities Policy: Evidence Base — House of Commons, 2021-01-13
Topic: Civil Rights
Olukemi Olufunto Badenoch (Conservative, Centre-right): We are finalising consultations across Government on the ratification of the ILO violence and harassment convention. Once complete, we will inform Parliament of our intentions regarding ratification. The Government share the "Safe Spaces Now" campaign’s goals to see street harassment stamped out and are committed to tackling all forms of abuse against women and girls.
Equalities Policy: Evidence Base — House of Commons, 2021-01-13
Topic: Civil Rights
Elizabeth Mary Truss (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend the Minister for Equalities has already presented the clear evidence on the covid crisis. My point is that, rather than looking at equality through the prism of groups, we should be focusing on making sure that every individual in this country—regardless of their race, their background, their sexuality or their sex—has the opportunity to succeed. That is what the data project we are working on will look at.
Engagements — House of Commons, 2021-01-13
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Simon James Jupp (Conservative, Centre-right): The hospitality industry is the lifeblood of East Devon. Our pubs, restaurants, cafés and hotels provide thousands of jobs, places to meet and places to stay. The generous support package now put in place will tide many of these businesses over for now, but they will need further support. Will my right hon. Friend consider extending the VAT cut for hospitality to give them a helping hand when they are back open for business?
Engagements — House of Commons, 2021-01-13
Topic: Public Lands
Andrew Theakstone Percy (Conservative, Centre-right): Here in East Yorkshire, North Lincolnshire and the Humber, we have some of the highest flood risk in the country, and we are still waiting for the report on the flooding of the River Aire at East Cowick and Snaith, just up the road from me here, which took place 10 months ago. I welcome the doubling of flood defence funding, which is most welcome in an area such as mine, but we often come up against the challenges of bureaucracy and sometimes Treasury funding rules. So may I ask the Prime Minister to look at what more can be done to reduce the red tape in bringing schemes forward? Although I appreciate the need for national agencies, will he also look at what we can do to utilise lead local flood councils or drainage boards by providing them with direct cash, as well as the Environment Agency, to bring forward projects that will protect homes and people?
Engagements — House of Commons, 2021-01-13
Topic: Public Lands
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend makes an excellent point about the need to improve flood defences, which is why we are investing £2.6 billion in 1,000 flood defences in England in the next six years. The Humber estuary, the area he represents so well, is one of four areas that will benefit from trials on long-term ways of making all our country more resistant to flooding.
Engagements — House of Commons, 2021-01-13
Topic: Mixed Topics
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (Conservative, Centre-right): I will, of course, ensure that there is a proper meeting with the hon. Gentleman and his colleagues on this subject, which is extremely important. I know that our friends in the EU will be wanting to go further to improve things not just for musicians, but for business travellers of all kinds, because there is a mutual benefit.
Engagements — House of Commons, 2021-01-13
Topic: Civil Rights
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (Conservative, Centre-right): As the hon. Gentleman says, we believe that using threats of firing and rehiring is unacceptable as a negotiating tactic, and there are laws in place to ensure that contractual conditions cannot discriminate against people on grounds of race, sex or disability, but I will take up his point by saying that the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy is working with ACAS, businesses and employee representatives to discuss what more we can do.
Engagements — House of Commons, 2021-01-13
Topic: Mixed Topics
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (Conservative, Centre-right): In so far as that was the gentleman’s intention, he has failed in that. Possibly the best thing I can do is repeat what I said to the hon. Member for Paisley and Renfrewshire North (Gavin Newlands), who has already raised the subject of the strike. We regard fire and rehire as unacceptable, and we will continue to make that point and seek further means of redress.
Northern Ireland Protocol: Disruption to Trade — House of Commons, 2021-01-13
Topic: Mixed Topics
John Alan Redwood (Conservative, Centre-right): Will my right hon. Friend introduce urgent legislation to ensure the smooth flow of goods between Northern Ireland and GB? Is it not crucial to our Union, in respect of both Northern Ireland and Scotland, that the Government keep their promise to take control of our laws and borders and to demonstrate a more prosperous internal market for the whole UK?
Northern Ireland Protocol: Disruption to Trade — House of Commons, 2021-01-13
Topic: Mixed Topics
Huw William Merriman (Conservative, Centre-right): Is this chiefly an issue of valid applicability of the protocol, or over-zealous—and perhaps erroneous—interpretation? If it is the former, when will my right hon. Friend take steps to address it with our European counterparts? If it is the latter, what will the Government do to better explain what hauliers and others in the industry can do to follow the rules and get it right?
Northern Ireland Protocol: Disruption to Trade — House of Commons, 2021-01-13
Topic: Mixed Topics
Michael Andrew Gove (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend makes an important point. Few people in this House are doing as much as he is doing at the moment to uphold the integrity of our United Kingdom. He is right that much work was done before the withdrawal agreement on different ways of resolving the challenges that we face on the island of Ireland, and some of those most intimately involved in that work, such as the distinguished trade expert Shanker Singham, are now involved in making sure that the trader support service delivers. He is also right that we will have to keep constantly under review, while respecting our legal obligations under the protocol, what more we can do to make sure that businesses in Northern Ireland can flourish and prosper.
Northern Ireland Protocol: Disruption to Trade — House of Commons, 2021-01-13
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Michael Andrew Gove (Conservative, Centre-right): I am grateful to the right hon. Gentleman for raising these issues. I should stress that the Government are seeking to acknowledge that there are challenges but that some of those challenges are being overcome by good working by Ministers in the Northern Ireland Executive and by businesses. As I mentioned earlier, some of the initial disruption in the first few days to supermarket supplies has now effectively been addressed, but there are a number of other issues that we are working through. I know that the right hon. Gentleman will, as other members of his party have been doing, be giving me granular information on precisely which businesses may have suffered from disruption, so that we can immediately act to support them and deal with any of the problems that they have identified. I look forward to carrying on that conversation.
Northern Ireland Protocol: Disruption to Trade — House of Commons, 2021-01-13
Topic: Immigration
Craig Mackinlay (Conservative, Centre-right): I am afraid that this is an amplification of what the right hon. Member for East Antrim (Sammy Wilson) raised. The Minister is clearly aware of issues affecting GB to NI traffic, which I consider to be contrary to the guarantee of unfettered access in the Northern Ireland protocol, the Good Friday agreement and, indeed, the Act of Union. As he just heard, the Republic of Ireland is sensibly using a light-touch approach, but it seems that our HMRC is enforcing draconian customs measures on people simply trying to move home. Can he please ensure that HMRC does not gold-plate rules, that it acts sensibly and that the Joint Committee solves these issues forthwith?
Northern Ireland Protocol: Disruption to Trade — House of Commons, 2021-01-13
Topic: Mixed Topics
Andrew William Murrison (Conservative, Centre-right): Does my right hon. Friend agree with me that we have to keep faith with the Northern Ireland protocol, which—long term—shows every sign of benefiting Northern Ireland in its commercial neighbourhood? Will he, however, signal early on to the Joint Committee our willingness to extend the grace period for food, noting the highly pragmatic easement that Dublin has applied? Long term, will he deal with the nonsense—the bureaucratic nonsense—of requiring highly qualified veterinary surgeons to do basic routine sanitary checks?
Northern Ireland Protocol: Disruption to Trade — House of Commons, 2021-01-13
Topic: Mixed Topics
Laurence Anthony Robertson (Conservative, Centre-right): Can the Minister confirm that anyone wanting to take personal goods from Great Britain to Northern Ireland will not be restricted in any way, and will he make sure that HMRC actually understands that that is an integral part of the Northern Ireland protocol?
Northern Ireland Protocol: Disruption to Trade — House of Commons, 2021-01-13
Topic: Mixed Topics
Michael Andrew Gove (Conservative, Centre-right): My right hon. Friend is absolutely right. The way of doing so is by working with supermarkets and other major suppliers in order to make sure that they are ready. Of course we will make it clear to the European Commission what the consequences would be if supermarkets were not in a position to carry on with the service they provide to Northern Ireland consumers.
Northern Ireland Protocol: Disruption to Trade — House of Commons, 2021-01-13
Topic: Mixed Topics
Michael Andrew Gove (Conservative, Centre-right): I am sorry to hear about the distress faced by the lady who was moving from Essex to Broughshane. We will do everything possible to investigate the specific case and ensure that sort of thing does not happen again. On the broader points the hon. Member makes, I am grateful for the constructive approach he has taken to the steps that we have taken so far, but he is absolutely right that more needs to be done, and I look forward to working with him to do that.
Northern Ireland Protocol: Disruption to Trade — House of Commons, 2021-01-13
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Alexander Paul Thomas Stafford (Conservative, Centre-right): Last year, my right hon. Friend reached an agreement with the EU on a grace period to apply to supermarkets for the first quarter of this year. Can he confirm that this agreement is being respected in full by the relevant authorities? How many supermarkets and suppliers are benefiting from these arrangements?
Northern Ireland Protocol: Disruption to Trade — House of Commons, 2021-01-13
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Michael Andrew Gove (Conservative, Centre-right): I am very grateful to my hon. Friend for raising this issue. Supermarkets are benefiting from it—Asda, Marks & Spencer, Sainsbury’s and Iceland among others—but it is important that we do everything we can to monitor its effective operation, and that is why I am so grateful to the British Retail Consortium for reaching out today with some specific suggestions as to how we can improve things. I am also grateful to him, because I know that like all my colleagues he is a dedicated upholder of the integrity of the United Kingdom and its citizens.