argyrotsipi/train-dataset huggingface dataset:
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2019-10-23
Topic: Mixed Topics
Questions: With the Government being the largest client of the construction industry, will the Minister support a private Member’s Bill—similar to the ten-minute rule Bill that I introduced in the last Session—to outlaw the abuse of retentions?; One hundred and eighty-one victims have died since the start of the contaminated blood inquiry, so when will this Government accept the responsibility for the worst scandal in the NHS and pay compensation to surviving victims and bereaved families?;   The Mayor of Greater Manchester is the police and crime commissioner and has responsibility for the Greater Manchester spatial framework and for health and social care devolution. London has an Assembly to challenge the Mayor. What mechanism is there in Greater Manchester?; The withdrawal agreement will have the most profound effect on devolution, and I do not trust the Tories with devolution. Does the Minister agree with the First Ministers of Wales and Scotland, who are meeting across the road, that they must give legislative consent?;   The Government’s previous offers to reduce the pension age of prison officers have included unrelated changes to their terms and conditions, such as a derisory three-year pay deal. Will the Minister agree to sit round the table with the POA union to negotiate this issue solely on its own?;   Yellowhammer identified possible food shortages and food price rises that would have a disproportionate impact on vulnerable groups. What work are Ministers doing with schools, hospitals and frontline charities to make sure this is not an issue?
Amber Rudd (Conservative, Centre-right): Existing electoral law seeks to control the spending and supervise the message whenever we go into elections. Does the Minister share my concern that it might not be adequate to control and supervise the advertising and campaigning that takes place on social media, where most of our constituents are more likely to get the message and where it is so important to ensure adequate controls?
Engagements — House of Commons, 2019-10-23
Topic: Other
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (Conservative, Centre-right): I will try to reply with the generosity of spirit that the hon. Lady would expect from me and just say that I receive excellent advice from a wide range of advisers and officials. It is the role of advisers to advise and the role of the Government to decide, and I take full responsibility for everything the Government do.
Engagements — House of Commons, 2019-10-23
Topic: Other
Questions: My right hon. Friend achieved what many said was impossible and negotiated a new Brexit deal, which passed through the House last night. Does he share my regret that many in the Labour party, including the Leader of the Opposition, voted once again to delay our leaving with a deal on 31 October, not least given that he told the House on 22 February 2016 that his party welcomed the fact that it was now up to the British people to decide if we remained in the European Union?
John Simon Bercow (Conservative, Centre-right): Order. Mr Russell-Moyle, you are an incorrigible individual, yelling from a sedentary position at the top of your voice at every turn. Calm yourself man; take some sort of soothing medicament from which you will benefit.
Engagements — House of Commons, 2019-10-23
Topic: Immigration
Questions: When my right hon. Friend was seeking to become leader of the Conservative party, I was possibly the only one of our colleagues who asked him for anything in return for their support. [Interruption.] I am being charitable. I asked him for three things: first, that he would get Brexit done; secondly, that he would make me a duke, because my wife fancies becoming a duchess; and, finally, something on which the Leader of the Opposition certainly agrees with me, which is that Southend becomes a city. When will these things happen?; I wonder whether the Prime Minister has seen the heart-breaking images of children being killed, mutilated and seriously injured on the Syrian border. Given that the Turks are members of NATO and old allies of ours, that we have fought with the Kurds, who are good and trusted friends, and that the United States is a major ally of ours and the Prime Minister has a good relationship with Donald Trump, will the right hon. Gentleman step up to the plate and show that the British Government care about this and are willing to do something about it?; In a dispute, diametrically opposed outcomes cannot be equally beneficial for both sides. If the Prime Minister’s great deal is so good for Northern Ireland’s seafood producers because it allows them access to the single market and customs union, how would he describe his deal for the shellfish producers of my Argyll and Bute constituency, who fish in the same waters for exactly the same catch but will not have access to the single market and customs union? One has a great deal; what does the other one have?; The National Farmers Union reported this week that 16 million apples have rotted away, because the immigrant workers that normally pick them for the country have chosen not to come. Immigration was clearly a big part of the EU referendum, and the Prime Minister has promised a points-based system, but that is not going to allow for people coming here to pick fruit. What does he intend to do to stop the scandal of British food rotting away in the fields?
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (Conservative, Centre-right): To the best of my knowledge, there are more EU nationals living and working in this country than ever before, and, in many ways, that is a great thing, but we have, as the hon. Gentleman knows, the EU national settlement scheme to encourage people to come forward to register if they are in any doubt about their status. We will bring forward an Australian-style, points-based immigration system to make sure that all sectors have access to the labour they need.
Engagements — House of Commons, 2019-10-23
Topic: Civil Rights
Questions: When my right hon. Friend was seeking to become leader of the Conservative party, I was possibly the only one of our colleagues who asked him for anything in return for their support. [Interruption.] I am being charitable. I asked him for three things: first, that he would get Brexit done; secondly, that he would make me a duke, because my wife fancies becoming a duchess; and, finally, something on which the Leader of the Opposition certainly agrees with me, which is that Southend becomes a city. When will these things happen?; I wonder whether the Prime Minister has seen the heart-breaking images of children being killed, mutilated and seriously injured on the Syrian border. Given that the Turks are members of NATO and old allies of ours, that we have fought with the Kurds, who are good and trusted friends, and that the United States is a major ally of ours and the Prime Minister has a good relationship with Donald Trump, will the right hon. Gentleman step up to the plate and show that the British Government care about this and are willing to do something about it?; In a dispute, diametrically opposed outcomes cannot be equally beneficial for both sides. If the Prime Minister’s great deal is so good for Northern Ireland’s seafood producers because it allows them access to the single market and customs union, how would he describe his deal for the shellfish producers of my Argyll and Bute constituency, who fish in the same waters for exactly the same catch but will not have access to the single market and customs union? One has a great deal; what does the other one have?; The National Farmers Union reported this week that 16 million apples have rotted away, because the immigrant workers that normally pick them for the country have chosen not to come. Immigration was clearly a big part of the EU referendum, and the Prime Minister has promised a points-based system, but that is not going to allow for people coming here to pick fruit. What does he intend to do to stop the scandal of British food rotting away in the fields?
Penelope Mary Mordaunt (Conservative, Centre-right): I congratulate the Prime Minister on achieving so many things that the establishment said were impossible. In the light of that, may I ask him to instruct the Cabinet Office to examine how we can bring an end to male primogeniture and the ridiculous rules in the honours system that value women less than men—hopefully before he makes good on his undertakings to my hon. Friend the Member for Southend West (Sir David Amess)?
Engagements — House of Commons, 2019-10-23
Topic: Civil Rights
Questions: When my right hon. Friend was seeking to become leader of the Conservative party, I was possibly the only one of our colleagues who asked him for anything in return for their support. [Interruption.] I am being charitable. I asked him for three things: first, that he would get Brexit done; secondly, that he would make me a duke, because my wife fancies becoming a duchess; and, finally, something on which the Leader of the Opposition certainly agrees with me, which is that Southend becomes a city. When will these things happen?; I wonder whether the Prime Minister has seen the heart-breaking images of children being killed, mutilated and seriously injured on the Syrian border. Given that the Turks are members of NATO and old allies of ours, that we have fought with the Kurds, who are good and trusted friends, and that the United States is a major ally of ours and the Prime Minister has a good relationship with Donald Trump, will the right hon. Gentleman step up to the plate and show that the British Government care about this and are willing to do something about it?; In a dispute, diametrically opposed outcomes cannot be equally beneficial for both sides. If the Prime Minister’s great deal is so good for Northern Ireland’s seafood producers because it allows them access to the single market and customs union, how would he describe his deal for the shellfish producers of my Argyll and Bute constituency, who fish in the same waters for exactly the same catch but will not have access to the single market and customs union? One has a great deal; what does the other one have?; The National Farmers Union reported this week that 16 million apples have rotted away, because the immigrant workers that normally pick them for the country have chosen not to come. Immigration was clearly a big part of the EU referendum, and the Prime Minister has promised a points-based system, but that is not going to allow for people coming here to pick fruit. What does he intend to do to stop the scandal of British food rotting away in the fields?
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (Conservative, Centre-right): Speaking as the oldest son who has never seen any particular benefits from that rule, I understand completely what my right hon. Friend says. I will reflect on her request. I think that she speaks for many people around the country who wish to see fairness and equality in the way we do these things
Major Incident in Essex — House of Commons, 2019-10-23
Topic: Immigration
Priti Sushil Patel (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank the right hon. Lady for her comments and reflections following the tragic incident this morning. She was, of course, right in a number of the points she made, such as about our emergency service workers who are dealing with the incident on the ground. We will work collaboratively with the investigation teams—not just with Essex police, but with the National Crime Agency, Border Force and many others—to further the investigation into this appalling incident It is important to emphasise a few other points. This is now a murder investigation. We are still ascertaining various facts, but given the sheer humanity that we all feel following the deaths of 39 individuals in such circumstances, some fundamental points arise: potential links to criminality, and also what we should be doing as a country to make sure we stand by those who really should not be trafficked in any way As a country, we lead the world in many of our ways of working internationally, on modern-day slavery and through our own legislation. Fundamentally, there is always the point of international co-operation and collaboration—we must never lose sight of that—whether it is with our EU counterparts, as the right hon. Lady said, or with other international counterparts through the many multilateral forums we work with to prevent upstream migration, illegal human trafficking and all the terrible things we want to stop and prevent. At the end of the day, we must do the right thing as a country and uphold the right kind of values, to ensure that particularly for those who are fleeing war zones, conflicts and some of the most horrendous situations we see in the world, we are able to give people asylum in the right kind of way, which is exactly what we do.
Major Incident in Essex — House of Commons, 2019-10-23
Topic: Immigration
Jacqueline Doyle-Price (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank my right hon. Friend for her statement. I thank her in particular for offering to make her resources available to identify these people, because the fact of the matter is that their loved ones have no idea what has happened to them. They think that their loved ones have gone to a better life, and that is an absolute tragedy. Sadly, this is not the first time people have been found in metal containers in my constituency. I am sorry to say that it is an all too regular occurrence. It was only a matter of time before it ended in tragedy I endorse what my right hon. Friend said: this is a multinational problem that we need to fix. We will not be able to stop people trafficking just in this country alone. It needs to be worked on through international partnerships to ensure that we root out these evil people who profit from people’s hope while actually putting them into misery.
Major Incident in Essex — House of Commons, 2019-10-23
Topic: Mixed Topics
Priti Sushil Patel (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank my hon. Friend for her very considered remarks in the light of what has happened in her constituency today. We should reflect upon the fact that this is not the first example of such a horrific incident in her constituency. This incident was in an industrial park, but there have been equally horrific examples at the ports in her constituency My hon. Friend was right to reflect, as she did earlier with the Prime Minister, on the work of the emergency workers on the scene, who will have witnessed horrors that will live with them probably for the rest of their lives. We owe it to them to provide the support that they need post this event There is a fundamental issue here: we as a Government are naturally always committed to working with our law enforcement partners and multinational agencies to prevent all sorts of things of this nature from ever materialising and happening. We are committed to breaking up criminal gangs. We do, of course, work upstream and with our international partners. Perhaps I could highlight a few examples. Previous Governments have committed to legislation such as the Modern Slavery Act 2015, which, in fact, our previous Prime Minister very much campaigned for and secured. I have myself worked in the international sphere through my work in the Department for International Development, and DFID itself is obviously doing a great deal now when it comes to upstream work, working through the multinational agencies, the United Nations and other organisations There is so much more we can do internationally, because the fact of the matter is that where there is instability globally and a great deal of displacement, we see such awful events like this happening.
Major Incident in Essex — House of Commons, 2019-10-23
Topic: Immigration
Priti Sushil Patel (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank the hon. Gentleman for his remarks and for the questions he has posed. I am sure he will recognise, as will the whole House, that the United Kingdom is very proud of its record when it comes to a lot of the work on national resettlement schemes. He has alluded to principles such as Dublin, under which we do support resettlement. Those are absolutely the right principles that we as a nation stand by, and nobody would doubt or question that at all On the potential route that the lorry took and the hon. Gentleman’s specific remarks, it is important to reflect on the fact that across all avenues and all entries—through our ports, and our airports in fact—the UK operates intelligence-led controls, and we obviously have Border Force doing checks at every single level. However, the fundamental principle we cannot ignore is that the fact of the matter is that we are dealing with those who are using people for the most appalling purposes. What we have seen and are witnessing today is one of the most horrendous crimes against humanity and crimes against individuals. That is why, because we do not know the full facts or have the full details behind what is going on, we must give the police and other agencies the space to investigate what has happened, and then we can obviously look at what more we can do to prevent instances such as this from happening again.
Major Incident in Essex — House of Commons, 2019-10-23
Topic: Mixed Topics
Priti Sushil Patel (Conservative, Centre-right): My right hon. Friend is absolutely right. We have seen today just one example or incident—a horrible, horrific incident in Essex—but my right hon. Friend has alluded to other examples, such as small boats coming to Kent or to Dover, and a great deal of work has taken place in preventing people trafficking through those particular routes. He is right and, in answer to his question, we are absolutely committed not just with Border Force but with our other agencies and through our intelligence network to work far more collaboratively to ensure, yes, that all ports are prepared— our staff are looking out for some of the most appalling behaviours and some of the examples we are speaking about in the House today—but, importantly, that we do more collectively as a Government to work with our international partners to stop this happening in the first place.
Major Incident in Essex — House of Commons, 2019-10-23
Topic: Mixed Topics
Priti Sushil Patel (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Gentleman raises a very important point. I cannot tell the House that information right now; it is obviously subject to the investigation. I will of course come back to him directly myself, as this investigation unfolds, with the specific information that he has asked for, but I can assure him that of course everything had been done in terms of checks coming through Holyhead.
Major Incident in Essex — House of Commons, 2019-10-23
Topic: Immigration
Priti Sushil Patel (Conservative, Centre-right): My right hon. Friend raises such an important point, and he speaks with great experience, insight and knowledge on this issue. He is right that as the world has changed and conflict has changed, we are seeing all sorts of desperate situations around the world. There is much more that we can do in leveraging in our own voice and our own influence with the big organisations such as the United Nations. There is no doubt that there is much more that can be done. He will also be familiar with the UN migration compact—I think it came about in 2015—which is doing great work. In fact, the United Kingdom stood up and spoke very convincingly about doing much more in this space. He is absolutely right that there is much more that we can do internationally.
Major Incident in Essex — House of Commons, 2019-10-23
Topic: Mixed Topics
Stephen James Metcalfe (Conservative, Centre-right): May I echo the words of my hon. Friend the Member for Thurrock (Jackie Doyle-Price), who is my constituency neighbour, and express my own shock and horror at the loss of 39 poor souls? I pay tribute to all the emergency services, but also to the local authority officers who I know are involved in dealing with this in a very professional way in very difficult circumstances. Will my right hon. Friend commit to supplying them with all necessary resources to be able to conduct their investigations and deal with the situation as speedily and as effectively as possible?
Major Incident in Essex — House of Commons, 2019-10-23
Topic: Immigration
Priti Sushil Patel (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank the hon. Lady for her comments about what has happened. Today is not the time to be talking about our immigration system. We have migration challenges, which we see across the world. People are being displaced in record numbers, and many are being preyed upon by the appalling behaviour of organised criminal gangs At this stage it is right that, as a country, we work with all our partners, both domestically and internationally, and with law enforcement agencies to do our utmost to stop this horrific crime. [Interruption.]
Major Incident in Essex — House of Commons, 2019-10-23
Topic: Mixed Topics
Michael Penning (Conservative, Centre-right): I had the pleasure of serving as a firefighter at the old Hogg Lane fire station in Grays. When the firefighters and other emergency crews went on duty last night, never in their wildest dreams would they have expected to witness the sort of trauma they saw when that container was opened. And it will not just be the emergency services; it will be the local authority workers and even the mortuary attendants, who will never have seen such destruction of life. I ask the Home Secretary, not just for now but going forward, that all the post-traumatic stress support is made available to them, because it does not always show straightaway. Sometimes it takes months or years, as I have experienced with my firefighter colleagues.
Major Incident in Essex — House of Commons, 2019-10-23
Topic: Other
John Simon Bercow (Conservative, Centre-right): For those who missed the announcement yesterday, I advise colleagues of a notable event, namely the re-election of the hon. Member for Gateshead (Ian Mearns) as Chair of the Backbench Business Committee. He has now discharged the role with consummate skill for a number of years. More particularly, he is a most extraordinary specimen in this place, in that he has secured re-election unopposed, which is a commentary on the esteem in which he is held.
Major Incident in Essex — House of Commons, 2019-10-23
Topic: Mixed Topics
Priti Sushil Patel (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right, and I think him for his work through the all-party parliamentary group on human trafficking and modern slavery. He gives a good example of collaboration not just in the House but across other organisations—in the Council of Europe and across Governments multinationally. We must pursue that, because of what we are witnessing and experiencing right now. One case is too many, but when 39 people die in our country in such an awful way, that is not acceptable. We have to do much more work together to stop such things from happening.
Major Incident in Essex — House of Commons, 2019-10-23
Topic: Immigration
Mary Josephine Robinson (Conservative, Centre-right): This is a shocking incident involving appalling loss of life. Although the vehicle appears to have begun its murderous journey in Bulgaria, there is less clarity about where the victims began their dreadful journey to death. Is the Home Secretary working with international agencies and forces here, including immigration forces, to ascertain where these people’s journey began, so that contact can be made with their families and loved ones?