argyrotsipi/train-dataset huggingface dataset:
Equitable Life — House of Commons, 2015-02-26
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Michael Fraser Weir (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): It is a somewhat novel, perhaps unique, experience for me to be speaking in support of a motion that begins: "this House congratulates the Government" However, credit where credit is due. Many of us raised this issue consistently with the previous Administration, who refused point blank to take any responsibility for the regulatory failures that led to the disastrous situation at Equitable Life, despite the fact that their own report by Lord Penrose pointed clearly to the regulatory failures in this case. This Government have grasped the nettle and introduced a scheme that has given some relief to many thousands of policyholders who have lost out Interestingly, in the last update on the scheme issued by the Treasury, it appears that some 160,000 policyholders have not come forward to submit a claim. A large number of people have still not taken advantage of the help that is offered at the moment, and we should continue to urge them to come forward. It took the report from the ombudsman to get the ball rolling on compensation, and I suppose the reason we are still debating it today was her conclusion that "the diversion of scarce public resources is a relevant consideration which should be taken into account and weighed in the balance along with other relevant considerations" Despite what the hon. Member for Harrow East (Bob Blackman) said, there is a huge difference between the amount sought by the action group, which is about £5 billion, and the amount originally proposed by the Government, which was as little as £500 million. EMAG’s website quotes two vastly different figures, and the Government came down in the middle with a figure of £1.5 billion. I agree with much of what the hon. Gentleman said—we need to deal with the issue of compensation—but first we have to negotiate the sums involved The action group has consistently campaigned for full compensation. Its members thought it unfair that "affordability constraints", as the Government put it, meant they did not get the full compensation to which they were entitled and that they only received 25% of the full amount. Its paper calls it a double injustice that Equitable pensioners should not only bear the cost of the Treasury’s inability to regulate Equitable Life in the 1990s, but be denied the full compensation owed to them because the Government’s inability to regulate the banking sector "blew a hole in Government finances" There is some justice to that. As the action group points out, policyholders have received compensation amounting to only 22.4% of their losses, and it argues that people’s pension savings, carefully accumulated over decades, should be safeguarded in exactly the same way as funds deposited in banks and building societies, but that is a dangerous argument to make, because funds protected in banks and building societies are subject to a maximum, so it is not complete protection.
Equitable Life — House of Commons, 2015-02-26
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Michael Fraser Weir (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): The hon. Gentleman makes a valid point, and I agree that this matter needs to be tackled—I shall say something about that shortly. In a follow- up report, the ombudsman was unable to conclude that the Government’s proposals complied with her recommendations for the establishment of a compensation scheme. Even the ombudsman says that more needs to be done Like most Members, I had many Equitable Life policyholders in my constituency, and I have had a considerable postbag on the issue from the outset. Many of the policyholders were elderly, and sadly some have died as the saga has ground on, but there remains a great sense of injustice among those still living. Equitable Life was touted as a long-established steady company —when I was a practising solicitor, it was seen as a gold-standard company. No one realised the problem lurking below the surface.
International Women’s Day — House of Commons, 2015-03-05
Topic: Civil Rights
Angus Brendan MacNeil (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): I am listening intently to the right hon. Lady, and she is making a good argument that I have heard in many places. It is essentially an argument for equality—gender equality, but also social equality across the income bands in our country. In Sweden and other Nordic countries, we see the benefits of the argument she is making to all in society, compared with more unequal societies and the disadvantages that follow on from that.
International Women’s Day — House of Commons, 2015-03-05
Topic: Civil Rights
Angus Brendan MacNeil (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): The hon. Lady is making an excellent speech. Both it and today’s debate are about closing the gaps in society. At the root of these gaps are economic gaps between men and women. That is part of the equality agenda, too, as I mentioned earlier. The gaps between the richest and the poorest are reflected in male-female issues, and she is highlighting very well the role models who are helping to change the situation, particularly in her own constituency. These are the people who lead, and others do follow. I congratulate her on her speech.
Tunisia, and European Council — House of Commons, 2015-06-29
Topic: Immigration
Angus Robertson (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): I thank the Prime Minister for advance sight of his statement. We on the SNP Benches share all the expressions of sympathy and condolence to all the families and friends of those so tragically killed in Tunisia. What occurred there and in so many other countries in recent days was horrific and not justified in any religion, especially in this Ramadan month of peace and reflection for Muslims The Prime Minister was right to highlight the longer-term challenge of extremism and radicalisation. He pointed out the importance of getting terminology right and not using the name "Islamic State". Will he join parliamentarians across this House, the US Secretary of State and the French Foreign Minister in using the appropriate term? Does he agree that the time has come in the English-speaking world to stop using "Islamic State", ISIS or ISIL and that instead we and our media should use "Daesh", the commonly used term across the middle east On migration, I have asked the Prime Minister about the shameful position of the UK Government 80 years after this country brought in thousands of children in the Kindertransport when their lives were in danger. Will he confirm that at the EU Summit other states agreed to take in tens of thousands of refugees, and that the UK has still taken in fewer than 200 from the war in Syria?
Greece — House of Commons, 2015-06-29
Topic: Mixed Topics
George Kerevan (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): I put it to the Chancellor that there is another way in which the Greek crisis could impact on the UK economy: a Greek exit, or even simple market turbulence, could lead to a precipitant and lasting fall in the value of the euro, which would have an impact on British farm incomes because they are denominated in sterling. Will he speak with fellow Ministers to ensure that British farmers in that situation will be compensated?
Scotland Bill — House of Commons, 2015-06-29
Topic: Mixed Topics
Philippa Whitford (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): The SNP Government had written extensively to the Government to try to deal with that issue. Is the hon. Gentleman suggesting that Police Scotland and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service should have been left in eight divisions?
Scotland Bill — House of Commons, 2015-06-29
Topic: Mixed Topics
Ian Blackford (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): We keep hearing about respect. We all know why the Scottish Government introduced the change—it creates efficiency in the delivery of police and fire services in Scotland. A clear case has been made by many of my hon. Friends and by those on the Labour Benches as well. If there is a genuine feeling of mutual respect between the Government in Scotland and the Government in Westminster, all the Treasury has to do is make sure that we get the VAT back and we will invest it in front-line services to benefit the people of Scotland.
Scotland Bill — House of Commons, 2015-06-29
Topic: Mixed Topics
Stewart Hosie (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): I thank the Minister for that answer; it is genuinely helpful, as he always is. However, will he confirm for the Committee that the agreement will be reached in good time for the Scottish Parliament to consider it fully before any legislative consent motion has to be passed?
Scotland Bill — House of Commons, 2015-06-29
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Philippa Whitford (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): Prestwick airport, the oldest passenger airport in Scotland, is in my constituency. We are not even connected to London. There was a time when people could take transatlantic flights from it, but no longer. Rather than thinking that Scotland would steal from the north of England, can the hon. Gentleman not accept that the total number of tourist visitors could grow?
Scotland Bill — House of Commons, 2015-06-29
Topic: Other
Alexander Elliot Anderson Salmond (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): On a point of order, Ms Engel. I am not sure that I heard the hon. Gentleman correctly, but he seems to be redrafting his clause during his speech. Would it be in order for him to redraft his new clause to include the House of Lords during his speech? Can he be that uncertain of his arguments?
Scotland Bill — House of Commons, 2015-06-29
Topic: Mixed Topics
Stewart Hosie (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): No, no, no The new clause asks for a Tory Secretary of State to appoint a commission of the great and the good from the House of Lords to determine Scotland’s future. What a lot of absolute rubbish!
Iraq Inquiry — House of Commons, 2015-01-29
Topic: Other
Peter Wishart (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): May I suggest that the right hon. Gentleman was not persuaded by the Prime Minister, but duped by the Prime Minister, with a fabrication, a fallacy and a pack of lies? Does he not now see that he was misled?
Equal Pay and the Gender Pay Gap — House of Commons, 2015-07-01
Topic: Civil Rights
Neil Charles Gray (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): The hon. Lady is making a very good speech and an important point, but does she agree that it is unacceptable for Labour-controlled North Lanarkshire Council, which encompasses my constituency, to have dragged the equal pay claims of its hard-working staff through the courts for years at great cost to the taxpayer?
Equal Pay and the Gender Pay Gap — House of Commons, 2015-07-01
Topic: Civil Rights
Hannah Mary Bardell (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): The hon. Lady is making a number of very good points and I have a great amount of respect for her. Will she join me in congratulating our female First Minister, the first female First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, who topped the "Woman’s Hour" international influencers poll today? She has instilled one of the first 50:50 gender balance Cabinets and has done a huge amount to champion the cause of equality for women and young girls in Scotland and across the UK.
Equal Pay and the Gender Pay Gap — House of Commons, 2015-07-01
Topic: Civil Rights
Joanna Catherine Cherry (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): On a connected point, often the burden of challenging unequal pay falls on individuals though the tribunal system. Does the Secretary of State agree that the Government should consider having class actions and a more robust equality watchdog, which could undertake fee litigation investigations on behalf of claimants, rather than leaving the burden to fall on the shoulders of individual women?
Equal Pay and the Gender Pay Gap — House of Commons, 2015-07-01
Topic: Civil Rights
Christopher Charles Stephens (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): On equal pay audits and employers, some of those employers who are found liable will be public bodies. Indeed, public bodies are being taken to tribunal at the moment, as I indicated earlier, including my former employer, Glasgow City Council. If public bodies are found liable with regard to equal pay at tribunal, what action will the Government take to help them because they will say, "This is costing the taxpayer money", and will go to the Government for some of that to be recouped?
Equal Pay and the Gender Pay Gap — House of Commons, 2015-07-01
Topic: Mixed Topics
Angela Crawley (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): Will the right hon. Lady acknowledge that we face a large task in addressing the gender pay gap? Will she note that the average percentage difference in the UK is 19.6%, with the figures for England and Scotland being 19.5% and 17.4% respectively? There is still much to do to address these issues. Will she also note that the industries she speaks of do not address the acute problems that arise in low-paid sectors and industries? We are talking not only about businesses, but other areas.
Equal Pay and the Gender Pay Gap — House of Commons, 2015-07-01
Topic: Civil Rights
Angela Crawley (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): I echo the sentiments of my hon. Friend the Member for Livingston (Hannah Bardell) in congratulating the First Minister on making top place in the list of the 100 most powerful and influential women in the UK. I also recognise the work of the Scottish Government in creating a 50:50 Cabinet, and the importance of ensuring that this Chamber, and all Chambers of democracy, receive 50:50 representation It is my pleasure to speak in this important debate and to open on behalf of my party. I regret that, in this day and age, this debate has to take place, but it does and I welcome the consensus from all parties on the fact that progress has to be made. Across my constituency, I have met many women who say life is still tough for them and their families. They say that, despite the optimistic forecasts from the Chancellor, the recovery he speaks of is not reaching their pay packet. In fact, a report last year showed that it could be almost 100 years until women can expect to be paid the same as men—this while three quarters of company directors, three quarters of MPs and more than three quarters of national newspaper editors are men. That simply is not good enough and more action needs to be taken. More than 40 years after the Equal Pay Act 1970, the pay gap between men and women in the UK remains substantial.
Equal Pay and the Gender Pay Gap — House of Commons, 2015-07-01
Topic: Civil Rights
Hannah Mary Bardell (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): The right hon. Lady makes a point about women in executive positions. Before I came to the House, I worked for an oil and gas services company where I was one of three women in a senior leadership team of 23. Does she not think that we need to do even more to encourage women into those executive positions, including by extending childcare, to which the Scottish Government have given a lot of support?
Equal Pay and the Gender Pay Gap — House of Commons, 2015-07-01
Topic: Civil Rights
Martin John Docherty-Hughes (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): Given what the hon. and learned Gentleman says, does he recognise that, even in this Chamber, we perpetuate stereotypes of gender? Hon. Gentlemen are not allowed to bring a bag into the Chamber, and yet hon. Ladies are more than delighted to bring in a small handbag. That perpetuates stigma and gender stereotypes.
Equal Pay and the Gender Pay Gap — House of Commons, 2015-07-01
Topic: Civil Rights
Christopher Charles Stephens (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): I am sure that there is systemic discrimination, in that bonuses have been paid to those in supposedly male-dominated workplaces, but not to the "cleaning and caring" staff. Did central Government help Birmingham City Council to settle the claims?
Budget — House of Commons, 2015-06-10
Topic: Domestic Commerce
William Arthur Roger Mullin (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): It gives me great pleasure to welcome the Secretary of State to his new role and wish him well. In my constituency RBS has announced the closure of branches in Kelty and in Aberdour, a further sign of withdrawal from the banking sector that should be supporting small and medium-sized enterprises and communities. What is the right hon. Gentleman’s view of the retail banking sector in Scotland? Has he had discussions with the Chancellor about creating challenger banks out of RBS?
G7 — House of Commons, 2015-06-10
Topic: Mixed Topics
Hannah Mary Bardell (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): I thank the Prime Minister for his statement. I would pick up two points that he raised—corruption and FIFA. Sadly, they seem to have become synonymous. Does he think it appropriate that Sepp Blatter attends the FIFA women’s world cup, which is taking place at the moment, given his promise to resign and given his sadly inappropriate comment that women footballers should wear tighter shorts to make women’s football more popular?
G7 — House of Commons, 2015-06-10
Topic: Mixed Topics
Philippa Whitford (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): We are well aware of the Prime Minister’s wish to have control over decisions taken in this House and the courts of this country. Will he and his Government therefore fight the investor-state dispute settlement that is hidden within TTIP, which could undermine public health decisions taken in this House and by our devolved Government?
Housing — House of Commons, 2015-06-10
Topic: Housing
Eilidh Whiteford (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): Sorry, I will not give way as I am winding up. Such schemes avoid the real challenge, which is a need for a step change in investment in social housing. If the Government really want to house people and give them a decent place in which to live, they should understand that it is about security of tenure and having a place that people can call their home. I fear that until we are prepared to put money into building social housing, which incidentally would boost our economy and help our struggling construction industry, we will be back here repeatedly debating these issues over the next five years.
Border Management (Calais) — House of Commons, 2015-06-24
Topic: Immigration
Joanna Catherine Cherry (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): While delays to cross-channel transport are concerning, as is the associated disruption, surely the bigger issue, which others have touched on, is the humanitarian aspect. Some of the migrants trying to cross from Calais to Dover are desperate. Many have gone through unimaginable suffering and are risking their lives in the hope of a better life in the United Kingdom. Many are fleeing countries that the United Kingdom had a hand in destabilising We need to take our fair share of refugees in the UK, as we have a proud tradition of doing in the past, from the Kindertransport in the 1930s to the Ugandan refugees in the 1970s. Even Mrs Thatcher took some of the Vietnamese boat people, although not as many as other countries The Scottish National party and the Scottish Government remain committed to assisting in this matter. We believe that there should be cross-country co-operation throughout the European Union. Will the United Kingdom Government accept the help of the Scottish Government, and participate in multilateral and collective action across the European Union, to deal with the problem of refugees?
Border Management (Calais) — House of Commons, 2015-06-24
Topic: Immigration
Stephen Patrick Gethins (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): The Secretary of State makes a fair point about the work of humanitarian organisations in the theatre—we all applaud that—but does she realise we are facing the worst refugee crisis since the war and that the UK response has been described as paling in comparison with that of other EU countries? Does she welcome the Scottish Government’s offer to work with them and take more Syrian refugees in the resettlement programme?
Sport and the 2012 Olympics Legacy — House of Commons, 2015-06-24
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Stewart Malcolm McDonald (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): I really must take issue with hon. Gentleman’s comments about Glasgow, particularly since his own party runs the council there. The price of using local football pitches has quadrupled because of that Labour council. That is why it is an issue—nothing to do with the Scottish Government.
Sport and the 2012 Olympics Legacy — House of Commons, 2015-06-24
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Peter Wishart (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): Before the Secretary of State moves on from the legacy, what does he have to say about the legacy for lottery-supported charities that are still hurting from the billions of pounds that were diverted from their activities and that are greatly concerned about how this is going to be resolved? What does he have to say to lottery-supported charities that feel they lost out so dramatically because of the London Olympics?
Sport and the 2012 Olympics Legacy — House of Commons, 2015-06-24
Topic: Mixed Topics
Angus Brendan MacNeil (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): The hon. Gentleman mentions football, but does he not think that we have things to learn from other countries? I believe that in Belgium the aim is that any 19 or 20-year-old from across society will have touched the ball in football about 200 million times. That is building quite a high pyramid of talent, as we have seen in the Belgian national team at the moment, from what is being done at the grassroots. We could and should be learning from other countries.
Sport and the 2012 Olympics Legacy — House of Commons, 2015-06-24
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Lisa Cameron (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): In the context of participation in tennis, is it not a disgrace that the Labour-run council in my constituency closed the public tennis courts and then put money into private tennis courts that only the most affluent can afford? The Scottish Government are trying to improve access—
European Union Referendum Bill — House of Commons, 2015-06-18
Topic: Civil Rights
Stephen Patrick Gethins (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): I beg to move amendment 18, in page 1, line 17, leave out from "electors" to the end of line 12 on page 2 and insert— "at a local government election in any electoral area in Great Britain, or (b) the persons who, on the date of the referendum, would be entitled to vote as electors at a local government election in any electoral area in Northern Ireland." This amendment extends the franchise in the referendum to EU nationals resident in the United Kingdom.