argyrotsipi/train-dataset huggingface dataset:
Summer Adjournment — House of Commons, 2021-07-22
Topic: Transportation
Laura Rose Farris (Conservative, Centre-right): I wish to take this opportunity to thank some people in my constituency. I thank Newbury Racecourse, which in January this year threw open its doors and saw 33,000 people troop through them—twice—to get their vaccination. I thank Dr James Cave and Dr Ellora Evans, who led the eight GP surgeries that participated, and I thank Beverley Sunderland, Jon Cross, Tim Marston, Graham Stanley and Mike Howie, who led the volunteers—people from every walk of life and every corner of my constituency who gave up their time to make things work like clockwork. I put on the record my thanks to them I also pay tribute to Ruth Saunders, who is not well known but at the tender age of 104 walked a marathon over consecutive days around the streets of Newbury, inspired, of course, by Captain Tom. She raised £50,000 for the Thames Valley air ambulance. She is now 105, and next week I will be presenting her with a Points of Light award from the Prime Minister In the limited time that I have remaining, I wish to talk about two environmental issues that affect my constituency. The first concerns public transport. It is my ambition to secure a bus route that will link Newbury and Oxford, stopping at the Harwell science park, the Milton business park and many other significant employers along the route. One of my favourite local anecdotes is about a farmer who many years ago used to have the brass neck to put a couple of his cows on the train at Didcot and take them off at Newbury. The sad thing about that story is that that train line is long gone—and so is the bus route that replaced it My hon. Friend the Member for Wantage (David Johnston) will correct me if I am wrong, but at the Harwell science park some 10,000 jobs are coming in the next few years. Talented apprentices from Newbury College are increasingly getting jobs there, but their only way of getting to work is to get two trains and a bus that takes more than an hour to go a distance of 14 miles—of course, they can get there in their cars. In the next year, I would like to see a bus route, preferably hydrogen, that is cheap, practical and environmentally friendly for Newbury’s workers Finally, I have been working with my hon. Friend the Member for Devizes (Danny Kruger) on chalk streams, and particularly the River Kennet, which flows between our constituencies. It is so alarming to see the state they are in and the effect of sewage, pollution and water extraction. The damage that is being done to them now puts those precious streams and the habitats they support at serious risk. In the coming months I will work closely with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, ahead of the Environment Bill’s return to this House, to seek to resolve that.
Summer Adjournment — House of Commons, 2021-07-22
Topic: Macroeconomics
Lia Nici-Townend (Conservative, Centre-right): It is an absolute honour to be called to speak in this debate. This has been an extremely difficult year for many, with lockdowns, social distancing and not being able to be with friends or family. It has been a year in which many people have been quietly working in the background to keep the country running. I would like to extend my sincere thanks to all those people in my constituency who have kept the town, the country and international business going Our NHS staff and care workers have our thanks and gratitude, but I would also like to especially thank the school and college teams: the teachers, support staff, cleaners, cooks and caretakers. I thank our port and logistics workers who have kept products safely moving in and out of the country, our food producers, and our shopkeepers, who have been staying open every day to ensure that we have access to goods and supplies I also thank the energy workers who have kept the country running. While many people will remember the last year and a half as a year when people worked from home, in constituencies like mine there are many people who do not, such as those who maintain and operate the UK’s wind energy supplies, and 70% of the fish we eat in the UK is processed in Great Grimsby. Many of my constituents have never actually stopped going into work. I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to all of them for continuing to go into work for us all This debate allows me to tell the House about the progress in Grimsby since the general election. The levelling-up agenda and the Prime Minister’s 10-point green plan have encouraged more than £300 million-worth of private investment to come into the area. Greater Lincolnshire local enterprise partnership tells me that it has never seen such inward investment coming into north-east Lincolnshire. My jobcentre tells me that it has more job vacancies than jobseekers, and—this is very important to me—my local employers are telling me that they want to work with me to get local people trained to get ready for the high-quality, high-skilled jobs that they have Our next focus in towns such as—
International Trade Policy — House of Commons, 2021-06-30
Topic: Foreign Trade
Simon Anthony Hart (Conservative, Centre-right): May I align myself very much with your comments, Mr Speaker? I know the whole House will share the sentiments you expressed I have regular discussions with the Welsh Government and the First Minister on a wide range of subjects, including the UK Government’s international trade policy.
International Trade Policy — House of Commons, 2021-06-30
Topic: Foreign Trade
Simon Anthony Hart (Conservative, Centre-right): It will not surprise the hon. Gentleman that I do not agree with his comments. We have engaged devolved Administrations and numerous other stakeholders during the whole course of the various free trade agreements that have been reached, in particular the Australia trade deal. It would be nice if we could reach some kind of consensus between us about the opportunities that these trade deals offer, not only for businesses in Wales but for businesses in Scotland.
International Trade Policy — House of Commons, 2021-06-30
Topic: Agriculture
Simon Anthony Hart (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Lady makes an interesting point. Of course, we have involved numerous stakeholders in the preparation of these deals. That includes the Welsh Government and some very positive responses from farmers in Wales, who, by a majority, voted in favour of leaving the European Union in 2016. They accept, as I do, that there are numerous opportunities. We have built into this process some protections—a 15-year transition period—as well as taking note of the fact that the Australians themselves say they cannot even fulfil their existing markets, let alone start flooding ours.
International Trade Policy — House of Commons, 2021-06-30
Topic: Agriculture
Simon Anthony Hart (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Gentleman, like me, has significant agricultural interests in his constituency in west Wales. We have had local conversations as well as national ones to try to reassure farmers—I think successfully, in some respects—that the transition period and our commitments on animal welfare and environmental standards will not be compromised. I do not think there is anything I can say to him that suggests that that has changed in any respect, but I urge him—I know he will take this seriously—to look at the trade deal as a huge opportunity for food and drink producers in Wales. As we work to challenge some of the myths that have been written and spoken about the Australia deal, let us also use the platforms that we have to promote everything that is good about it and how it will provide access to new markets of the sort that we have not had before.
International Trade Policy — House of Commons, 2021-06-30
Topic: Energy
Simon Anthony Hart (Conservative, Centre-right): I assure the hon. Lady that we have been in regular touch with our colleagues in Government on this, as well as with the industry itself, with whom, as the hon. Lady knows, we deal on a regular basis. I said earlier that our commitment to steel in Wales—as she knows, because we have talked about it so many times—is absolutely resolute, but I am afraid that she will have to wait until later this afternoon to have a statement or announcement of some sort, which I hope will clarify the situation.
Covid-19: Co-ordination of UK-wide Response — House of Commons, 2021-06-30
Topic: Macroeconomics
Simon Anthony Hart (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend’s question reveals quite a sad contrast between the priorities of the Welsh Government and the priorities of the UK Government at this moment. We read in the papers this week that the Welsh Government are fixated on talking about new tourism taxes. They are talking about constitutional reform, even going as far as reform of the House of Lords. None of these seems to be consistent with the UK Government ambitions, which are jobs, livelihoods, investment and recovery, and they should be joining us in that endeavour.
Covid-19: Co-ordination of UK-wide Response — House of Commons, 2021-06-30
Topic: Macroeconomics
Simon Anthony Hart (Conservative, Centre-right): I notice the laughter stopped at the moment my hon. Friend raised that particular question. I will say again what I have often said from the Dispatch Box: certainty is crucial in all this. I have always preferred a UK-wide response to covid, in whatever respect that might come, because it inspires confidence and compliance. I think that some kind of further indication from the Welsh Government as to the unlocking process for businesses in Wales is overdue and I hope very much that we will hear more shortly.
Covid-19: Co-ordination of UK-wide Response — House of Commons, 2021-06-30
Topic: Macroeconomics
Simon Anthony Hart (Conservative, Centre-right): I am absolutely happy to confirm, as I always do from the Dispatch Box, that the Chancellor is very focused on making sure that levelling up means exactly that, that economic recovery means exactly that, that nowhere gets left behind and that every decision we take in Government, in any Department, is always taken through the prism of levelling up and of equalising opportunity and job and life chances across Wales. That has been a really transformational development during covid, and I very much hope that the right hon. Lady can join me in congratulating the Chancellor on the work that he has done.
Covid-19: Co-ordination of UK-wide Response — House of Commons, 2021-06-30
Topic: Energy
Simon Anthony Hart (Conservative, Centre-right): I can confirm that I have conversations with the Crown Estate. Its proposals for offshore floating wind off the west Wales coast are extremely welcome. Where I think that I am in some form of disagreement with the right hon. Lady—she will not be remotely surprised by this—is on the fact that in order to achieve some success in the renewables sector, somehow we always have to go back to powers and further devolution. Of all the conversations that I have had with industries, sectors, individuals, voters—you name them—across the whole of the past 18 months, including and in particular at the Senedd elections, not one single person urged me to follow the route that the right hon. Lady has just set out. Of course, they urge us to pursue our renewables agenda, and that is what we are doing. We are doing it, as far as we can, as a UK-wide endeavour, because that is the way we will get to our targets the quickest.
Jobs and Investment — House of Commons, 2021-06-30
Topic: Foreign Trade
David Thomas Charles Davies (Conservative, Centre-right): Inward investment is central to the UK Government’s mission to level up the UK economy. Last year, Wales attracted 5% of all inward investment projects into the UK, creating over 1,500 new jobs and safeguarding almost 7,000. This strong performance will be boosted by the Welsh trade and investment hub, based in Tŷ William Morgan, which I was pleased to be able to visit last week.
Jobs and Investment — House of Commons, 2021-06-30
Topic: Macroeconomics
David Thomas Charles Davies (Conservative, Centre-right): I welcome the point made by the hon. Gentleman, because it is absolutely true that the £3 billion that the UK Government gave in support to businesses in Wales has been hugely beneficial in ensuring that those businesses survived, along with the £8.6 billion extra that the UK Government delivered to the Welsh Assembly Government. That commitment of those billions of pounds demonstrates the enormous commitment of the UK Government towards Wales. I can assure him that the new shared prosperity fund and the levelling-up funds will continue to support Welsh businesses, and of course we look forward to working with the Welsh Government to ensure that those funds are well spent.
Renewable Energy Infrastructure Funding — House of Commons, 2021-06-30
Topic: Energy
David Thomas Charles Davies (Conservative, Centre-right): I recently had the pleasure of visiting the Morlais tidal energy and Pembroke dock marine initiatives, both of which are part of the growth deals. Later this year, we will bring forward a net zero strategy and hold an auction for up to 12 GW of renewable energy funding.
Renewable Energy Infrastructure Funding — House of Commons, 2021-06-30
Topic: Energy
David Thomas Charles Davies (Conservative, Centre-right): Of course I welcome Welsh Government commitments to support green energy and green jobs. I assure the hon. Lady that the Secretary of State and I will want to work with the Welsh Government to further that aim. These are issues we can agree on, which is why we have demonstrated that commitment through the £21.5 million going to the south Wales industrial cluster and the £15.9 million going to Meritor—or Lucas Girling as she and I would remember it—for electric powertrain integration. That will help many members of her constituency.
Rail Infrastructure Funding — House of Commons, 2021-06-30
Topic: Transportation
Simon Anthony Hart (Conservative, Centre-right): We have committed £2 billion to Network Rail for the current control period, and close to £60 million has been committed to upgrade Cardiff Central station and £76 million to electrify the Severn tunnel route. More locally, the Cambrian and Wrexham-Bidston lines and stations at Bow Street and St Clears are also set to receive additional funding.
Rail Infrastructure Funding — House of Commons, 2021-06-30
Topic: Transportation
Simon Anthony Hart (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Gentleman is a great campaigner on this issue, but I can only repeat what I said in answer to the substantive question, which was a list of investment. It is all about levelling up and infrastructure—
Rail Infrastructure Funding — House of Commons, 2021-06-30
Topic: Transportation
Simon Anthony Hart (Conservative, Centre-right): It is all very well the hon. Gentleman shaking his head in disbelief, but the reality is that there has been more investment in all the infrastructure projects than at any stage in recent history. That is largely thanks to the energy of this Government and our commitment to levelling up in Wales.
Rail Infrastructure Funding — House of Commons, 2021-06-30
Topic: Transportation
Alun Craig Williams (Conservative, Centre-right): The Cefn bridge at Trewern is a bottleneck between mid-Wales and the west midlands economy. Will the Secretary of State meet me and stakeholders to ensure that the Union connectivity review, which I very much welcome, tackles this bottleneck?
Rail Infrastructure Funding — House of Commons, 2021-06-30
Topic: Transportation
Simon Anthony Hart (Conservative, Centre-right): Absolutely. My hon. Friend is the epitome of energetic campaigning on road improvement and other infrastructure schemes. Who will forget the Pant to Llanymynech bypass as one of the great achievements of the MP for Montgomeryshire? I am happy to confirm that, so excited am I by that prospect, I will be there on Monday next week.
Engagements — House of Commons, 2021-06-30
Topic: Foreign Trade
Jacob Young (Conservative, Centre-right): The steel industry is an asset of national strategic importance. Those are not just my words but the words of the Prime Minister, and I know he means it because when Greybull went into administration this Government supported British Steel until a new buyer was found. British Steel still employs more than 600 people in Redcar and Cleveland and more than 3,000 people in Scunthorpe. In the light of the Trade Remedies Authority’s recommendations to the International Trade Secretary, how will the Prime Minister ensure that steel remains a national strategic asset?
Engagements — House of Commons, 2021-06-30
Topic: Foreign Trade
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend is absolutely right to campaign for British steel. We have an ambitious plan to transform our country with better use of British steel. As I said to the House a couple of weeks ago, there is a 7.6 million tonne pipeline of steel waiting to be bought over the next decade. As for the recommendations of the Trade Remedies Authority, the Government are considering them and the Department for International Trade will update the House later today.
Engagements — House of Commons, 2021-06-30
Topic: Transportation
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (Conservative, Centre-right): I congratulate my hon. Friend on his long-standing and justified campaign for the aviation sector. That is why we have invested £7 billion already to support aviation since the start of the pandemic, but obviously what we hope is that the vaccine roll-out programme and the double-jabs programme will enable people to start flying and really give that industry the prospect of a long-term, sustainable recovery.
Engagements — House of Commons, 2021-06-30
Topic: Environment
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (Conservative, Centre-right): This Government are committed not just to halting, but to reversing biodiversity loss not only in this country, but around the world. The hon. Lady can see that from the conclusions of the G7 summit and everything that the Government do to promote biodiversity across our country.
Engagements — House of Commons, 2021-06-30
Topic: Technology
Damian Noel Thomas Collins (Conservative, Centre-right): Over the past few years, we have seen the proliferation of hate speech, harmful content and anti-vaccine conspiracy theories on social media. In response, the Government have published its world-leading draft online safety Bill. Can the Prime Minister say when Parliament will be given the opportunity to start the scrutiny of that draft Bill?
Engagements — House of Commons, 2021-06-30
Topic: Education
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank my hon. Friend. She is right to campaign for higher education, particularly in her constituency. I know that she has been engaged with university leaders on the ground in Rochester, and I am sure that they will have listened carefully to what she has to say.
Engagements — House of Commons, 2021-06-30
Topic: Labor
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (Conservative, Centre-right): I will certainly look at what the hon. Member is proposing, but I think the most important thing is to get our entire workforce back at work. There are currently millions of people still on furlough, and of course there are labour shortages at the moment, but we need to get people back into work, and that is why we have to continue to roll out the vaccines in the way that we are.
Engagements — House of Commons, 2021-06-30
Topic: Macroeconomics
Gary Nicholas Streeter (Conservative, Centre-right): My right hon. Friend will be aware that the counties of Cornwall, Devon, Somerset and Dorset have come together to form the great south-west to generate regional growth and prosperity in much the same way as the midlands engine and the northern powerhouse. It has the support of all local authorities, local enterprise partnerships and the business community, but we have now been waiting for recognition from Government for well over three years and frustration is reaching fever pitch. Can my right hon. Friend please look into this matter and give us the green light, so we can help the Government achieve their objectives of sustainable growth, prosperity and jobs?
Engagements — House of Commons, 2021-06-30
Topic: Government Operations
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (Conservative, Centre-right): I am a passionate supporter of the great south-west and the prospects that it brings. I understand that my hon. Friend has met the Minister for Regional Growth and Local Government to discuss these proposals, and I look forward to hearing their outcome.
Engagements — House of Commons, 2021-06-30
Topic: Transportation
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (Conservative, Centre-right): Yes, and I thank Mike Hill and Joelle Davies for their efforts. I thank them also for what they are doing to call upon the levelling-up fund, which will indeed invest in infrastructure projects that improve life across the country, but particularly in my hon. Friend’s constituency.
Engagements — House of Commons, 2021-06-30
Topic: Transportation
Peter Alexander Gibson (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank my right hon. Friend for all that he is doing to level up our country. A rising tide must float all ships; to that end, will he commit to delivering the northern link road for Darlington, and will he further commit to helping to stop LNER’s great train robbery of services from our station? Finally, does my right hon. Friend agree that our levelling-up agenda, investing in the north, should provide the people of Batley and Spen with great confidence as they go to the polls?
Engagements — House of Commons, 2021-06-30
Topic: Macroeconomics
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (Conservative, Centre-right): Yes. It tells you all you need to know about the modern Labour party that when they heard there was going to be an economic campus in Darlington, they called it giving up; that is what the right hon. and learned Member for Holborn and St Pancras (Keir Starmer) said. My hon. Friend is totally right to support Ryan Stephenson in his campaign for Batley and Spen tomorrow. I believe that Ryan will offer a strong local voice for change and progress in Batley and Spen.
Engagements — House of Commons, 2021-06-30
Topic: Foreign Trade
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (Conservative, Centre-right): Yes, and the best thing that the EU can do is to make sure that we remove all the problems that are currently associated with their application of the protocol—the ban on chilled meats, the restriction on the circulation of cancer drugs, and the fact that 20% of all the customs checks carried out in the whole of the EU are carried out in Northern Ireland. I do indeed hope that all of that can be fixed, and then we can move on.
Engagements — House of Commons, 2021-06-30
Topic: Law and Crime
Anthony James Holland Mangnall (Conservative, Centre-right): Yesterday I was in Batley and Spen, campaigning with our fantastic candidate Ryan Stephenson. He is committed to delivering the police that we need on our streets. So from Brixham to Salcombe, Batley and Spen, will the Prime Minister commit to supporting initiatives such as the councillor advocate scheme that was launched by my police and crime commissioner, Alison Hernandez?
Engagements — House of Commons, 2021-06-30
Topic: Law and Crime
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (Conservative, Centre-right): I am a big fan of Alison Hernandez and I think she is doing absolutely the right thing. To support her, we are, of course, increasing our policing presence on the streets of the city. We are rolling up county lines drugs gangs; we have tackled about a third of them so far. We have also instituted tougher penalties for serious sexual and violent offenders, which were opposed on a three-line Whip by the Labour party.