argyrotsipi/train-dataset huggingface dataset:
Customs — House of Commons, 2020-03-18
Topic: International Affairs
Brandon Kenneth Lewis (Conservative, Centre-right): I do not think that anyone around the United Kingdom would thank us for extending the period. The election was very clear in giving us a mandate to deliver on our manifesto pledge to leave the European Union, and we are determined to do that. The certainty that we can give to business is that Northern Ireland is, will be and will always remain part of the United Kingdom’s customs territory and will have unfettered access.
Strengthening the Union — House of Commons, 2020-03-18
Topic: International Affairs
Robin Caspar Walker (Conservative, Centre-right): The Government have made it clear on many occasions that we will never be neutral in expressing our support for the Union. I believe that the UK Government working with the restored Executive to continue making Northern Ireland a great place to live, work and do business is one of the best ways we can strengthen its place in the Union. As part of the Union, Northern Ireland benefits from being part of the world’s sixth largest economy, and that allows for the pooling of risks and the sharing of resources to fund public spending, such as on defence, education and our national health service.
Strengthening the Union — House of Commons, 2020-03-18
Topic: International Affairs
Ben Everitt (Conservative, Centre-right): These are unprecedented times and our Union is incredibly precious to us. I am sure that the Minister will join me in welcoming the additional powerful financial support for Northern Ireland from the UK Government that was announced by our right hon. Friend the Chancellor for Northern Ireland to deal with covid-19.
Strengthening the Union — House of Commons, 2020-03-18
Topic: Macroeconomics
Robin Caspar Walker (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend is absolutely right. There is a strong package of measures to support the UK economy at a very difficult time. The Chancellor has said that the Government will do "whatever it takes". Yesterday’s announcement, as we discussed during last night’s Adjournment debate, will result in an additional £640 million for the Northern Ireland Executive, taking the total covid-19-related Barnett consequentials to more than £900 million.
Strengthening the Union — House of Commons, 2020-03-18
Topic: International Affairs
Robin Caspar Walker (Conservative, Centre-right): Our commitment to the Good Friday agreement and its successors is absolutely intact and 100%—and the Secretary of State is, of course, answering questions in the House today—but it is also clear that the first step we are taking on this is to engage with the parties and, indeed, with the Irish Government. That is clear from the written statement that the Secretary of State has published.
Environment Strategy — House of Commons, 2020-03-18
Topic: Environment
Questions: What discussions he has had with representatives from the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs on the development of a Northern Ireland environment strategy.
Robin Caspar Walker (Conservative, Centre-right): The UK Government are committed to prioritising the environment. As a world leader in tackling climate change, we are the first major economy in the world to legislate for a net zero target. Following the restoration of the Northern Ireland Executive, Northern Ireland Ministers have been in contact with Executive Ministers on a range of issues. The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, which leads on environmental issues in Northern Ireland, has recently sought views on an environment strategy for Northern Ireland, and I understand that a summary of its findings will be published in spring this year.
Environment Strategy — House of Commons, 2020-03-18
Topic: Environment
Questions: What discussions he has had with representatives from the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs on the development of a Northern Ireland environment strategy.
Robin Caspar Walker (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Lady has raised an important point. We want to work closely with the Northern Ireland Executive on this issue. Clearly these are devolved issues, and I think that the Executive’s response to the consultation on environment strategy will be key to addressing that question.
Ireland/Northern Ireland Protocol — House of Commons, 2020-03-18
Topic: International Affairs
Questions: What recent discussions he has had with the Prime Minister on the implementation of the Ireland/Northern Ireland Protocol in the European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Act 2020.; What recent discussions he has had with the Prime Minister on the implementation of the Ireland/Northern Ireland Protocol in the European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Act 2020.
Brandon Kenneth Lewis (Conservative, Centre-right): We continue to consider the best way to implement the protocol, and I will be discussing that with the EU in the joint committee and specialised committees. I am in frequent contact with the Prime Minister as we prepare for these meetings.
Ireland/Northern Ireland Protocol — House of Commons, 2020-03-18
Topic: International Affairs
Questions: What recent discussions he has had with the Prime Minister on the implementation of the Ireland/Northern Ireland Protocol in the European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Act 2020.; What recent discussions he has had with the Prime Minister on the implementation of the Ireland/Northern Ireland Protocol in the European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Act 2020.
Brandon Kenneth Lewis (Conservative, Centre-right): I always find it best not to take as writ whatever rumours may be picked up in any newspaper article. What can be taken as writ is what we have said at the Dispatch Box and what we have said as a Government. There will be unfettered access between Northern Ireland and Great Britain, and Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom’s customs territory.
Ireland/Northern Ireland Protocol — House of Commons, 2020-03-18
Topic: International Affairs
Questions: What recent discussions he has had with the Prime Minister on the implementation of the Ireland/Northern Ireland Protocol in the European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Act 2020.; What recent discussions he has had with the Prime Minister on the implementation of the Ireland/Northern Ireland Protocol in the European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Act 2020.
Brandon Kenneth Lewis (Conservative, Centre-right): Obviously I talk regularly to the Northern Ireland Executive, particularly the First and Deputy First Minister. I currently speak to them several times a week on a range of issues. We have discussed the protocol, but we will also be discussing it with the European special committee. We are determined to deliver on the protocol in a manner that ensures that there is no border down the Irish sea, and that there is unfettered access for the whole United Kingdom.
Ireland/Northern Ireland Protocol — House of Commons, 2020-03-18
Topic: Foreign Trade
Questions: What recent discussions he has had with the Prime Minister on the implementation of the Ireland/Northern Ireland Protocol in the European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Act 2020.; What recent discussions he has had with the Prime Minister on the implementation of the Ireland/Northern Ireland Protocol in the European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Act 2020.
Brandon Kenneth Lewis (Conservative, Centre-right): I refer the hon. Lady to the answer that I gave a few moments ago. The British public want to see us deliver on our promises, and the Prime Minister is rightly determined to ensure that we do that. The best certainty that we can give businesses in Northern Ireland is that, as part of the United Kingdom, they will continue to have unfettered access, and to benefit from the trade deals that we seek to establish around the world.
Ireland/Northern Ireland Protocol — House of Commons, 2020-03-18
Topic: International Affairs
Questions: What recent discussions he has had with the Prime Minister on the implementation of the Ireland/Northern Ireland Protocol in the European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Act 2020.; What recent discussions he has had with the Prime Minister on the implementation of the Ireland/Northern Ireland Protocol in the European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Act 2020.
Brandon Kenneth Lewis (Conservative, Centre-right): We are absolutely determined to make sure we deliver the protocol in a way that, as we have said, ensures we deliver on our word that Northern Ireland has unfettered access to Great Britain, is part of the United Kingdom economy, is part of the United Kingdom customs union and will benefit from our trade deals around the world.
Engagements — House of Commons, 2020-03-18
Topic: Labor
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank the right hon. Gentleman for the way in which the Opposition have approached the issue generally and for the co-operation so far between our Front Benches on this matter. As he rightly says, this is a national emergency, and we are asking the public to do things and take actions in a way that is unprecedented for a Government in peacetime, and perhaps even unprecedented in the last century When we ask people to take action to isolate themselves if they or a member of their household has the disease, or to take steps that jeopardise businesses and cause people to risk losing their job, it is absolutely right that, whatever their circumstances, we should ensure workers get the support they need. So in addition to the package of business support that my right hon. Friend the Chancellor outlined yesterday, we will be working with the unions and colleagues across the House, and bringing forward further measures to support workers of all kinds throughout this crisis.
Engagements — House of Commons, 2020-03-18
Topic: Labor
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (Conservative, Centre-right): As I have told the House before, of course we will ensure that nobody is penalised for doing the right thing, protecting not just themselves but other members of society and making sure that our NHS is able to cope. Clearly, statutory sick pay will, typically, be supplemented by other benefits, but I repeat what I said to the right hon. Gentleman: as the state is making these demands of the public and of business, it is only right that throughout this period we should be doing whatever it takes to support the workers of this country throughout this crisis.
Engagements — House of Commons, 2020-03-18
Topic: Labor
Questions: In November, the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care came to visit us at Bassetlaw Hospital in Worksop to see the excellent work done by our local NHS. We were delighted to hear of a £14.9 million investment to upgrade our accident and emergency department. Will the Prime Minister update us on progress on that, and will he and the Secretary of State accept an invitation to see the work when it is completed?
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (Conservative, Centre-right): First, I want to thank the right hon. Gentleman for the spirit in which he has spoken. Indeed, there is a huge amount of collaboration going on across all four nations of this country, as you can imagine, Mr Speaker. We are in lockstep. What I would say on the right hon. Gentleman’s appeal for basic income is, do not underestimate the value to people of the measures that we have already announced that will support business, keep jobs going and make sure those businesses continue in existence. That must be the first step. As I have said repeatedly now to the right hon. Gentleman, the Leader of the Opposition, it is important that throughout the crisis we take steps to support workers. The right hon. Member for Ross, Skye and Lochaber (Ian Blackford) is quite right and the suggestion that he makes is, of course, one of many such suggestions.
Engagements — House of Commons, 2020-03-18
Topic: Social Welfare
Questions: In November, the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care came to visit us at Bassetlaw Hospital in Worksop to see the excellent work done by our local NHS. We were delighted to hear of a £14.9 million investment to upgrade our accident and emergency department. Will the Prime Minister update us on progress on that, and will he and the Secretary of State accept an invitation to see the work when it is completed?
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (Conservative, Centre-right): Yes, indeed. I can make that commitment and I said as much in my earlier answer to the right hon. Gentleman. It is very important that, as we go forward, we try to enlist a consensus in this House about how to support people throughout the crisis. I agree profoundly with what he said about not repeating history. It is very important that, as we ask the public to do the right thing for themselves and for everybody else, no one, whatever their income, should be penalised for doing the right thing, and we will make sure that that is the case.
Engagements — House of Commons, 2020-03-18
Topic: Education
Questions: In November, the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care came to visit us at Bassetlaw Hospital in Worksop to see the excellent work done by our local NHS. We were delighted to hear of a £14.9 million investment to upgrade our accident and emergency department. Will the Prime Minister update us on progress on that, and will he and the Secretary of State accept an invitation to see the work when it is completed?; I welcome confirmation that routine Ofsted inspections will be postponed, and will the Prime Minister join me in commending schools, leaders and teachers on all they have been doing in supporting families through this crisis?
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (Conservative, Centre-right): I pay a particular tribute not just to our amazing NHS, but to our teachers and everybody who works in our schools for everything that they have done to keep our schools going throughout this difficult crisis so far. Of course we will do everything we can to remove burdens on schools, and Ofsted is one in particular that we can address. The House should expect further decisions to be taken imminently on schools and on how we make sure that we square the circle of ensuring that we both stop the spread of disease, but relieve, as much as we can, the pressure on our NHS.
Statutory Sick Pay and Protection for Workers — House of Commons, 2020-03-18
Topic: Social Welfare
Justin Paul Tomlinson (Conservative, Centre-right): When people in work are isolating due to Government guidance, which seems to be the case in the circumstances that the hon. Gentleman describes, they would be eligible for statutory sick pay through their employers. In addition, it is always worth their looking on gov.uk to see whether they can get additional support through the welfare system, whether universal credit or new-style ESA.
Statutory Sick Pay and Protection for Workers — House of Commons, 2020-03-18
Topic: Social Welfare
Justin Paul Tomlinson (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank the hon. Gentleman. I have said many times at the Dispatch Box that I admire the way that he contributes and offers support in trying to help some of the most vulnerable people in society. There were two aspects to his question, the first of which was about general communication. These are fast-moving events, and all constituency MPs are getting a lot of correspondence that asks very reasonable questions. We are trying to give answers that are as good as possible, but we really have to keep pushing people towards the gov.uk website, on which there is consistent communication. On the second point about a minimum net, that is where the welfare system comes into play, because statutory sick pay—it is important, and I will go over that—applies in only some cases, whereas the welfare safety net applies to all who need it.
Statutory Sick Pay and Protection for Workers — House of Commons, 2020-03-18
Topic: Social Welfare
Justin Paul Tomlinson (Conservative, Centre-right): I have worked very closely with the hon. Lady on a number of issues, and I know that she is held in huge respect across both sides of the House Prior to being an MP, I ran my own business, so I understand the concerns of self-employed people who have suddenly overnight seen dramatic changes to their cash flow and ability to trade as a business. I absolutely understand the worries that people will have, which is why we are allowing access to statutory sick pay or, depending on people’s personal circumstances, looking at whether they can turn to new-style ESA—the contributory benefit—which is probably the case for the self-employed, or the wider support offer through universal credit and the welfare net. People would need to look at their circumstances and talk to the jobcentres. We are all trying to do our best to provide as much certainty as possible, as quickly as possible, through the daily updates.
Statutory Sick Pay and Protection for Workers — House of Commons, 2020-03-18
Topic: Macroeconomics
Justin Paul Tomlinson (Conservative, Centre-right): I absolutely understand the point that the hon. Member makes. These are extraordinary times, and collectively we are all trying to identify the right levels of support as quickly as possible. In pure cash terms, the fiscal support that we have already provided at this stage of the curve is almost the highest around the world, but this is not complete. As events progress, we have to do more and we can expect more announcements. I understand that in an ideal world we could announce everything straight away, but we have to make sure that it is right, we have to react as things come forward, and we have to communicate as quickly and clearly as possible. We do understand that.
Statutory Sick Pay and Protection for Workers — House of Commons, 2020-03-18
Topic: Social Welfare
Justin Paul Tomlinson (Conservative, Centre-right): I absolutely understand that point, and the right hon. Member and I discussed it when we first made the announcement. The absolute priority has to be new claimants who are seeking to get support through the disability benefit system, so we are looking on a daily basis at what we can do. I do not envisage that we will be able to do much beyond that, but I want to make sure that new claimants can get support. That was why, at the beginning of my speech, I paid tribute to the fantastic work of those who are working on the frontline, who—like all people—are anxious about events, but are still, when they can, coming in to make sure that the vulnerable people in society can access the support that they are entitled to.
Statutory Sick Pay and Protection for Workers — House of Commons, 2020-03-18
Topic: Social Welfare
Justin Paul Tomlinson (Conservative, Centre-right): I am not the Secretary of State—it is very kind of the hon. Member to elevate me to such a lofty position, but that does not apply. The broader point is that the Chancellor has made it very clear that we will continue, on a daily basis, to look at what additional support there can be. The Government will do what we need to do to protect the vulnerable in society and keep our economy going. Many Members will raise very important points in the debate but, as a broad principle, the safety net is wider welfare support, looking at an individual’s personal circumstances, and tailoring the level of support to them so that we can target help to the most vulnerable in society Those not eligible for sick pay, including the self-employed, are able to make a claim for universal credit or contributory employment and support allowance. Last week, we laid regulations to ensure that the contributory ESA is now payable from day one, removing the seven-day waiting period for people who are self-isolating on Government guidance or who are ill with coronavirus. Claims can also be made over the phone without the need for people to contact their doctor for a fit note. Those in self-isolation or sick with coronavirus who make a claim for universal credit can receive up to a month’s advance up front without physically attending a jobcentre. Everything can be done by phone or online, and that is a welcome position.
Statutory Sick Pay and Protection for Workers — House of Commons, 2020-03-18
Topic: Social Welfare
Justin Paul Tomlinson (Conservative, Centre-right): We anticipate unprecedented demand, which is part of the reason why we have looked at the work that we no longer need to do during this period—for example, there was the announcement on ending face-to-face assessments for disability benefits—so that we can move health professionals on to the telephone systems to make sure that we can cope with demand and remove the need for people to unnecessarily visit jobcentres. We are keeping a very close eye on that on a day-to-day basis We are also removing the minimum income floor for self-employed universal credit claimants who have to self-isolate or who become ill as a result of coronavirus during this period. We are taking those measures to ensure that people are supported throughout this difficult period. We have increased access to sick pay, made it easier to access benefits and provided support for businesses to protect people’s jobs. This is a comprehensive package of support for some of the most vulnerable in society, but we are continuing to look at it by the day. The Chancellor has made it clear that there will be further announcements.
Statutory Sick Pay and Protection for Workers — House of Commons, 2020-03-18
Topic: Macroeconomics
Justin Paul Tomlinson (Conservative, Centre-right): We are all hearing similar queries as constituency MPs. The key is for people to keep looking at gov.uk as announcements are made each day so that they have clarity about what they can and cannot get. The hon. Member talked about his constituents having a mortgage; obviously, we have already made the announcement about support for a mortgage holiday to protect people Part of the next step of our plan is to focus on providing support for people’s income and jobs. There will be further announcements, which will be shaped by all of us. As we flag up the issues being brought to our inboxes, that will help to shape the response. This is Parliament at its best, through partnership working. I hope that all hon. Members will give their full support to all the work that we and all our fantastic frontline staff are doing.