argyrotsipi/train-dataset huggingface dataset:
Channel Islands Measure — House of Lords, 2020-07-15
Topic: Civil Rights
Timothy Kirkhope (Conservative, Centre-right): My Lords, unlike other distinguished Members of this House who have taken part in this debate, and who in some cases have enormous experience of these issues, I have no interests to declare of close connections to the hierarchy of the Church of England, and I have been a not too regular communicant over the years. However, I am a lawyer, and am most interested to see equity and justice At one level this is a simple transfer of oversight over the Channel Islands or bailiwicks from one mainland diocese to another—from Winchester to Salisbury—but to me, as a relative outsider, it raises a number of questions, especially now that I have read the papers and reports, from the commission of the most reverend Primate the Archbishop of Canterbury, so ably chaired by the noble and right reverend Lord, Lord Chartres, and the Ecclesiastical Committee’s evidence session on 19 June. I have concluded that a set of unfortunate human relations breakdowns and misunderstandings are the basis of these proposals. Is that a good enough reason for this massive constitutional change? There have been a number of problems, not just one, but is this not using a mallet to crack a nut? Can the right reverend Prelate comment on this Also, it appears that there has been a long period—some seven years—with no proper relationship in place between the islands and the mainland Church. Was this not detrimental to the care and protection of the islanders? Looking at the historical issues, the link with the Winchester diocese has, as the right reverend Prelate pointed out, been maintained since 1569, through war and peace, so simply replacing one diocese with another without the same long connection needs a good reason. As the commission’s report also states, none of this should be agreed without a more thorough examination of the legal and constitutional relationships between the Channel Islands and the mainland in Church matters. Again, the excellent report of the commission highlights that mere understandings going back 400 years were not really sufficient to handle disciplinary matters or changes in international human rights rules, and not sufficiently precise in direction to deal with disputes between islands and mainland, and, more practically, between different grades in the Church hierarchy. I am interested in hearing the right reverent Prelate’s responses, but I am forced to conclude that we must be very careful not to make such radical changes in institutional structures for what might appear, to the layman at least, to be situations which surely are soluble in some other way.
Channel Islands Measure — House of Lords, 2020-07-15
Topic: Mixed Topics
Rodney Elton (Conservative, Centre-right): My Lords, it is fairly clear that all this sprang from obscurity of legislation, so it is very proper that we should use these processes to bring legislation into clarity. One thing that must be done is that the ledgers, tomes or articles of recollection that are kept in the bailiwick and the new associated diocese must be inscribed with advice to successive holders of the three offices that they must maintain close communication with each other as a matter of course and immediately bring to light any case where there is disagreement about the meaning of the legislation or the other documents that regulate the procedures In essence, the Ecclesiastical Committee seems to have agreed to a new body of law, and that is how it should be maintained. It is deeply regrettable that it was such a painful experience that brought the ambiguity to light. It will be small consolation to those who have suffered that things have now been arranged so that it is unlikely to occur again. However, the debate that we are having now offers them the same solace that the Archbishop of Canterbury has done, and that is the least that can be said now.
Channel Islands Measure — House of Lords, 2020-07-15
Topic: Civil Rights
Patrick Cormack (Conservative, Centre-right): My Lords, in almost 50 years on the Ecclesiastical Committee, I have never come across a Measure quite like this. It has my complete support. There was clearly a total breakdown in relationship between the former Bishop of Winchester and the Channel Islands, with regard to the dean in particular, and I believe this is the right way forward as it offers a clean break What concerns me particularly is the time it takes for the Church of England to handle this sort of issue. Nobody can minimise the importance of safeguarding. It is, of course, essential that we have a proper system. If somebody is accused of something, it is very important that the matter is dealt with expeditiously, fairly and justly. Here in Lincoln, where I live, we have had an unfortunate period over the past almost 18 months now. I make no comment on details, save to say that I just wish we could have these things handled more expeditiously. One must not forget that it is not just the individuals against whom accusations are made whose lives are turned upside down; parochial life, and sometimes diocesan life, are effectively put on hold, and that is not good So I give this Measure my support unreservedly. I hope that there will be good relations henceforth within the now expanded diocese of Salisbury; I hope that one of the suffragan bishops will be given a specific and particular responsibility for the Channel Islands so that he or she can visit regularly and give a real pastoral oversight; and I hope, above all, that we have no more protracted delays within the Church of England when such matters are being discussed.
Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review — House of Lords, 2020-07-15
Topic: Civil Rights
James Bethell (Conservative, Centre-right): I completely agree with the noble Lord, Lord Greaves, that this is an important report. I pay tribute to my predecessor my noble friend Lord O’Shaughnessy, who commissioned it. We take it extremely seriously. No one could possibly read about the hardships suffered by the women described in this report without wanting to move swiftly on it. It has only been a few days so I cannot announce a strict timetable for every measure, but I assure the noble Lord that it is taken seriously and we will be moving on it in the very near future.
Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review — House of Lords, 2020-07-15
Topic: Mixed Topics
James Bethell (Conservative, Centre-right): The noble Lord is right to focus on this. We have put in place enormous measures to address the issue of translation. Technology is being used in a much more thoughtful way to make sure that translation services can be put into a great many environments. One-to-one translation is also important, and that is why we have emphasised it.
Telecommunications Infrastructure (Leasehold Property) Bill — House of Lords, 2020-06-02
Topic: Mixed Topics
Diana Barran (Conservative, Centre-right): My Lords, I thank the noble Lords, Lord Clement-Jones and Lord Fox, for tabling this amendment. As your Lordships have heard, this amendment seeks to test our thinking on the types of damage for which compensation will be paid and for which operators will be held liable and—as the noble Lord, Lord Clement-Jones, mentioned— to establish whether this could lead to any delays in implementation on the part of operators This amendment would mean that the courts would be able to award compensation only in situations in which a landowner is able to demonstrate a direct loss. I understand that the amendment aims to limit the scope, and in turn the extent, of compensation that may be paid by an operator in respect of loss or damage sustained by them. I understand that intention and the concerns that underlie it. However, I do not think that those concerns are founded in this case, and I will try to set out the reasons for that.
Northern Ireland Banknote (Designation of Authorised Bank) Regulations 2020 — House of Lords, 2020-06-02
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Joanna Penn (Conservative, Centre-right): My Lords, in the UK, seven banks currently hold the authority to issue commercial bank notes: four in Northern Ireland and three in Scotland. One of these banks, Ulster Bank, is part of the RBS Group and is a direct subsidiary of NatWest Bank. Later this year, the RBS Group will undertake a planned restructure, which will involve the removal of Ulster Bank’s banking licence and its transfer into the NatWest legal entity. NatWest will continue to issue commercial bank notes under the Ulster Bank brand The issue of commercial bank notes in Northern Ireland, alongside Bank of Ireland AIB Group, trading as First Trust Bank in Northern Ireland, and Northern Bank, trading as Danske Bank, is a tradition with cultural importance that the Government support. This instrument is laid before the House to ensure its continuance With the consent of the Bank of England, this instrument will transfer the authority of issuance from Ulster Bank to NatWest Bank, and represents an established routine procedure that has been carried out before in 2017 to transfer the same authority between two Scottish entities of the Royal Bank of Scotland Group. As before, RBS and the Bank of England have remained in contact with Her Majesty’s Government throughout the instrument’s process and are supportive of the measures put before the House today. Importantly, this statutory instrument will ensure that any bank notes printed or issued by Ulster Bank will remain valid, with their authority transferred to NatWest, thus retaining customers’ confidence that they will receive value for the notes they hold. I beg to move.
Northern Ireland Banknote (Designation of Authorised Bank) Regulations 2020 — House of Lords, 2020-06-02
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Joyce Anelay (Conservative, Centre-right): My Lords, I support the making of the regulations, but I have a couple of questions for my noble friend the Minister for clarification I appreciate that commercial concerns have precipitated the need for these regulations because the Explanatory Memorandum states that the restructuring of the RBS Group means that it would now not be able to issue banknotes as Ulster Bank Ltd. The use of this power in the instrument is only its second use ever, and it is therefore appropriate for the House virtually to consider the regulations carefully The instrument includes a provision, in Regulation 3(1), that a designation date must be determined by the Treasury and gives a power, in Regulation 3(4), for that date to be changed by the Treasury. I would be grateful if my noble friend the Minister could give an indication of the preferred designation date fixed so far by the Treasury and explain in what circumstances the Government would consider it appropriate to use the power in the instrument to change the designation date. It appears that, if the designation date were to be changed, there would be no further requirement for the Bank of England to be consulted. Can my noble friend confirm whether my understanding is correct There are no associated impact assessments for this legislation. Under the heading "Impact", paragraph 12.3 of the Explanatory Memorandum states: "An Impact Assessment has not been prepared for this instrument as no, or no significant, impact on the private, voluntary, or public sectors is foreseen." It is the reference to "or no significant" impact that caught my attention. My continuing concern with regard to the making of regulations is to consider the impact on the voluntary sector, for example charities, in the broadest sense of the term. That is even more important in these pandemic times when any economic impact on the voluntary sector may prove significant—perhaps the straw that breaks the camel’s back. I would therefore be grateful if my noble friend the Minister could explain how the assessment of impact on the voluntary sector was conducted in the preparation of this instrument and why it was determined that any impact was not significant, however the Government define "significant" in that sense I look forward to my noble friend the Minister’s response.
Northern Ireland Banknote (Designation of Authorised Bank) Regulations 2020 — House of Lords, 2020-06-02
Topic: Domestic Commerce
William Trimble (Conservative, Centre-right): What the noble Lord, Lord Hain, said, is really quite shocking. Legislation has been enacted, clearly stating dates by which things should be done, yet as those dates come up we discover that nothing has happened. That is very disconcerting. The Northern Ireland Executive have quite enough on their plate at the moment and one can understand some of the difficulties there might be there, but to not comply with the legislation that they have themselves enacted is very disturbing I also noted that the noble Lord, Lord Wood, was a little surprised about the arrangements we have here regarding banknotes. It goes back to the formation of the banks, which came into existence in the early 1800s. They were issuing notes. When various mergers took place, the Bank of England was quite ready to put a regime in place so that the four Northern Ireland banks and the three Scottish banks could continue their practice without disturbing what happened at a national level. There is occasional amusement about seeing these provisions but, as my noble friend Lord Caine said, there have been occasions when it has been difficult to get those notes accepted. I thought that that problem had diminished over recent years, but maybe I just have not come across it all that much On the detail of this legislation, the regulations are clear about the future. The Treasury has to determine a designation date and from that date Ulster Bank Limited will no longer be authorised to issue banknotes in Northern Ireland. That is very clear. Next, the regulations state that National Westminster Bank will be authorised to issue banknotes in Northern Ireland. We are therefore getting to a lovely arrangement where it appears that while National Westminster Bank is authorised to issue these bank notes, it is likely to issue them in a way that makes them indistinguishable from Ulster Bank notes, and I am delighted to hear that The other major provision is not in the regulations but is mentioned in Scottish & Northern Ireland Banknote Issuance Annual Report 2019. Paragraph 20 refers to AIB Group (UK) plc and what it says came as a bit of a surprise to me: "On 13 February 2019 AIB Group (UK) plc announced its intention to cease issuing its own banknotes in Northern Ireland from 30 June 2020, and instead to dispense Bank of England notes through its branch and ATM network from this date onwards." That will be a considerable change in Northern Ireland because southern notes, as we call them, which are AIB notes, are as frequently found as Ulster Bank or other Northern Ireland banknotes. However, according to that report there will be a simplification, I suppose, in that AIB will no longer be dispensing its notes in Northern Ireland and will instead be dispensing Bank of England notes through its branch and ATM network. We will more often find ourselves with Bank of England notes in our hands, and that will be a good thing.
Arrangement of Business — House of Lords, 2020-10-01
Topic: Immigration
Thomas Ashton (Conservative, Centre-right): My Lords, with the leave of the House, I should like to make a brief Statement about what happened yesterday. As noble Lords will have seen, yesterday we experienced serious technical difficulties with the remote voting system during our consideration of the Immigration and Social Security Co-ordination (EU Withdrawal) Bill. The result of that difficulty was that three Divisions, on Amendments 3, 11 and 14, had to be deferred. I can confirm that we intend these Divisions to take place on Monday in what would normally be the gap in business between Oral Questions and any Private Notice Question and the beginning of debate on further groups of amendments to the Bill at the normal time of around 2.30 pm. I am grateful to all noble Lords for their forbearance Following the issues with the remote voting system, tests of the system will be required to ensure that it works as expected. We would welcome the participation of Members in any such tests, the timing of which will be advertised to noble Lords as soon as possible As far as I am aware, we are not anticipating Divisions today but, were one to be called, it, too, would have to be deferred to another day until the tests had taken place Finally, I place on record my thanks to the usual channels and the clerks for their constructive and flexible approach, which allowed scrutiny of the Bill to continue, despite not having Divisions yesterday.
Professional and Amateur Sport: Government Support — House of Lords, 2020-10-01
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Diana Barran (Conservative, Centre-right): The Government have been very clear on the value of sport, both amateur and professional, and encouraging people to take part. We have welcomed many of the online initiatives over the lockdown period in particular, and have supplied funding through Sport England to the tune of £210 million to ensure that those facilities and clubs survive.
Professional and Amateur Sport: Government Support — House of Lords, 2020-10-01
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Amanda Sater (Conservative, Centre-right): My Lords, can my noble friend the Minister reassure me that any government funding to be allocated will not overlook women’s sport, which recently has had some great successes in participation and popularity? We need to keep up the momentum and not lose all the good work done to make women’s sport more accessible and mainstream.
Professional and Amateur Sport: Government Support — House of Lords, 2020-10-01
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Diana Barran (Conservative, Centre-right): My noble friend is absolutely right. Great progress has been made at both elite and grass-roots levels in women’s sport. My honourable friend the Minister for Sport was absolutely clear yesterday, in responding to the Question, that he expects and will require women’s sport to get the priority it deserves in any funding coming from this package.
Professional and Amateur Sport: Government Support — House of Lords, 2020-10-01
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Diana Barran (Conservative, Centre-right): It is hard to assess the absolute impact of the fact that some leisure centres have not yet reopened, because obviously there is a substitution with other provision being offered, principally online. But the noble Baroness is absolutely right about the importance of sport for our physical and mental well-being. The Government understand the financial pressures that some sports and leisure centres are under, and are pleased that so many have been able to open, following Covid-secure guidelines.
Professional and Amateur Sport: Government Support — House of Lords, 2020-10-01
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Diana Barran (Conservative, Centre-right): I share the right reverend Prelate’s appreciation of the fact that sports clubs do so much more for their communities than just provide sport, and I welcome very much the pilot projects that she mentions. Through Sport England, there is a lot of collaboration with young people to ensure that local provision does indeed meet their needs and reflect their own aspirations.
Professional and Amateur Sport: Government Support — House of Lords, 2020-10-01
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Diana Barran (Conservative, Centre-right): As the noble Lord knows, we have given assurance to the national football league that will allow the clubs to reopen and start playing from today. We are at the planning stage in the package that we are putting together and are looking in detail at the financial needs across all those sports that rely on spectators and match-day incomes. I am afraid that I cannot give more detail of the quantum at this stage.
Professional and Amateur Sport: Government Support — House of Lords, 2020-10-01
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Colin Moynihan (Conservative, Centre-right): My Lords, as the noble Lord, Lord Faulkner, said, national football league clubs still have no idea what their settlement is, and they are being asked to start the season in good faith. At the same time, Premiership rugby clubs have been pushed to the brink by the implications of Covid and are now being driven to bankruptcy by a lack of gate receipts; none is profitable. Does the Minister agree that Premiership-level clubs are in the bracket of what the Government call "the greatest need", and that spectator sport as a whole faces a daily fight for survival, which requires action now to allow a limited number of supporters back safely in order for it to survive and support its fan base and their communities?
Professional and Amateur Sport: Government Support — House of Lords, 2020-10-01
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Diana Barran (Conservative, Centre-right): The Government are very keen to support all sports, for the reasons that we have already summarised, in terms of both their specific sporting contribution and their wider community contribution. Clearly rugby plays an important part and is very central in particular communities. We are going through this in detail with each of the governing bodies, looking at the needs of their specific sports, and will respond as quickly and as effectively as we can.
Professional and Amateur Sport: Government Support — House of Lords, 2020-10-01
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Diana Barran (Conservative, Centre-right): The noble Baroness is right that these clubs have been a crucial element in the fabric of our communities for many years, much longer than some of the elite clubs. Obviously those clubs are now allowed to have spectators in a Covid-secure way, but we are working closely with Sport England and, as I mentioned earlier, have already distributed £210 million to organisations such as those that the noble Baroness mentioned.
Professional and Amateur Sport: Government Support — House of Lords, 2020-10-01
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Diana Barran (Conservative, Centre-right): I think maybe the noble Lord asked more than one question, but I will try to answer as best I can. On his last point about acting swiftly and decisively, I reassure him that the Secretary of State and the Minister for Sport were on the phone to the national governing bodies of the main spectator sports immediately after the Prime Minister’s announcement that made it clear that spectators could not return on 1 October With regard to the financial returns, we are looking forward and are working through those, though obviously their scale and scope will vary. We are very clear about our role in helping clubs. In relation to the noble Lord’s first question, the twists and turns of the virus are difficult to predict, and we have reacted extremely promptly to the current situation.
Students’ Return to Universities — House of Lords, 2020-10-01
Topic: Mixed Topics
Stephen Parkinson (Conservative, Centre-right): I am very happy to tell my noble friend that not only will we but we are working with the sector and others on these issues. We have been working with the Civil Aviation Authority to monitor the availability of commercial flights for international students travelling to the UK. We have been working with Universities UK International to support the higher education sector with chartering flights if that is what is needed. The Department for International Trade has been working closely with, for instance, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs to secure the necessary approvals for flights to the UK from China. I am pleased to say that it has recently been successful in getting such permissions.