argyrotsipi/train-dataset huggingface dataset:
EU Withdrawal Agreement — House of Commons, 2018-12-18
Topic: Mixed Topics
Patricia Gibson (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): Once again, we have a Tory Front Bencher or Prime Minister coming to the House and talking, because it suits them to talk, about the result of the referendum, but taking no cognisance of the fact that cheating occurred, according to the Electoral Commission, or of the fact that people were lied to about £350 million a week for the NHS. As the Secretary of State wants to talk about honesty, will he face up to the fact that people were lied to, as pointed out by the former Tory Prime Minister John Major?
EU Withdrawal Agreement — House of Commons, 2018-12-18
Topic: Other
Stewart Malcolm McDonald (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): Further to that point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. As I think you know, I have the greatest of respect for you, but it occurs to me from what you have just said that the hon. Member for Chelmsford (Vicky Ford) can just come here, as she has done, make stuff up and then nothing happens. There has to be consequence for that. [Interruption.]
EU Withdrawal Agreement — House of Commons, 2018-12-18
Topic: Other
Ian Blackford (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. I ask for your guidance, because I think it is important that we are all honest in this place. If anyone looks at the record, they will see that what I did say was that we are wasting money on no deal that should be invested in frontline services. The Secretary of State has a duty to make sure that he is correct.
EU Withdrawal Agreement — House of Commons, 2018-12-18
Topic: Immigration
Stuart Campbell McDonald (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): I will start by trying to perform something of a Christmas miracle by striking a note of consensus for just a moment. I am sure that hon. Members from across the House would want to join me in marking International Migrants Day. [Hon. Members: "Hear, hear."] It was not that painful, then. It is a day for thanking our migrant family members, friends and neighbours for everything they have brought into our lives, and for committing ourselves to ensuring that all who have made this country their home can live full and happy lives, free from anti-migrant prejudice and discrimination In that spirit, I thought I would use my speech to take a slightly different tack and suggest how the Prime Minister might just be able to salvage one meaningful thing from ongoing talks with Brussels—something that could bring a bit of peace of mind to the 3 million EU migrant friends and colleagues we have here, as well as the 2 million or so British people living across the EU, and a way to save us from a completely wasted month. If the Prime Minister wants to do something meaningful that I think would have widespread support in the Chamber, she should seek to ring-fence the agreement on citizens’ rights, so that even in the doomsday scenario of no deal on everything else, those rights would be protected. I do not for a minute think that that would be easy, and it might be that it cannot be done, but it is worth a try, because not trying means that all the 3 million have to rely on is a unilateral promise from the UK Government. Not trying also means that the British in Europe risk losing rights unless Governments in the 27 other member states each unilaterally pass legislation to replicate their status before April Of course, the Prime Minister says she has already committed to ensuring that EU nationals can remain here in the event of no deal—the Secretary of State and the Chair of the Exiting the European Union Committee referred to that earlier—but there are three problems with leaving it at that. First, it is no help to the British in Europe. Secondly, the Government’s published arrangements for EU nationals in the event of no deal are a watered-down version of the citizens’ rights in the withdrawal agreement. Why is that? There is no justification for the difference in treatment. Thirdly, and most fundamentally, a unilateral promise from the Prime Minister can be here today and gone tomorrow. We have seen all sorts of Government promises ripped to shreds in recent weeks Even if the Prime Minister sticks to that commitment, it does not bind her successors. Those citizens’ rights can be repealed in the blink of an eye, perhaps even through a change to the immigration rules. Who knows? We could end up with a Government daft enough to commit to reducing EU migration by something like 80%, if recent reports are in the right ballpark. It may be that a target-obsessed Prime Minister decides that the only way to meet that goal is to clamp down further on the family reunion rights of the 3 million.
EU Withdrawal Agreement — House of Commons, 2018-12-18
Topic: Mixed Topics
Angus Brendan MacNeil (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): The hon. Gentleman complains about the uncertainty over indyref2, as he puts it. The best way to end that uncertainty is to have a referendum and let the Scottish people speak. He is afraid of that.
Green Deal Scheme — House of Commons, 2018-12-18
Topic: Housing
Philippa Whitford (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): Up to 169 households in my constituency of Central Ayrshire may be affected by this mis-selling scandal of Home Energy Lifestyle Management Ltd. Many elderly people were led to believe they were receiving insulation and solar panels free, provided by the Government, under the Green Deal scheme, only to find they were tied into long-term financing. In some cases they were even tricked into signing away their electricity feed-in tariff, meaning they have received no benefit, only debt. In addition, some installations were faulty, causing roof damage. The failure to secure building warrants means they cannot even sell their homes. The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges the Government to financially compensate and protect people who have found themselves suffering in this way after signing up to this Government-backed scheme using Government-approved installers The petition states: The petition of residents of Central Ayrshire, Declares that the Government-backed Green Deal Scheme has adversely affected residents of Central Ayrshire both financially and psychologically; further that many residents have, in good faith, invested their life saving or accrued several thousands of pounds of debt to pay for work that was carried out by companies approved by the Green Deal Scheme; further that in some cases the work including the installation of insulation and of solar panels, was incomplete; further that some were sub-standard and in many cases residents were given incorrect information which led them to believe that they would save or make money when in fact they have simply lost money; and further that in other cases the installer did not apply for building warrants and as a result they are unable to sell their properties, or have the peace of mind that their homes are safe to live in, or that the insurance policies residents continue to pay are valid without a building warrant The petitions therefore request that the House of Commons urges the Government to compensate financially and protect people who have found themselves suffering in this way after signing up to this Government-backed scheme using Government-approved installers And the petitioners remain, etc [P002307]
EU Settlement Scheme — House of Commons, 2018-12-03
Topic: Immigration
Gavin Andrew Stuart Newlands (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): Statistics from the British Medical Association suggest that nearly four in 10 NHS doctors from the EU are blissfully unaware of the Government’s settled status scheme. Does the Department not need drastically to up its game in raising awareness and ensuring that as many of those who need to apply do apply?
Immigration System — House of Commons, 2018-12-03
Topic: Immigration
Questions: The UK detains more migrants than the majority of European countries and is alone in detaining indefinitely without a time limit. Does the Minister accept the findings of the Shaw review that detention is harmful to mental health and will he end indefinite detention?
Joanna Catherine Cherry (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): At last Tuesday’s Select Committee on Home Affairs, the Home Secretary said that it was correct for colleagues from Northern Ireland to highlight particular regional concerns about immigration, and stated: "It is still possible to design a system that takes into account some regional difference." Does he agree that the same is true for Scotland?
Immigration System — House of Commons, 2018-12-03
Topic: Immigration
Questions: The UK detains more migrants than the majority of European countries and is alone in detaining indefinitely without a time limit. Does the Minister accept the findings of the Shaw review that detention is harmful to mental health and will he end indefinite detention?
Joanna Catherine Cherry (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): I am delighted to hear that the Home Secretary accepts that the need for regional variation in Northern Ireland is mirrored by a similar need in Scotland, although I would underline that Scotland is a nation, not a region. If he is prepared to accept that, will he give me an undertaking that when the White Paper comes out, he will consult with all stakeholders in Scotland—including the Scottish Government and Scottish employers—and be open to the need for regional variation in Scotland, such as reintroducing the post-study work visa?
Asia Bibi: Asylum — House of Commons, 2018-12-03
Topic: Immigration
Carol Frances Monaghan (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): I appreciate the comments that the Home Secretary has already made about Asia Bibi, but of course there are many, many Christians in Pakistan who live under constant threat of persecution. Will the he work with his Home Office colleagues to make sure that their cases for asylum are treated in a sympathetic manner?
Scotland’s Foreign Policy Footprint — House of Commons, 2018-12-03
Topic: Other
Alan Brown (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): I congratulate my hon. Friend on his speech. It is interesting that he talks about his constituent Billy Kay. I, too, pay tribute to Billy Kay for his fantastic work, but I should just point out that although he is a constituent of my hon. Friend’s, he comes from the village of Galston, so he is a good Ayrshire man.
Scotland’s Foreign Policy Footprint — House of Commons, 2018-12-03
Topic: Mixed Topics
Stephen Patrick Gethins (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): My hon. Friend is right. My constituent is a good Ayrshire man, but he is also a good Dundee United fan, which I know Members from across the House will welcome. That is particularly important—I point to his work on the impact that the Scots have had on the beautiful game, including the work that they have done in places such as Brazil and Argentina. I sincerely hope that the Brazilians and the Argentinians will remember the debt that they owe us with regard to football the next time that we play them.
Scotland’s Foreign Policy Footprint — House of Commons, 2018-12-03
Topic: Mixed Topics
Brendan O'Hara (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): I purely wish to make reference to what the hon. Member for Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock (Bill Grant) said about the Darien scheme. May I refer him back many years to my own tutor at Strathclyde University, Professor Tom Devine? He is the doyen of Scottish history. The hon. Gentleman should read what Professor Devine and other Scottish historians say about Darien. Darien is not as it is portrayed in British popular culture. It is far more complex and far more nuanced. Indeed, it showed incredible entrepreneurial skills on behalf of an independent Scottish nation, which was cruelly taken away by the amalgamated powers of many Europeans. I urge him to read up on the Darien scheme.
Scotland’s Foreign Policy Footprint — House of Commons, 2018-12-03
Topic: Immigration
David Melvyn Linden (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): Absolutely; I very much agree with my hon. Friend, to whom I pay tribute for his work as our spokesperson on immigration. He more than anybody in this group sees the complete shambles that is the United Kingdom Government policy when it comes to migration. I am sure he sees that on a daily basis, sitting on the Home Affairs Committee. As my hon. Friend the Member for North East Fife was speaking, I was reflecting on the attitude we have to others around the world—that welcoming, embracing spirit and relationship of equality—and such a point has been made.
Scotland’s Foreign Policy Footprint — House of Commons, 2018-12-03
Topic: Civil Rights
Stuart Campbell McDonald (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): Was not the use of Pride House another fine example of how the Commonwealth games were used to influence world politics? It managed to bring lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender athletes together with politicians to make the case for equality to countries where that is perhaps still a struggle.
Scotland’s Foreign Policy Footprint — House of Commons, 2018-12-03
Topic: Other
David Melvyn Linden (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): I, too, attended the all-party group set up by my hon. Friend the Member for Argyll and Bute (Brendan O'Hara). He is too modest to say that he convened the all-party group and is organising an excellent event before the end of the year. I feel it is appropriate to put on record a tribute to my hon. Friend for pursuing this cause. It is not necessarily one that is in our mailbags every day, but my hon. Friend’s campaign is an example of a good constituency MP.
Scotland’s Foreign Policy Footprint — House of Commons, 2018-12-03
Topic: Civil Rights
Brendan O'Hara (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): That is very kind and I thank my hon. Friend for those comments My point is that it is from small acorns that such good things can emerge. From that single phone call from Fiona and the seemingly innocuous situation of a baby unable to sleep, we now have an all-party group on the Yazidi people. On 12 December, the Yazidi community will be coming to Parliament to celebrate Nadia being awarded the Nobel peace prize. Nadia will be joining us via a live link from Oslo to speak to the all-party group and to the community. My hon. Friend the Member for North East Fife rightly made the case for how important big national organisations are, but we should never, ever lose sight of how important the action of an individual can be and the ripple effect of someone taking the time to get involved and saying they want change. Fiona is not alone in that. Across Argyll and Bute, there are many local organisations, and I single out the Mid Argyll Malawi Twinning Group. A lot has been said about Malawi tonight and there is great affection between Scotland and Malawi.
Scotland’s Foreign Policy Footprint — House of Commons, 2018-12-03
Topic: Public Lands
Angela Crawley (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): To speak on behalf of—or perhaps in place of—the hon. Member for Rutherglen and Hamilton West (Ged Killen), the David Livingstone Centre, which is situated in his constituency, showcases the links between Scotland and Malawi. In my constituency, there is also the New Lanark mill, which is a UNESCO world heritage site and which illustrates the outstanding universal value of these historical sites globally.
Scotland’s Foreign Policy Footprint — House of Commons, 2018-12-03
Topic: Civil Rights
Brendan O'Hara (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): My hon. Friend is absolutely right. I do not think that there is a constituency out there that is not chock full of people who recognise injustice when they see it and want to do something about it, but they have to believe—and be empowered to believe—that they can do something, and unless they do, they never will.
Scotland’s Foreign Policy Footprint — House of Commons, 2018-12-03
Topic: Civil Rights
Christopher Murray Alexander Law (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): My hon. Friend is making some very valuable points about injustices in the world. We have heard about Nelson Mandela being awarded the freedom of the city of Glasgow, and that also happened in 1985 in Dundee. However, in September of this year, the people and the city of Dundee withdrew the freedom of the city for Aung San Suu Kyi, so this is a movable feast, and where there is injustice, Dundee will speak loudly.
Scotland’s Foreign Policy Footprint — House of Commons, 2018-12-03
Topic: Other
Brendan O'Hara (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): I congratulate the people of Dundee on doing that. It is important that people recognise that we can, as a community, take a different view from time to time, and equally, we can change our minds from time to time.
Scotland’s Foreign Policy Footprint — House of Commons, 2018-12-03
Topic: Mixed Topics
Carol Frances Monaghan (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): We have to remember that this issue is about not just individuals, but businesses in our communities. I make special mention of the satellite businesses that are in the constituency of my hon. Friend the Member for Glasgow Central (Alison Thewliss)—we have Clyde Space, established by Craig Clark; Spire Global, which has been set up in Glasgow from San Francisco; and Alba Orbital. The small satellites that they build are important and monitor things happening on earth such as climate change, weather patterns and crop growth, which have a major impact on farmers, in particular, in the developing world.
Scotland’s Foreign Policy Footprint — House of Commons, 2018-12-03
Topic: Other
Alan Brown (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for North East Fife (Stephen Gethins) on securing this debate and making such an eloquent speech. I also commend other hon. Friends for making such powerful contributions, making up for the collapse of business tonight.
Scotland’s Foreign Policy Footprint — House of Commons, 2018-12-03
Topic: Other
Alan Brown (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): I agree fully. Luckily, off the back of business collapsing, we have been able to have a much broader and fuller debate than normal, instead of having to squeeze in extra time I will be relatively brief.
Scotland’s Foreign Policy Footprint — House of Commons, 2018-12-03
Topic: Other
Alan Brown (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): Depending on interventions, of course I want to focus on Scotland’s place in the world but with a view to my constituency. Among other historical figures, my hon. Friend the Member for North East Fife mentioned the iconic William Wallace. The House might be interested to know that he was born in Ellerslie in my constituency—anybody who goes to the Wallace monument will see that it is deemed the most likely place of his birth. In later years, another village in Renfrewshire called Elderslie tried to claim him, but William Wallace was born in my constituency in Ellerslie. I wanted to get that on the record.
Scotland’s Foreign Policy Footprint — House of Commons, 2018-12-03
Topic: Other
Christopher Murray Alexander Law (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): I am glad my hon. Friend has mentioned William Wallace. His birth place being Elderslie, I managed to give a speech at the annual meeting this year. I want to put it on the record that William Wallace was educated in Dundee city and even committed his first act of rebellion there. In fact, the first castle occupied and sacked in Scotland was not Stirling, but Dundee. William Wallace’s contribution to the independence movement—
Scotland’s Foreign Policy Footprint — House of Commons, 2018-12-03
Topic: Other
Alan Brown (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): I will try to get things back on track, Madam Deputy Speaker, but I thank my hon. Friend for his intervention. I think he was saying that William Wallace made a valuable contribution in the world by wrecking a castle in Dundee, which is an interesting concept.
Scotland’s Foreign Policy Footprint — House of Commons, 2018-12-03
Topic: Other
Brendan O'Hara (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): It is important to put on the record how fortunate my hon. Friend is that it is you in the Chair, Madam Deputy Speaker, and not the right hon. Member for Epping Forest (Dame Eleanor Laing), who was born in Elderslie. Had she been in the Chair to hear the awful slur that William Wallace was not born in Elderslie, indeed William Wallace’s fate might have seemed tame by comparison to what she would have done.
Scotland’s Foreign Policy Footprint — House of Commons, 2018-12-03
Topic: Immigration
Alan Brown (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): It is ironic that Northern Ireland could potentially have special status and gain real advantages because the UK wants to maintain the common travel area within Ireland, which allows Irish citizens—EU citizens—to move freely into Northern Ireland, and allows Northern Ireland citizens to move freely back into Ireland. Of course, they are supposed to be able to come to the United Kingdom as well, but this means that Northern Ireland will maintain what is effectively European citizenship, and free movement, which will give them an advantage that we do not have.
Scotland’s Foreign Policy Footprint — House of Commons, 2018-12-03
Topic: Mixed Topics
Alan Brown (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): I agree wholeheartedly. Of course free movement of people is a good thing, and I do not understand for the life of me why the UK Government are trying to make this a central Brexit plan. Many of us have benefited from free movement. For instance, many students have benefited from Erasmus, which has enabled them to study abroad. Free movement widens cultural understanding, adds to our intellect, adds to our sharing, and, indeed, adds to worldwide co-operation I shall turn now to further Scottish impacts on the world. As was mentioned in an intervention, we had the Scottish enlightenment period when Scotland really did lead the world in terms of philosophy and modern thinking. Two of the people involved in that were David Hume, who was a fantastic philosopher, and Adam Smith, who we all know wrote "The Wealth of Nations". What Adam Smith meant in that book is often misquoted. He looked at developing wealth but also having what we would now call corporate responsibility and an understanding of the behaviour of mankind. Adam Smith looked at human behaviour and the need for what he saw as a capitalist society, but one that was also a fair society. We need to remember that.
Scotland’s Foreign Policy Footprint — House of Commons, 2018-12-03
Topic: Mixed Topics
Carol Frances Monaghan (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): Many would say that the Scottish enlightenment was one of Scotland’s greatest contributions to the world. In that period, Scotland’s literacy levels were leading the world, because there was a parish in every village. As a result, Scotland in the 17th century had five universities whereas England had only two. That allowed Scots to go out into the world, to develop intellectually and to put their footprint on the world stage.
Scotland’s Foreign Policy Footprint — House of Commons, 2018-12-03
Topic: Mixed Topics
Alan Brown (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): I agree wholeheartedly and could not have put it better myself. Literacy rates in Scotland were something to be proud of, and Scotland had a fantastic newspaper tradition following that, because so much of the population could read, and that further developed their understanding of what was going on in the world and stimulated further debate and conversations Another figure of the Scottish enlightenment was James Boswell, who was born in Auchinleck, coincidentally in my constituency. He was the first person to write a new groundbreaking kind of biography when he wrote the biography of Johnson I really wish I could have been around at the time of the Scottish enlightenment, because it often involved people gathering at somebody’s house, and the host would bring in loads of bottles of wine, and they would share the wine and feast and debate and make notes and then reconvene the next night. Scotland has also given the world that ability to socialise, share a drink in convivial surroundings and enjoy such discussions.