argyrotsipi/train-dataset huggingface dataset:
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2018-01-30
Topic: Technology
Questions: Will the Minister join me in welcoming the news announced by the aerospace trade association—ADS—of record new aircraft delivery figures worth £29 billion to the UK in 2017, as well as the further announcement of an order by Emirates for an additional 36 Airbus A380s? How will the Government help to ensure that the UK aerospace supply chain is in a position to take advantage of those excellent opportunities?; By last Friday, just 526 of the 9,000 companies that need to report their gender pay gap had done so. What powers do the Government have to compel companies to publish these numbers ahead of the April deadline, as there are no civil or criminal sanctions in the regulations?; Bearing in mind the world-leading reputation of Rothamsted Research in Harpenden, will the Secretary of State explain what plans the Department has to work with Rothamsted, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and other bodies to further improve Britain’s world-class position in agricultural science?; On 10 January, the First Minister of Wales sent a letter to the Prime Minister offering substantive funds for the tidal lagoon. When will he get a response and when will we have the tidal lagoon decision for investment across Wales?; As banks are closing on our high streets, two of my towns, Newhaven and Polegate, are not having any banking facilities left. Will the Minister consider expanding the facilities that post offices offer? Postmasters such as the one in East Dean in my constituency are keen to do more, but Post Office Ltd refuses to allow them to do so.; Investment in solar energy has fallen by 85% over the last year. Will the Minister explain why her Department believes that solar energy no longer requires public subsidy?; The loss of over 200 jobs at Cleveland Potash is a heavy blow for people living in Loftus and east Cleveland, so I am grateful to the Small Business Minister for negotiating an agreement across Government to extend the same flexibilities around training granted to workers at SSI to those at Boulby. The chief executive of the taskforce has described that as critical. Will he commit that this will all be finalised before redundancies are announced in the spring, so that people leaving Cleveland Potash can have certainty?; In the light of the possible barriers to resolving cross-border insolvencies in the UK post Brexit, what assessment has the Minister made of the need to reform the UK’s corporate insolvency framework to ensure that it is fit for purpose?
Timothy James Farron (Liberal Democrats, Centre to centre-left): I will see what I can do The universal service obligation for superfast broadband will be good news for businesses across the country, but the fact that the announcement has been made with no date makes it counterproductive, as that is slowing down broadband. Will the Government announce a date and say that registration can start immediately?
Leaving the EU: Economic Analysis — House of Commons, 2018-01-30
Topic: International Affairs
Questions: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union to make a statement on the Government’s analysis of the long-term economic impact of Brexit on the economy.
Thomas Anthony Brake (Liberal Democrats, Centre to centre-left): As the Cabinet squabbles in the middle of these tough negotiations, the Minister has no right to talk about the national interest. He must stop treating parliamentarians like chumps. He knows, we know and this analysis confirms that Brexit will cause huge damage to British jobs and British families. Will the Government and, indeed, the Leader of the Opposition now allow a vote on the deal so that the people can decide whether they want to pursue this damaging approach or to stay in the European Union?
PIP Back Payments — House of Commons, 2018-01-30
Topic: Social Welfare
Stephen Anthony Christopher Lloyd (Liberal Democrats, Centre to centre-left): l thank the Labour party for securing an urgent question on this important issue. We know that the Government’s attempt to prevent those with mental health issues receiving the higher mobility rate was, frankly, nothing but a shoddy attempt to save money. That was a disgrace. They then dragged it out through the courts for many, many months and I think that was absolutely disgraceful behaviour. I know that the Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work is new in her post, but is she proud of what her Government did over this particular PIP episode?
Leaving the EU: Scottish Exports — House of Commons, 2018-04-25
Topic: Foreign Trade
Joanne Kate Swinson (Liberal Democrats, Centre to centre-left): The Netherlands has overtaken the USA as Scotland’s biggest export market, which demonstrates the increasing importance of EU trade to the Scottish economy. The Secretary of State should be representing the voices and interests of Scotland in the Cabinet. With respect, he did not answer the question of the hon. Member for Aberdeen North (Kirsty Blackman) about the single market, because representing Scotland’s interests can only mean arguing for continued membership of the single market.
Leaving the EU: Scottish Economy — House of Commons, 2018-04-25
Topic: International Affairs
Questions: What assessment he has made of the potential effect on the Scottish economy of the UK leaving the EU without an agreement in place.
Christine Anne Jardine (Liberal Democrats, Centre to centre-left): Does the Minister agree that the most important way of mitigating the disastrous effects of Brexit in Scotland would be an agreement between the two Governments? Will he encourage the Scottish Government to stop their constitutional posturing and think about what the people actually want?
School Funding — House of Commons, 2018-04-25
Topic: Education
Jamie Hume Stone (Liberal Democrats, Centre to centre-left): Thinking of the future, whichever side we were on in the Brexit debate, this country will face real challenges. We must upskill like we have never done before if we are to compete. If nothing else, that is one dashed good reason for investing in our young people and in education.
Social Care — House of Commons, 2018-04-25
Topic: Social Welfare
Norman Peter Lamb (Liberal Democrats, Centre to centre-left): The hon. Lady is right to pay tribute to informal carers, and indeed to paid carers, but does she not feel uncomfortable with the fact that she and all her colleagues on the Conservative side legislated with us to introduce a cap, committed in 2015 to implement the cap, then abandoned it, thus abandoning the very informal carers she says she cares so much about?
Emissions — House of Commons, 2018-03-01
Topic: Environment
Layla Michelle Moran (Liberal Democrats, Centre to centre-left): Oxford is proud to call itself a cycling city, yet last week it was identified in the High Court ruling on air pollution as one of the 45 cities that the Government need to do more to help. Will any more money be coming to Oxford to help us make that modal shift?
Leveson Inquiry — House of Commons, 2018-03-01
Topic: Law and Crime
Layla Michelle Moran (Liberal Democrats, Centre to centre-left): Sir Brian believes that the inquiry should continue, albeit in a different form. The victims, who were promised as much in person by David Cameron, believed that the inquiry would continue. Those victims have been betrayed today. Will the Secretary of State enlighten us—when was the last time that a Government overruled the wishes of a judge chairing an inquiry?
Seasonal Migrant Workers — House of Commons, 2018-03-01
Topic: Transportation
Thomas Anthony Brake (Liberal Democrats, Centre to centre-left): The hon. Lady mentioned the duration of the season, but how long does she think that duration is? It has been put to me that because of polytunnels the season can be as long as nine months.
Engagements — House of Commons, 2018-05-02
Topic: Law and Crime
Wera Benedicta Hobhouse (Liberal Democrats, Centre to centre-left): Upskirting is the vile practice of taking a photo under a woman’s skirt without her consent. It is neither a specific nor a sexual offence under the current law in England and Wales. I have been working closely with Gina Martin, who has been campaigning for months to change that, and her lawyer to produce a private Member’s Bill to make upskirting a specific crime under the Sexual Offences Act 2003. They have both joined us here today Does the Prime Minister agree with us that the law in England and Wales should be reformed so that, in all circumstances, women like Gina and, indeed, the Prime Minister herself will be protected from upskirt images being taken without their consent?
Overseas Electors Bill — House of Commons, 2018-02-23
Topic: Government Operations
Layla Michelle Moran (Liberal Democrats, Centre to centre-left): I am very grateful for that intervention. I was not aware of that. I would also have presumed that, had they not been on the register at all, we certainly could not have included them. At least this perhaps gives us the constitutional option.
New Channel Link — House of Commons, 2018-02-20
Topic: International Affairs
Joanne Kate Swinson (Liberal Democrats, Centre to centre-left): I am generally in favour of building bridges rather than walls, but may I urge the Foreign Secretary, instead of indulging in fantasy engineering projects, to focus on the important work, which he just mentioned, of building metaphorical bridges with nations that share our values, such as France and other European neighbours, in order to prevent Brexit Britain from becoming isolated and increasingly reliant for trade and influence on regimes that have dubious human rights records?
Post-18 Education — House of Commons, 2018-02-20
Topic: Education
Layla Michelle Moran (Liberal Democrats, Centre to centre-left): The Secretary of State spoke about choices made at and after 18, but he will know that many students make those choices at 13 when they choose their GCSEs. The National Audit Office report on the higher education market identified high-quality careers advice and financial education as part of how we can fix the system. Will the review include that?
Nuclear Safeguards Bill — House of Commons, 2018-05-08
Topic: Energy
Jamie Hume Stone (Liberal Democrats, Centre to centre-left): This is a general point, but I should like the Minister to be mindful of it. I do not pretend to understand the morass of amendments and timings, but the nuclear site at Dounreay, in my constituency, is being decommissioned, and, thanks to the involvement of Euratom and other agencies in the past, we have achieved a standard of excellence that is second to none in the world. I am anxious to ensure that the skills that we have there are developed and exported to other countries, and to ensure that, whatever Her Majesty’s Government puts in place of Euratom—whatever systems are introduced, and whatever clauses are included in the various bits of legislation—the importance of that is remembered and the quality is retained where it should be for the future, because otherwise we will lose an opportunity.
Nuclear Safeguards Bill — House of Commons, 2018-05-08
Topic: International Affairs
Layla Michelle Moran (Liberal Democrats, Centre to centre-left): Does the hon. Gentleman agree that while some of the safeguards the Minister mentions might well work, it would be easier to stay in Euratom until such time as everything is concluded so that there is absolutely no way we would fall off any cliff edges? Does he agree that "may" is not good enough in this scenario?
Nuclear Safeguards Bill — House of Commons, 2018-05-08
Topic: International Affairs
Layla Michelle Moran (Liberal Democrats, Centre to centre-left): Would the hon. Gentleman perhaps concede that he has misunderstood the amendment? It says that its provisions would be invoked only if everything had not been agreed. It does not say that we would stay in Euratom in perpetuity; it simply says that we would stay in until the point at which every single i had been dotted and every single t had been crossed.
Homeopathy: Veterinary Medicine — House of Commons, 2018-05-08
Topic: Agriculture
Alexander Morrison Carmichael (Liberal Democrats, Centre to centre-left): I should first declare an interest: my wife is a practising veterinary surgeon and a partner in a veterinary practice I gently suggest to the hon. Gentleman that he needs to be a little careful about conflating medicine for humans with medicine for animals. As a human, I am able to make these choices for myself; animals are not in a position to do that for themselves. That is why we have to approach the two disciplines differently.
Iran Nuclear Deal — House of Commons, 2018-05-09
Topic: International Affairs
John Vincent Cable (Liberal Democrats, Centre to centre-left): Now that the Government have discovered the limits of sycophancy in dealing with President Trump, will the Foreign Secretary spell out some of the economic implications? Do the Government have any contingency plans to protect British industry and motorists if the withdrawal of 4 million barrels a day of Iranian oil results in an inevitable oil shock?
Education (Student Support) — House of Commons, 2018-05-09
Topic: Education
Layla Michelle Moran (Liberal Democrats, Centre to centre-left): Does the Minister really think that this needs to be an either/or? Could we not do the very good work that is going on with apprenticeships and also maintain this important bursary? Does he have something to say to the chief executive of the Royal College of Nursing, who says these changes are short-sighted? Has the RCN’s position changed?
East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust — House of Commons, 2018-02-02
Topic: Government Operations
Norman Peter Lamb (Liberal Democrats, Centre to centre-left): I am conscious that the Minister is coming to the end of his contribution and that he is not able to respond, here and now, to all the issues I mentioned. Will he undertake to write to me on each and every one of the specific concerns that I raised, including the call for an independent governance review, so that we can get to the bottom of exactly what is happening?
Victims Law — House of Commons, 2018-04-24
Topic: Law and Crime
Edward Jonathon Davey (Liberal Democrats, Centre to centre-left): With respect to victims of domestic abuse, will the Minister consider women who are not eligible for legal aid to help with their divorce after domestic abuse, including women who currently fail the means test due to their having a share in a valuable family home? Will he meet me to discuss the problems that such women face in paying for basic legal advice?
Capita — House of Commons, 2018-04-24
Topic: Government Operations
John Vincent Cable (Liberal Democrats, Centre to centre-left): The public will clearly be deeply concerned that yet another major Government contractor has been in financial distress, following Carillion and earlier service problems with Serco and G4S. Capita is not a construction company, but given that we are dealing with IT services that affect literally millions of people—for example, in relation to tax credits, disability testing and benefits, the congestion charge, the BBC licence fee and Army recruitment—what contingency plans has the Minister put in place since he was informed that the company’s losses are not sustainable? Is there a Crown representative in place? Have new contracts been stopped? Since the new chief executive announced cuts of £175 million a year, to make savings for the new company, how far have these been discussed with the Government, and how far have they a bearing on the provisions of those highly sensitive services? In the light of this development and earlier developments with Carillion, what steps have the Government taken to reform the system of Government procurement, so that we do not have companies low-balling to win contracts that then make losses, and to break up some of the contracts, so that we are not over-dependent on a handful of financially fragile companies?
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2018-05-21
Topic: Social Welfare
Layla Michelle Moran (Liberal Democrats, Centre to centre-left): I have a young constituent who has PKU, a rare inherited disorder that requires a strict diet and treatment for life. She had been in receipt of the disability living allowance, but now that she has turned 16, she has scored zero in every personal independence payment category. Will the Minister meet my constituent and me so that we can iron out this clear case of "the computer says no"?
Gaza: UN Human Rights Council Vote — House of Commons, 2018-05-21
Topic: International Affairs
Joanne Kate Swinson (Liberal Democrats, Centre to centre-left): Israeli forces have killed dozens of protesters and injured thousands in an appalling escalation of violence. I am sure the Minister will agree that the lethal use of firearms is legal only if it is unavoidable, to protect life. Given that Israeli officials have authorised soldiers to fire live rounds at people trying to damage or even coming within 100 metres of the border fence, how can he possibly have confidence in an investigation led by those officials rather than by independent voices?
Gaza: UN Human Rights Council Vote — House of Commons, 2018-05-21
Topic: International Affairs
Thomas Anthony Brake (Liberal Democrats, Centre to centre-left): As I understand it, one Israeli soldier has been injured, and 104 Palestinians have been killed, of whom 14 were children, and 12,500 have been injured, more than 2,000 by live ammunition. Has Israel’s response been proportionate?
Rail Announcement — House of Commons, 2018-03-27
Topic: Transportation
Layla Michelle Moran (Liberal Democrats, Centre to centre-left): We of course welcome any investment in rail, but HS2 must not be allowed to soak it all up. The Government have an incoherent approach to electrification, which has been indefinitely delayed in Oxford and abandoned on the lakes line and the midland main line. Meanwhile, the Government have been pulled up again on air pollution. Why do they not follow their own lead on cars and move away faster from polluting diesel engines?
Northamptonshire County Council — House of Commons, 2018-03-27
Topic: Government Operations
Wera Benedicta Hobhouse (Liberal Democrats, Centre to centre-left): I am sure we all accept that the failures of Northamptonshire County Council are not necessarily down to a lack of funding altogether, but we cannot ignore that all councils throughout the country are under big financial pressure. Core central Government funding will be cut in half over the next two years and almost phased out completely by the end of the decade. There is not yet a plan in place for how it is all going to work out. When will the Minister set out a long-term financial future for councils?
EU Referendum: Electoral Law — House of Commons, 2018-03-27
Topic: International Affairs
Thomas Anthony Brake (Liberal Democrats, Centre to centre-left): I beg to move, That this House has considered the EU referendum and alleged breaches of electoral law Thank you, Mr Speaker, for helping to facilitate this debate, which as you said yesterday, was in order for an emergency debate under Standing Order No. 24. I start by reminding colleagues of what the Prime Minister said yesterday about Brexit: "They want us to get on with it, and that is what we are going to do."—[Official Report, 26 March 2018; Vol. 638, c. 525.] She also dismissed concerns about Vote Leave’s activities, in answer to a question from the hon. Member for Airdrie and Shotts (Neil Gray), who is not in his place but was here yesterday. She is hiding behind an increasingly tatty and threadbare comfort blanket—the will of the people: her sole justification for the disastrous act of self-harm she is imposing on the country. She has not in this place been able to deploy any sound economic, diplomatic, cultural or security reasons why Brexit is good for the country, but she has frequently referred to the will of the people.
EU Referendum: Electoral Law — House of Commons, 2018-03-27
Topic: Government Operations
Thomas Anthony Brake (Liberal Democrats, Centre to centre-left): I am happy to say that it was, I understand, £18,000. The slight difference, though, is that as a party we would love to be able to spend close to the spending limit in relation to election law, but as a party we are never able to. The allegation here is that the combination of Vote Leave and BeLeave spending broke the law, so the hon. Gentleman should wipe the smile off his face, focus on whether the law has been broken and treat the matter more seriously than he appears to be doing.
EU Referendum: Electoral Law — House of Commons, 2018-03-27
Topic: Government Operations
Thomas Anthony Brake (Liberal Democrats, Centre to centre-left): I thank the right hon. Gentleman for that equally helpful intervention. I hope that during this debate Members who heard that evidence will be able to contribute and update the House on what was said there, although I suspect that a lot of that information will have been contained in the papers this weekend, which I am sure many Members have spent hours assessing over the weekend and since I want to focus briefly on the Electoral Commission. This is how its website describes its role in relation to referendums: "Our focus is on voters and on putting their interests first. Our objectives for referendums are that:…they should be well-run and produce results that are accepted…there should be integrity and transparency of campaign funding and expenditure" It is safe to say that neither of those objectives was met with respect to the EU referendum campaign—I am not blaming the Electoral Commission but others involved in the campaign What action has the Electoral Commission taken to date? The allegations we read about this weekend were new allegations, but there were existing allegations working their way through the system. I thank WhatDoTheyKnow, openDemocracy and FairVote for their work on this issue. They obtained internal emails from the Electoral Commission that described Darren Grimes’ spending as "unusual". I think we can all agree it was remarkable that someone whose organisation in the first 10 weeks of its existence apparently managed to raise £107 was given £625,000 to spend in a completely uncontrolled manner. It is remarkable that such confidence was placed in that organisation and the one or two people behind it.
EU Referendum: Electoral Law — House of Commons, 2018-03-27
Topic: Technology
Layla Michelle Moran (Liberal Democrats, Centre to centre-left): I spoke to some people in the industry about this, and they told me that unless there was collusion it would have been impossible to mine such big data in the timeframe the money was given to BeLeave. Does my right hon. Friend agree that this is suspicious indeed?
EU Referendum: Electoral Law — House of Commons, 2018-03-27
Topic: Government Operations
Thomas Anthony Brake (Liberal Democrats, Centre to centre-left): I do not want to comment directly on that, but clearly it is a very serious allegation that I am sure will be a subject of the Electoral Commission and police inquiries. The commission has confirmed that there is a live investigation under way and that therefore it cannot confirm what progress has been made, but it is under way, and I welcome that In the internal emails, the Electoral Commission described Grimes’ spending as "unusual" and found that he broke some of its rules, but it decided to take the matter no further as there were "no reasonable grounds" to believe that Vote Leave and Grimes had been working together I must say that the Electoral Commission will have to have very clear reasons if it does not believe this to be the case now, following those new allegations from three whistleblowers at the heart of the Vote Leave-BeLeave machine. It is worth underlining that they are new allegations. What we have heard from the supporters of Vote Leave is "All this has been investigated. There is nothing new here", but these allegations from three whistleblowers at the centre of the organisation are completely new. These are matters that have not been investigated. Anyone who supported Vote Leave and is now saying, "Don’t bother, it has been done" is wrong.