argyrotsipi/train-dataset huggingface dataset:
Tackling Economic Crime — House of Commons, 2018-06-21
Topic: Government Operations
Barry John Sheerman (Labour, Centre-left): The Attorney General knows that all of us want a really effective SFO, but we know that without the right resources it leans too heavily on big accountancy firms. There have been rumours recently of a link with a whistleblower that are interesting and very worrying indeed, so will he look into this?
Defence Fire and Rescue Project: Capita — House of Commons, 2018-06-21
Topic: Labor
Gareth Craig Snell (Labour, Centre-left): A constituent of mine, Mr Rob Rigby, is the national secretary of the Unite branch representing these workers, and I can assure the Minister that the workers are not particularly happy about this announcement. If the contract is going to be such a success, why is the Minister excluding all the bases in Cyprus?
Defence Fire and Rescue Project: Capita — House of Commons, 2018-06-21
Topic: Labor
David Drew (Labour, Centre-left): The workforce undertake a complicated pattern of working through their shift arrangements. Will the Minister guarantee that that will not fundamentally change? Many of the workforce travel long distances to work and are on site for days on end. Will he guarantee that that will continue?
Universal Credit and Welfare Changes — House of Commons, 2018-06-21
Topic: Social Welfare
Ruth Stephanie Nicole George (Labour, Centre-left): I hope that the Secretary of State has read and digested her very own Department’s "Universal Credit Full Service Survey" of more than 1,000 claimants. Its results are as damning, if not more so, than the National Audit Office report. The survey shows that 40% of claimants are in real financial hardship after nine months on universal credit. Only half felt better off with more work, and only half could claim unassisted. In the light of that report and all the other evidence before us, will the Secretary of State please listen to the National Audit Office’s recommendation that the programme should not expand before it can deal with higher claimant volumes? Some 100,000 people a month are moving on to universal credit this year, and there will be 200,000 people a month next year. This will affect 4 million families from the end of next year, and 40% of them must not be in hardship.
Universal Credit and Welfare Changes — House of Commons, 2018-06-21
Topic: Social Welfare
Neil Coyle (Labour, Centre-left): The NAO says that universal credit is expensive, massively delayed and over-complex, and that the Department will never be able to provide evidence that it helps more people into work. The Secretary of State says that everything is tickety-boo, and that this is a personal, tailor-made system based on the individual. Perhaps I could encourage her to meet my constituent, Augustin, who did not meet the minimum income floor and expected earnings under universal credit and has been made homeless as a result. She could meet him at my local food bank, which has seen a tripling in the number of children it supports as a direct result of universal credit roll-out. Will she meet him?
Universal Credit and Welfare Changes — House of Commons, 2018-06-21
Topic: Social Welfare
James Dolan Cunningham (Labour, Centre-left): There might be 1 million more people in work, but there are also 1 million more people on poverty wages. Food banks used to be the exception to the rule, but they have now become part of the rule. More importantly, I have constituents who I listen to—not the Secretary of State—who are on the personal independence payment but are facing assessment delays and do not know when they will be paid. The process can take weeks and sometimes months, which creates great distress and can add to their illnesses and disabilities.
Universal Credit and Welfare Changes — House of Commons, 2018-06-21
Topic: Social Welfare
Rosemary Clare Duffield (Labour, Centre-left): We have heard that the Secretary of State is keen to meet disability groups and disabled people, and that is fantastic, but perhaps she could tell us how we will improve the situation in which payments to disabled people are always late, never on time and never in full. This is borne out by our casework, and by some of the cases we heard about during my Westminster Hall debate yesterday.
Universal Credit and Welfare Changes — House of Commons, 2018-06-21
Topic: Social Welfare
Stephen Creswell Timms (Labour, Centre-left): When the former Secretary of State was assuring the House that universal credit implementation was going well, it was the National Audit Office that told us what was really happening. Its reports have never been shoddy and have never been scaremongering. They have embarrassed Ministers—that is true—but they have proved to be truthful. The Secretary of State will recognise many of the findings of this latest NAO report in warnings given by Opposition Members when she was in the Department four or five years ago. The central flaw, of course, is the very long wait that people have before they are entitled to receive cash. Her predecessor, who was in the job for only a short time, managed, greatly to his credit, to reduce the waiting time from six weeks to five. Will the Secretary of State commit to build on that progress and reduce the waiting time significantly further?
Universal Credit and Welfare Changes — House of Commons, 2018-06-21
Topic: Social Welfare
Diana Ruth Johnson (Labour, Centre-left): Hull is one of the cities that is to see the roll-out of universal credit later this year. We already have high levels of poverty, homelessness, and people using food banks. Following the publication of the report, what other measures does the Secretary of State plan to introduce to make sure that, when universal credit is rolled out in Hull, it is more successful than it has been so far?
Universal Credit and Welfare Changes — House of Commons, 2018-06-21
Topic: Social Welfare
Grahame Mark Morris (Labour, Centre-left): I am very disappointed that the Secretary of State is blind to the hardship that is being caused by this policy. Last night in my constituency, a number of constituents, including two of my staff, were involved in trying to raise money for the East Durham Trust food bank through a sponsored run. That food bank was completely depleted. May I respectfully point out to her that it is depleted because of the policies of this Government, particularly the introduction of universal credit, delayed PIP appeals, and sanctions that have been applied to my constituents?
Universal Credit and Welfare Changes — House of Commons, 2018-06-21
Topic: Social Welfare
Karin Marguerite Smyth (Labour, Centre-left): As a former member of the Public Accounts Committee, I am very conscious of how much that Committee—and, indeed, the House—relies on National Audit Office reports. I remind the House that the Department does agree with the NAO on the veracity of those reports. Where there are issues, then the Department can follow them up in the Public Accounts Committee May I ask about the habitual residency test, which is connected with universal credit claims? I have a constituent who has been refused advance payment due to a delay in her partner’s residency test, and it is not clear when that will be completed. It would be helpful to understand the timescales for the residency test. Can the Secretary of State confirm whether, if the partner fails the residency test, an entirely new claim will have to be made?
Universal Credit and Welfare Changes — House of Commons, 2018-06-21
Topic: Social Welfare
Mary Elizabeth Twist (Labour, Centre-left): I assure the Secretary of State that I have read the NAO report in full, because I like to know what I am speaking about. I also like to know the lived experience of my constituents in Blaydon, where the full roll-out of universal credit happened just before Christmas. The NAO report certainly does reflect the problems that my constituents face with late payments and delays caused by all kinds of things. In particular, I would like to refer to the problems that some constituents with disabilities are having. A local voluntary organisation came to talk to me recently about problems that a deaf person is having, even with support, in claiming universal credit. Will the Secretary of State look at the provisions for people with disabilities, to ensure that they are able to claim easily? Does she intend to follow any of the recommendations in the NAO report?
Universal Credit and Welfare Changes — House of Commons, 2018-06-21
Topic: Social Welfare
David Drew (Labour, Centre-left): Last week in Prime Minister’s questions, I identified that the waiting time for appeals is 41 weeks for PIP and 30 weeks for ESA in the Gloucestershire area. What will the Secretary of State do to ensure that universal credit appeals do not create further delays, so that people can try to get some justice?
Universal Credit and Welfare Changes — House of Commons, 2018-06-21
Topic: Social Welfare
Paul John Sweeney (Labour, Centre-left): As the result of a freedom of information request, I know that my constituents who are now on personal independence payments but previously qualified for disability living allowance are losing £2 million a year. What will the Secretary of State do to address that obvious failure?
Universal Credit and Welfare Changes — House of Commons, 2018-06-21
Topic: Social Welfare
Eleanor Claire Reeves (Labour, Centre-left): Universal credit will be rolled out in my constituency in July. I already deal with lots of constituents who need help getting the benefits they are entitled to, due to unnecessary barriers put up by the DWP. The reality is that half of claimants are unable to make a claim for universal credit online without assistance. What real assurance can the Secretary of State give my constituents? I have heard little today that gives us confidence in the roll-out.
Universal Credit and Welfare Changes — House of Commons, 2018-06-21
Topic: Social Welfare
Deborah Angela Elspeth Marie Abrahams (Labour, Centre-left): I am grateful to you, Mr Deputy Speaker The Secretary of State, in response to my question, incorrectly said that the Government had not been found to have acted unlawfully in relation to universal credit as it applies to severely disabled people. I have looked up that judgment. I was at court 28 when the judgment was handed down this time last week, and it is absolutely the case that, for severely disabled people transitioning on to universal credit, the Government were found to have acted unlawfully and in a discriminatory way. I would appreciate it if the record were corrected.
Universal Credit and Welfare Changes — House of Commons, 2018-06-21
Topic: Social Welfare
Deborah Angela Elspeth Marie Abrahams (Labour, Centre-left): Further to that point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker. There were two judgments. The one that I just referenced, about severely disabled people transitioning on to universal credit, was upheld, and the Secretary of State needs to recognise that.
Erasmus Plus Programme — House of Commons, 2018-06-21
Topic: Education
Lloyd Russell-Moyle (Labour, Centre-left): I beg to move, That this House calls on the Government to negotiate continued access to the Erasmus+ programme and its successor schemes beyond 2020 Almost two years on from the referendum, the Government have not answered some of the key questions about how we will continue to co-operate with the Erasmus+ programme post-2020. The British Government cannot afford to duck this issue, because that would put at risk the future openness and vibrancy of our university and youth sectors I applied for this debate to bring the issue to the Chamber for the first time in five years and to seek reassurance from the Government that they will actually commit to preserving the Erasmus+ scheme post-2020. I am aware that, on many issues, Brexit hangs over us. However, I stress that this issue cuts across political parties and across pro-Brexit and anti-Brexit lines. I have gained support for this debate from Members of all parties, from the 2017 intake to the Father of the House, and representing all four nations. Those Members are united by a deep concern about the Government’s lack of full commitment to maintaining the Erasmus+ scheme beyond 2020 and to getting on with negotiating the modalities of how we would do that What is at stake here is the future existence of one of our most successful exports. The higher education sector is an export that has greatly enriched this country. The question is whether we will maintain an open and accessible higher education sector.
Erasmus Plus Programme — House of Commons, 2018-06-21
Topic: Education
Lloyd Russell-Moyle (Labour, Centre-left): I totally agree, and I believe the Government are in favour of the Erasmus+ scheme. We have heard positive sounds from the Government, but we now have to put our money where our mouth is. Erasmus+ is a valuable resource that contributes a vast amount of scope and depth to the British university and youth sectors. My former colleagues and I spent three years in and out of Brussels negotiating the current scheme, which was formed in 2014, and it brought together the Socrates, Erasmus, Leonardo, Grundtvig and Youth in Action programmes—the higher education, technical education, schools exchange and youth work programmes—and sometimes we forget that Erasmus+ incorporates all those different sectors of exchange.
Erasmus Plus Programme — House of Commons, 2018-06-21
Topic: Education
Lloyd Russell-Moyle (Labour, Centre-left): I totally agree. Some predecessor and current programmes of Erasmus+ are particularly good at diversity; 50% of its participants are from economically deprived or other minority backgrounds, and it helps improve not only grades, but longer-term outcomes. If I may say so, my hon. Friend has done very well for herself With a budget of €14.7 billion, Erasmus is an educational scheme that is not only continental, but global in reach.
Erasmus Plus Programme — House of Commons, 2018-06-21
Topic: Education
Lloyd Russell-Moyle (Labour, Centre-left): That is a good question. Not only is the youth part of the programme fully subscribed—I am talking about just British applications—but projects that in other places would be accepted are having not to be accepted at the moment because the money runs out before we are able to work down the whole list. I served on the programming committee for a number of years. We would analyse good programmes and then just work our way down until the money ran out. At the moment, the money is running out about halfway down the list. The doubling of the budget would therefore allow good projects that help disadvantaged British kids to travel and go on exchanges. That is exactly why we need an increased budget and why it is being negotiated with the Commission at the moment Every sector of lifelong learning is advantaged in some way or another from the Erasmus scheme, and most experts agree that Erasmus has a positive impact, as we have already talked about. Research shows that 81% of students who have gone abroad studying with the Erasmus scheme get a first or upper-second honours degree. That figure is 10% higher than the average in the university sector. At least 2 million young people across the continent have gone on these schemes in the past 30 years, with 600,000 of them having been from the UK just on this current scheme.
Erasmus Plus Programme — House of Commons, 2018-06-21
Topic: Education
Lloyd Russell-Moyle (Labour, Centre-left): I totally agree. The biggest employer in my constituency is the headquarters of American Express Europe and the biggest problem it has is finding young people with language skills to go into that sector—the Erasmus scheme really helps with that Being an alumnus of the University of Sussex and having part of that university in my constituency, it would remiss of me not to mention the role it had in founding the Erasmus programme. Hywel Jones served as the director of education, training and policy at the European Commission for 20 years at the start of the programme. In a recent speech, he talked about modelling the Erasmus programme on the work he had pioneered at the University of Sussex, where it had made sure that all disciplines, not just languages, although importantly including languages, allowed a study year abroad that was part of the degree programme, not just additional to it. His vision was to get that idea recognised throughout Europe. He said: "I was convinced that such an idea could be developed on a European-wide basis" Well, that idea became Erasmus, and now Erasmus+. From the University of Sussex was born an idea that has become so entrenched in the learning of so many that for many students it is now a byword for student exchange itself.
Erasmus Plus Programme — House of Commons, 2018-06-21
Topic: Education
Lloyd Russell-Moyle (Labour, Centre-left): Fantastic. Many universities are doing their bit and it is really good to hear what Queen’s is doing. In the past three years alone, £230 million has been invested in the higher education sector part of the Erasmus scheme for the UK Amy Walker graduated from the University of Sussex with a BA in geography and international development. She says: "I spent six months living and studying in Amsterdam, and I believe they were among the most formative, productive and happiest months of my life."
Erasmus Plus Programme — House of Commons, 2018-06-21
Topic: International Affairs
Thangam Elizabeth Rachel Debbonaire (Labour, Centre-left): My hon. Friend is making an excellent speech and I am glad that he has brought this matter to the House’s attention. Does he agree that, in addition to all the many benefits that Members have already mentioned, there is the benefit of increasing this country’s soft power? As we are leaving the European Union, it is particularly important that we have as many good relationships with other countries as possible. Erasmus is one way to create that soft power.
Erasmus Plus Programme — House of Commons, 2018-06-21
Topic: Education
Lloyd Russell-Moyle (Labour, Centre-left): That soft power is so vital, as is the provision of diverse, international campuses that then encourage other students from other parts of the world to come to study at them. They breed a virtuous circle Amy said that her time in Amsterdam gave her the motivation to study. Beforehand, she was perhaps not so motivated, but now understands the importance of learning, in a deeper way than before. Another student, Ifat Shaltiel, studied for a BA in English language teaching, plus Italian and Spanish—my goodness, what an incredible list of things to study—at Sussex. She said: "Every person I have met…in the Erasmus programme cannot praise the experience enough," and she considers it enormously valuable, particularly for language teaching.
Erasmus Plus Programme — House of Commons, 2018-06-21
Topic: Education
Charalambos Charalambous (Labour, Centre-left): Is my hon. Friend aware of the Universities UK report that says that students who study overseas are significantly more likely to enter managerial positions within 10 years of graduating, half as likely to be long-term unemployed as their non-mobile colleagues, and more likely to start their own companies than other graduates? Does he therefore agree that making sure that the Erasmus+ programme continues for the long term is invaluable, because of its long-term benefits to this country?
Erasmus Plus Programme — House of Commons, 2018-06-21
Topic: Education
Lloyd Russell-Moyle (Labour, Centre-left): I totally agree with my hon. Friend. There are examples coming out of our ears of the good work that the programme does Last month, Universities UK launched its Go International project to outline the reasons why international exchange is vital for our economy, education sector and young people. It also produced a very good little report. In fact, the Minister for Universities came and launched the project with us and said some good words about the importance of international exchange. We need those good words to turn into good actions, so that we can secure the Erasmus programme’s position. I believe that we all share that desire.
Erasmus Plus Programme — House of Commons, 2018-06-21
Topic: Education
Rupa Asha Huq (Labour, Centre-left): Does my hon. Friend agree that, as well as the obvious numerical and financial benefits that higher education brings that we can see in Horizon 2020 funding and the Galileo programme, there are also socio-cultural benefits, as he has alluded to himself, to these type of exchanges? The fact is that, two years on from the referendum, we are still in the dark about what will happen post 2020. That shows that, with a lack of contingency planning, the Government rushed into this referendum, and they still do not know what they are doing now.
Erasmus Plus Programme — House of Commons, 2018-06-21
Topic: International Affairs
Lloyd Russell-Moyle (Labour, Centre-left): I just want to make it clear that, when I am asking the Minister to negotiate details to allow us to sign on, I am not referring to the Brexit negotiations. There is a totally separate and parallel negotiation going on in the whole of Europe about the future of Erasmus post 2020. I am just trying to ensure that the Minister is negotiating, so that we can sign on without a huge negotiation on Brexit. That is the distinction I am worried about.
Civil Liability Bill [Lords] — House of Commons, 2018-10-23
Topic: Law and Crime
Andrew Francis Slaughter (Labour, Centre-left): I congratulate my hon. Friend on getting the Government to admit that the increases are arbitrary and not linked to inflation in any way. Is it not the case, therefore, that the only reason for the increases is to prevent injured people from getting representation and thereby preclude people with meritorious cases from getting the damages that they deserve?
Civil Liability Bill [Lords] — House of Commons, 2018-10-23
Topic: Labor
Ruth Stephanie Nicole George (Labour, Centre-left): Does my hon. Friend agree that in the case of an accident at work it is even more important that an injured employee is able to get legal representation to take a case against their employer? The employer will be armed with lawyers and their employers’ liability insurance company. That is stacked up against an individual whose task will be hard enough. They will be feeling victimised enough as it is.
Civil Liability Bill [Lords] — House of Commons, 2018-10-23
Topic: Transportation
Ruth Stephanie Nicole George (Labour, Centre-left): In road accident claims and particularly in employment liability cases at work, establishing who is to blame for an accident is far from simple. It is an extremely different sort of case from that of establishing whether a fridge was working or not when it was bought, or whether there is something wrong with a car. I really think the hon. Gentleman is not doing justice to the victims of personal injury accidents by the arguments that he seeks to make.
Civil Liability Bill [Lords] — House of Commons, 2018-10-23
Topic: Law and Crime
Andrew Francis Slaughter (Labour, Centre-left): With the greatest respect, I do not think that the hon. Gentleman knows what he is talking about. Given of the relatively low levels of compensation for injury, the effects of a £5,000 injury can be quite severe and debilitating over a period of time. The complexity of personal injury cases, which involve expert evidence and issues of causation, means that they are in a different category. Even the Government accept that, so he is batting on a rather poor wicket.
Civil Liability Bill [Lords] — House of Commons, 2018-10-23
Topic: Transportation
Joanna Meriel Stevens (Labour, Centre-left): I am sure that no one in the Chamber thinks that we should encourage fraudulent claims—absolutely not—but may I bring the hon. Gentleman back to some facts? Between 2015 and 2017, the number of registered claims for whiplash fell by 15%, while the number of claims being reported through the police also fell, which might have something to do with the 37% reduction in the number of road traffic police officers in the last 10 years.