argyrotsipi/train-dataset huggingface dataset:
Childcare Bill [Lords] — House of Commons, 2016-01-25
Topic: Social Welfare
Melanie Onn (Labour, Centre-left): I thank the Minister for being so generous in giving way. I want to echo the sentiment expressed by my hon. Friend the Member for Stockton North (Alex Cunningham), and reinforce it by pointing out that many kinship carers are pensioners who cannot work and cannot meet their thresholds. When it comes to respite care, children often need additional educational or emotional support, which takes an incredible toll. Those carers are saving the state huge amounts of money, because they are not foster carers.
Childcare Bill [Lords] — House of Commons, 2016-01-25
Topic: Education
Melanie Onn (Labour, Centre-left): Does the Minister not think that it would be more appropriate for very young children to be in settings where there are mixed social and accessibility needs, so that if they have special educational needs, there is no division between them? Such children will not require access to the additional funding that the Minister has mentioned, but they will need socialisation in those early-years settings.
Childcare Bill [Lords] — House of Commons, 2016-01-25
Topic: Social Welfare
Pat Glass (Labour, Centre-left): When the Minister and I met after the Committee stage, we talked a great deal about how we would implement the entitlement and make it work for the parents of disabled children. The Minister referred to the early implementers, and we talked about how he would measure their success. Has any progress been made? We discussed talking to parents’ groups, for instance, to ensure that they could contribute to the early implementation process.
Childcare Bill [Lords] — House of Commons, 2016-01-25
Topic: Social Welfare
Jenny Chapman (Labour, Centre-left): The Minister is making quite a bold assertion about the impact of this measure. He does not know that his Bill will narrow the gap, nor does he know that the most disadvantaged children will be able to benefit from the 15 hours, because in fact they will not.
Childcare Bill [Lords] — House of Commons, 2016-01-25
Topic: Social Welfare
Jessica Rose Phillips (Labour, Centre-left): Although I am not sure Mr Speaker saw me do so, I almost fell over when I tried to catch his eye earlier. As I am doing dry January, I assure hon. Members that it was not for the usual reasons why people fall over in Parliament. In fact, my heel got caught on my bag I rise to speak to amendment 1 in my name, which is about victims of domestic violence. I give credit to my hon. Friend the Member for Great Grimsby (Melanie Onn) for finding another vulnerable group in kinship carers, whose needs may not be well met by the Bill. I would put them in a similar category to the people I am going to talk about. She made some very interesting points. I hope the Minister will take them away and try to understand what it is like for senior citizens to take on children who have been in very traumatic circumstances The purpose of the amendment I have tabled is to ask the Government once again to look at the possibility of exempting those fleeing domestic violence from the 16-hour employment threshold. As someone with years of experience working in this field, I know that one of the single biggest barriers to women attending and seeking recovery services is access to childcare. For example it is pretty difficult for a woman to engage in trauma counselling for the repeated rapes she has suffered with a four-year-old running around her feet When women flee their homes and seek refuge for them and their children, they are very often forced to give up their jobs as well. That is usually brought about by an anomaly in the benefits system regarding rates of housing benefit in supported accommodation. Similarly, however, many women find that, in order to give up their home and surroundings, they are forced out of work for a period of time, as staying in work becomes totally impossible logistically. A woman who came to my surgery just a few weeks ago—she was living in her car, while her children stayed on relatives’ floors—had to give up her job as a care worker once we were able to place her in a refuge. That is not uncommon I ask all Conservative Members to imagine for a second leaving all their belongings, shutting the door of their home, and giving up their job and their financial security. Most women I have met do this for the sake of their children, but imagine the effect of that on a three-year-old. There are only so many times they can be convinced that it is just a big adventure before the difficult reality sets in Now, this Bill will tell those children that they will lose their place in nursery too. That might be the only consistent thing left in their chaotic lives. I can see that there is confusion among Government Members. If a woman loses her home and her job and is no longer working 16 hours, she will lose the nursery places she had for her children. I just wanted to clear that up. [Interruption.] Would a Minister like to intervene? They seem confused.
Childcare Bill [Lords] — House of Commons, 2016-01-25
Topic: Education
Jessica Rose Phillips (Labour, Centre-left): I was going to say that, whereas other Departments have shown a clear commitment to taking their role in the fight against domestic violence—the Minister has mentioned the £40 million—I had felt, until now, that the record of the Department for Education, with the constant wrangling over personal, social, health and economic education and healthy relationships education, could be described as woeful. I am delighted that the Minister has proven me wrong. As someone who has masses of experience, I would be delighted to meet him and talk about how this policy will work in practice I will say no more on the matter, other than to thank the Minister for his commitment Question put, That the clause be read a Second time.
Childcare Bill [Lords] — House of Commons, 2016-01-25
Topic: Social Welfare
Lindsay Harvey Hoyle (Labour, Centre-left): I remind the House that although all Members may speak in the debate, only Members representing constituencies in England may vote on the consent motion Resolved, That the Committee consents to the following certified clauses of the Childcare Bill [Lords] and certified amendment made to the Bill: Clauses certified under Standing Order No. 83L(2) as relating exclusively to England and being within devolved legislative competence Clauses 3 and 5 of the Bill as amended in Committee (Bill 107); Amendments certified under Standing Order No. 83L(4) as relating exclusively to England Amendment 3 made in Committee to Clause 2 of the Bill as introduced (Bill 84), which is Clause 1(5) of the Bill as amended in Committee (Bill 107).—(Mr Gyimah.) The occupant of the Chair left the Chair to report the decision of the Committee (Standing Order No. 83M(6)). The Deputy Speaker resumed the Chair; decision reported. Third Reading
Central and East Africa — House of Commons, 2016-01-25
Topic: International Affairs
Graham Peter Jones (Labour, Centre-left): Does the hon. and learned Gentleman accept that one consideration in withdrawing aid from Burundi, which comes through from speaking to British aid workers in the region, is simply the level of corruption and the inability to deliver an aid programme against that backdrop?
Central and East Africa — House of Commons, 2016-01-25
Topic: International Affairs
Mary Helen Creagh (Labour, Centre-left): I congratulate the hon. and learned Gentleman on securing this debate. On my visit to Burundi in 2009, I visited a Save the Children hospital that was helping women who needed Caesarean sections to deliver their babies safely. That was one of the many projects that we funded in country, and it made a real difference in a country where one in five under-fives did not make it to their fifth birthday. I agree that by withdrawing from the country, we have a lesser voice and less influence. I gently say to all hon. Members that what Chad and the Central African Republic have in common is their abject poverty and the fact that they are so-called aid orphans. There are ways to channel aid into those countries through the UN and perhaps through partnering with other Governments. We need to be a bit more flexible in the future.
Central and East Africa — House of Commons, 2016-01-25
Topic: International Affairs
Stephen John Doughty (Labour, Centre-left): Yes, I agree with the hon. Gentleman in principle. It is important that we focus on those fragile countries that are affected by conflict, but I would gently make two points. It is important to support Governments directly, albeit with important criteria attached. Unless we support the development of strong governmental systems—for example, in healthcare and education—we will not see the necessary consistency and co-ordination of approach involving the non-governmental and international organisations operating in the country. In this country, it was only through forming the national health service and a unified education system that we were able to make the necessary progress in our own history. So I would not want us to move completely away from providing Governments with support, but it is important that it should be properly scrutinised and accounted for It is also important that considerations such as human rights should be taken into account. I remember a particular example that the previous Labour Government were involved with, when the then President of Malawi was proposing to spend an awful lot of money on a presidential jet. It was made very clear that that was not acceptable, and the money was subsequently funnelled through alternative channels to ensure that it got to the people who needed it rather than being used for that sort of corruption.
Central and East Africa — House of Commons, 2016-01-25
Topic: International Affairs
Stephen John Doughty (Labour, Centre-left): I agree with the broad point that the hon. Gentleman is making. When I am speaking to my constituents about these matters, I regularly make clear the links between what happens in those countries and what happens on our own streets. We have historic links with those countries, but there have also been tragic occurrences involving, for example, young men from my constituency trying to travel abroad to fight for al-Shabaab and an individual who had studied in Cardiff going to Nigeria to become involved with Boko Haram. What happens in those countries can have a direct and serious impact on what happens on own streets. It is always been clear to me that development is primarily a moral duty for us, but it is also in our common interest across the piece. It is in our common global interest and in the common national interest of this country, and I am never afraid to make that point The hon. Gentleman made an important point about co-ordination across Departments. Again, I agree with that in principle but I have experience of certain figures from certain Departments, such as the Ministry of Defence, looking at the DFID budget with an eagle eye and saying, "Well, you can have so much for this and so much for that." There is sense in having co-ordination and co-operation, but they should not be seen as a way of hiving off chunks of funding and re-labelling them as something else. I know that those on the Opposition Front Bench will be doing an awful lot to scrutinise these matters and to ensure that we see real co-operation rather than the hiving off of parts of budgets for other purposes.
Central and East Africa — House of Commons, 2016-01-25
Topic: International Affairs
Stephen John Doughty (Labour, Centre-left): I absolutely agree with the hon. Lady. Many Members taking part in the debate tonight also put forward that argument. It is crucial that we continue to build confidence in that way. I have seen with my own eyes the impact that UK aid can have not only on helping people directly but on fostering stability, development and security, which in the end benefit the whole of Africa and indeed the whole world.
Central and East Africa — House of Commons, 2016-01-25
Topic: Macroeconomics
Mary Helen Creagh (Labour, Centre-left): On the question of success stories, may I remind my hon. Friend of the great success of the last Labour Government in setting up the Rwandan revenue collection authority? We sent representatives of HMRC—which has been in the news again today—over to help to design tax collection systems in Rwanda. That £20 million investment by the UK Government has now reaped hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenues for Rwanda. I suggested a similar scheme to a senior Minister in the South Sudanese Government when I was in that country in 2012 but, to my disappointment, he rejected the offer to help him to set up his own South Sudanese revenue collection authority.
Central and East Africa — House of Commons, 2016-01-25
Topic: International Affairs
Graham Peter Jones (Labour, Centre-left): The hon. Lady makes a very good point. Will she respond to this point, which I nearly mentioned, but wanted to raise? The stability in Rwanda enables it to supply forces to the African Union—I believe its forces are operating in four other countries with the African Union—and bringing such stability must be welcome.
Central and East Africa — House of Commons, 2016-01-25
Topic: International Affairs
Stephen John Doughty (Labour, Centre-left): Importantly, the Minister is talking about the situation in Burundi, and he mentioned EU sanctions. Does he accept that Britain plays an important role in many of these countries as part of the EU in tackling these challenges, not just in terms of sanctions but through our development aid and co-operation with other European countries?
Prison Governors — House of Commons, 2016-01-26
Topic: Law and Crime
Keith Anthony Vaz (Labour, Centre-left): I welcome the steps that have been taken to tackle radicalisation in prisons, but the problem exists once people come outside prisons. In a previous report of the Home Affairs Committee, we talked about the need to monitor people when they come outside. Will the Secretary of State ensure that there remains that connection with the Home Office, so that those who have had lessons or initiatives to do with counter-radicalisation are able to continue with them when they get outside?
Departmental Spending — House of Commons, 2016-01-26
Topic: Law and Crime
Nicklaus Thomas-Symonds (Labour, Centre-left): Given the Secretary of State’s U-turns on things such as the criminal court charge and the ban on books being sent to prisoners, may I gently suggest that a good way of saving money would be to avoid such mistakes in the first place and listen to the Labour party?
Departmental Spending — House of Commons, 2016-01-26
Topic: Law and Crime
Andrew Francis Slaughter (Labour, Centre-left): Talking of value for money, how much has the miscalculation of divorce settlements cost so far? The 2,200 closed cases will require specialist legal advice and negotiation to correct. Who is going to pay for that—the taxpayer or the people his Department has so badly let down? On the back of it, the legal press has dubbed the Under-Secretary of State for Justice, the hon. Member for North West Cambridgeshire (Mr Vara), the Minister for cock-ups. We disapprove of this scapegoating. Does not the whole ministerial team deserve that title?
Psychoactive Substances (Prisons) — House of Commons, 2016-01-26
Topic: Law and Crime
Mary Theresa Glindon (Labour, Centre-left): The National Offender Management Service has revealed that the amount of alcohol found in prisons in England and Wales has almost trebled since the Government took office. Will the Minister explain what urgent steps he is taking to address this serious problem?
Psychoactive Substances (Prisons) — House of Commons, 2016-01-26
Topic: Law and Crime
Marie Elizabeth Rimmer (Labour, Centre-left): There have been recent reports of prison officers falling ill after inhaling inmates’ legal highs. The Minister says that new legislation is being introduced, but how will we deal with the problem when present governors are retiring and leaving? We need a culture from the top to implement measures within the Prison Service. How will the Government effect that?
Access to Justice — House of Commons, 2016-01-26
Topic: Law and Crime
Stephen Creswell Timms (Labour, Centre-left): The result, as the Lord Chief Justice extraordinarily reported two weeks ago, is that: "Our system of justice has become unaffordable to most" Two constituents were sacked unfairly. One went to tribunal but was unable to afford legal representation and therefore lost. The other immediately gave up. With justice now available to only the well-off, does the Minister have any serious proposals to open up access to justice to ordinary people?
Access to Justice — House of Commons, 2016-01-26
Topic: Law and Crime
Rachael Helen Maskell (Labour, Centre-left): The Law Society describes access to justice as being "on the verge of a crisis" Funding for civil cases has fallen by 62% since civil legal aid was cut. Will the Minister carry out a full review to understand the equality impact of the changes in civil legal aid?
Access to Justice — House of Commons, 2016-01-26
Topic: Law and Crime
Christina Elizabeth Rees (Labour, Centre-left): We learnt this week that a district judge is suing the Ministry of Justice, blowing the whistle on the rising number of death threats and the increasingly violent claimants that our judges are having to deal with day in, day out. Given that that comes so soon after the Lord Chief Justice’s warning that judges face a rising number of challenging and emotionally charged cases, what action is the Minister taking to address these claims, or is this just another admission that his party’s failed austerity policies have made our courts more dangerous, both for judges and for victims?
Prisons’ Engagement with Employers — House of Commons, 2016-01-26
Topic: Law and Crime
Joanna Meriel Stevens (Labour, Centre-left): This morning, the Minister has talked about employment on release from prisons. Education and skills are crucial to an offender’s chance of making something of themselves and getting a job on release. However, the Minister has admitted, in an answer to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Hammersmith (Andy Slaughter), that Prison Service anti-riot squads were drafted in on 339 occasions in the year to 9 December 2015—an increase of 52% on the previous year. Does the Minister accept that prison overcrowding, coupled with his Government’s cuts in resources, has led to a prison estate that is not fit for educational purpose?
Poppi Worthington — House of Commons, 2016-01-26
Topic: Law and Crime
John Woodcock (Labour, Centre-left): I thank the Minister for that answer, and the Lord Chancellor for his swift reply to my letter, which I received this morning. Our community wants accountability and wants to see improvements in services that have so tragically failed in these circumstances. So will the Minister make it clear that there is no reason why the serious case review into Poppi Worthington’s death and the Independent Police Complaints Commission’s report need be delayed pending the second inquest being carried out?
Probation Service Workers — House of Commons, 2016-01-26
Topic: Law and Crime
Ian Lavery (Labour, Centre-left): There is the potential for 900 probation officers to be made compulsorily redundant within just three CRCs in the very near future. These are the people who stood by the Government at the time of the transitional period into privatisation. They should not be penalised; they should be praised. Will the Minister guarantee that these professionals receive full voluntary redundancy terms and will not be booted out? They provide a very valuable service in the role provided by these private companies on the cheap.
Youth Custody Provision — House of Commons, 2016-01-26
Topic: Law and Crime
Daniel Stephen Zeichner (Labour, Centre-left): The roll-out of the new minimising and managing physical restraint system has been delayed for a year. In 2013-14, there were almost 3,000 assault incidents in the children’s secure estate—a 7% increase on 2012-13, even though the number of children in custody had fallen by 20%. What is the Secretary of State doing to address this rising number of incidents and to ensure that a new, safer system is implemented?
Youth Custody Provision — House of Commons, 2016-01-26
Topic: Social Welfare
Helen Mary Jones (Labour, Centre-left): It was obvious to those who watched the "Panorama" programme that the G4S workforce was under-qualified, under-trained and under pressure not to report incidents that should have been reported, because of the threat to G4S’s profits. Is it not now time that we recognised that the most difficult and vulnerable children in our system should not be looked after by a profit-driven organisation, but by properly trained and publicly accountable staff?
Youth Custody Provision — House of Commons, 2016-01-26
Topic: Law and Crime
Wayne David (Labour, Centre-left): The allegations in the "Panorama" programme on 11 January about Medway secure training centre were truly appalling. I am glad that the Secretary of State has listened to the chief inspector of prisons and to us, and will appoint an independent improvement board. I also note that the director of Medway has just resigned The three STCs in England—Medway, Oakhill and Rainsbrook—are run by G4S. Following a damning inspection report last year, the Rainsbrook contract was taken away from G4S. This has nothing to do with ideology, but on the basis of the evidence before us, will the Government now take away G4S’s Medway contract and ensure that G4S is not awarded any future contracts?
Safety in Prisons — House of Commons, 2016-01-26
Topic: Law and Crime
Sarah Deborah Champion (Labour, Centre-left): The example of Medway shows that the use of restraint for good order and discipline can be exploited. Will the inquiry look into that issue across all prisons, because I do not think it is appropriate in this day and age?
Safety in Prisons — House of Commons, 2016-01-26
Topic: Law and Crime
Rupa Asha Huq (Labour, Centre-left): The report by the outgoing chief inspector of prisons quoted a member of staff at HMP Wormwood Scrubs as saying that one cell was so unsafe, "I wouldn’t keep a dog in there." I know that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but will the Minister tell us what is being done to deal with the Tory prisons crisis?
European Convention on Human Rights — House of Commons, 2016-01-26
Topic: International Affairs
Questions: What representations he has received from (a) international bodies, (b) the Council of Europe and (c) the UN on the UK’s membership of the European Convention on Human Rights.; What representations he has received from (a) international bodies, (b) the Council of Europe and (c) the UN on the UK’s membership of the European Convention on Human Rights.
David George Hanson (Labour, Centre-left): I am sure that if it was just the Labour party saying, "Don’t scrap the human rights act," the Minister could roll with it, but when the Minister met Prince Zeid, did Prince Zeid say that the Government’s proposals would be "damaging for victims and contrary to the country’s commendable history of global and regional engagement" and that "many other states may gleefully follow suit" Is it not important that we listen to the United Nations?
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2016-01-26
Topic: Law and Crime
Andrew Francis Slaughter (Labour, Centre-left): I commend the Secretary of State for his appointment of Nick Hardwick to the Parole Board. I am sure he will be just as forensic there as in his current role Exactly a year ago, my right hon. Friend the Member for Tooting (Sadiq Khan), with his usual prescience, said that the new criminal legal aid contracts were "making a pig’s ear of access to justice" and should be abandoned. Will the Secretary of State confirm the press reports that he is about to do just that?