argyrotsipi/train-dataset huggingface dataset:
Areas with Additional Public Health Restrictions: Economic Support — House of Commons, 2020-10-06
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Melvyn John Stride (Conservative, Centre-right): Local restrictions are inevitably impairing many thousands of businesses in those areas, but some businesses are not just being impaired: because of the regulations, they are simply unable to trade. I am thinking about many companies in the hospitality sector—events companies, hotels, nightclubs and many more. Would my right hon. Friend recognise that and come forward with a specific set of support packages for those businesses, which the regulations basically stop dead in their tracks? In that way, the many thousands of jobs in those businesses, which are otherwise entirely viable, can be saved.
Areas with Additional Public Health Restrictions: Economic Support — House of Commons, 2020-10-06
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Stephen Paul Barclay (Conservative, Centre-right): The Chair of the Treasury Committee raises an extremely pertinent point, which I know my right hon. Friend the Chancellor has heard loud and clear. That is why we have seen repeatedly in the measures that the Chancellor has brought forward a targeting—particularly, as the Chair of the Select Committee says, in areas such as the hospitality sector, which have been acutely hit—with a package of measures, such as the cut in VAT and the package over the summer. For specific areas such as the independent cinema sector, there has been the £30 million of funding for the British Film Institute. That is an individual measure, but it does not address the much wider part of the cinema sector and the major chains. It is about looking at targeted measures of support in response to the issue that the Select Committee Chair raises.
Areas with Additional Public Health Restrictions: Economic Support — House of Commons, 2020-10-06
Topic: Mixed Topics
Stephen Paul Barclay (Conservative, Centre-right): I am happy to give my hon. Friend that assurance about levelling up. It is at the core of the Government’s mission. It is a key priority of the Prime Minister and consequentially of all Ministers. We are actively working in the Treasury to accelerate under Project Speed our infrastructure investment to ensure that it is better targeted in terms of place as well as scheme.
Areas with Additional Public Health Restrictions: Economic Support — House of Commons, 2020-10-06
Topic: Mixed Topics
Stephen Paul Barclay (Conservative, Centre-right): I shall resist pursuing the panto theme, although I am not sure too many villains have allocated £1.57 billion to the industry in addition to the other package of support that the Chancellor has announced. The hon. Lady speaks of a real concern, which we are acutely aware of. The House has debated at length the issue of that subset of the self-employed who were beyond the date of the initial package and I do not think we need to rehearse that argument, but I recognise that it is an issue of ongoing concern. By international standards, the self-employed income support package that we have put in place is extremely generous, and my right hon. Friend the Chancellor extended it further in the winter plan.
Areas with Additional Public Health Restrictions: Economic Support — House of Commons, 2020-10-06
Topic: Mixed Topics
Stephen Paul Barclay (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend is quite right to single out the huge amount of work being done by local authorities up and down the country to assist us in our response to the pandemic, and I am sure that I join many hon. Members in paying tribute to that work. She will be aware that my right hon Friend the Chancellor announced £3.7 billion of grant support for councils, an extra £1.1 billion of support for social care providers, and on top of that £300 million as part of our enhanced track and trace. In addition, £100 million was announced for the surge, in our response to local authorities. It is an important point; we work very closely with local authorities as part of our response.
Areas with Additional Public Health Restrictions: Economic Support — House of Commons, 2020-10-06
Topic: Public Lands
Stephen Paul Barclay (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Gentleman has raised this before and I discussed it with the Secretary of State for Wales. As a result of the hon. Gentleman’s question, I will ask for an urgent update to clarify with the Secretary of State what the latest is on that. Because of the emotion that I think everyone feels around the national tragedy of Aberfan, we recognise the specific issue in that regard, and I know that the Prime Minister is very sighted on it. To be fair, I think the issue has more aspects to it than simply the individual site that is of most concern; there is a wider discussion with the Welsh Government around flood protection and where that funding is, but I am very happy to follow up. Given that the hon. Gentleman has raised the issue before, let me follow it up, and I will write to him following today’s exchange.
Areas with Additional Public Health Restrictions: Economic Support — House of Commons, 2020-10-06
Topic: Domestic Commerce
David Ian Jones (Conservative, Centre-right): The Welsh Government have imposed movement restrictions in four north Wales counties, an area where tourism and hospitality are the mainstay of the economy. That has had an immediate adverse effect on local businesses, some of which have closed, maybe never to open again. Can my right hon. Friend say whether the Welsh Government have been in touch with the Treasury to outline what financial measures they intend to put in place to compensate the businesses that have been so badly affected by this action?
Areas with Additional Public Health Restrictions: Economic Support — House of Commons, 2020-10-06
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Robin John Millar (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank the Minister for the generous and timely support that businesses and workers across Aberconwy have received during this pandemic. Sadly, the same businesses and workers, mainly in tourism, are struggling now under fresh local restrictions that have been brought in by the Welsh Government. I noted the Minister’s response to my right hon. Friend the Member for Clwyd West (Mr Jones). Will he press the Welsh Government, when they introduce local restrictions that are stricter than those in other parts of the UK, and do so at lower thresholds than in other parts of the UK, to also provide the funding that the businesses and workers struggling under them need?
Areas with Additional Public Health Restrictions: Economic Support — House of Commons, 2020-10-06
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Gary William Sambrook (Conservative, Centre-right): There is no doubt that a number of businesses in Birmingham, Northfield and across Birmingham, especially in hospitality, would not exist now if it was not for the support packages put in place by the Government over the past several months. Will my right hon. Friend please commit to looking at as many ways as possible of supporting businesses, especially those affected by the local restrictions and the 10 pm curfew?
Areas with Additional Public Health Restrictions: Economic Support — House of Commons, 2020-10-06
Topic: Mixed Topics
Stephen Paul Barclay (Conservative, Centre-right): As I have said in reply to a number of colleagues, we will continue to listen and evaluate the circumstances, including as applies to London. The Chancellor has set out a comprehensive package of support that applies to businesses within the London community, assisting them in their ability to retain what is most prized within a business, which is the talent of its own staff, and in addressing particular cash-flow pressure. We responded very much to the feedback that we have received from business leaders, including business leaders in London, as the winter package was shaped.
Areas with Additional Public Health Restrictions: Economic Support — House of Commons, 2020-10-06
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Matthew Alexander Vickers (Conservative, Centre-right): The hospitality sector has benefited from an incredible and innovative package of support, and I hope that will continue in a targeted way to mitigate the impact of local lockdown. But if we do not rethink the 10 pm curfew, we could see bars, pubs, restaurants and breweries call last orders for the final time. Will the Government back Britain’s boozers and breweries and reconsider their approach to the 10 pm curfew?
Areas with Additional Public Health Restrictions: Economic Support — House of Commons, 2020-10-06
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Stephen Paul Barclay (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend speaks with great authority when it comes to the business community. I know that he engages extensively with it and understands the issues closely. I am very happy to relay the issue that he raises to my right hon Friend the Secretary of State. As I have said on a number of occasions, we have put in place a comprehensive package of support. It will not address every job, and the Chancellor has been honest with the public in that regard, but it is right that we keep the situation under review. I will take my hon. Friend’s representations on that issue.
Areas with Additional Public Health Restrictions: Economic Support — House of Commons, 2020-10-06
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Katherine Fletcher (Conservative, Centre-right): In areas of Lancashire—in South Ribble, Chorley and West Lancashire—that I represent, I speak to businesses and they get that we are trying to save lives. The businesses they are in are people businesses—they are in events, weddings and bands—and they will put people first, but they are looking at three winters. They would not be here without the coronavirus business interruption loans, the bounce back loans and the furlough. But can the Minister assure me that he is giving every consideration to ensure that those businesses are still here when we are past this awful virus?
Prisoners (Disclosure of Information About Victims) Bill — House of Commons, 2020-10-06
Topic: Other
Eleanor Fulton Laing (Conservative, Centre-right): In order to observe social distancing, the Reasons Committee will meet not as usual in the Reasons Room but in Committee Room 12 In order to allow Members to safely leave the Chamber and Members who are going to speak on the next item of business to enter, I suspend the sitting for three minutes.
Private International Law (Implementation of Agreements) Bill [Lords] — House of Commons, 2020-10-06
Topic: Mixed Topics
Eleanor Fulton Laing (Conservative, Centre-right): I should explain that, in these exceptional circumstances, although the Chair of the Committee would normally sit in the Clerk’s chair during Committee stage, in order to comply with social distancing requirements, I will remain in the Speaker’s Chair, although I will be carrying out the role not of Deputy Speaker but of Chairman of the Committee. During Committee, the occupant of the Chair should be addressed as Chair of the Committee, rather than as Deputy Speaker Clause 1 Implementation of the 1996, 2005 and 2007 Hague Conventions
Private International Law (Implementation of Agreements) Bill [Lords] — House of Commons, 2020-10-06
Topic: Mixed Topics
Dehenna Sheridan Fareham (Conservative, Centre-right): I rise today not as a lawyer, surprisingly—like many right hon. and hon. Members across the House—but merely as someone who has taken an interest in the Bill because I want the best for my constituents. I often joke that I am bilingual, because I can speak standard English and northerner, but I do not speak legalese, so Members may have to forgive me for a bit of plain speaking on this one New clause 5, which has been the subject of much discussion, effectively sets out the procedure by which international agreements on legal disputes are brought into UK law. The new clause would allow Ministers to implement treaties via an affirmative statutory instrument, rather than going through the full primary legislative process.
Private International Law (Implementation of Agreements) Bill [Lords] — House of Commons, 2020-10-06
Topic: Other
Jonathan Simon Djanogly (Conservative, Centre-right): I intervene only because the Minister suggested that I said something. I may have said that this is not party political, but that does not mean to say that it is not important, complicated and potentially contentious—but not for party political reasons.
Private International Law (Implementation of Agreements) Bill [Lords] — House of Commons, 2020-10-06
Topic: Mixed Topics
Robert James MacGillivray Neill (Conservative, Centre-right): Perhaps the Minister can help my hon. Friend the Member for Huntingdon (Mr Djanogly) and me. I understand what the Minister is saying, and none of us wishes to create a labyrinthine process. Does he accept that it may be necessary to learn from experience with CRaG as we go forward? Are the Government closing their mind to the idea that we could seek refinements and improvements to the CRaG process as we operate it? The answer might help us.
Private International Law (Implementation of Agreements) Bill [Lords] — House of Commons, 2020-10-06
Topic: Other
Alexander John Gervase Chalk (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank my hon. Friend for raising that point. There is no doubt that the CRaG process is evolving and maturing. Proper points have been made about the need to consider it and how it should evolve over time. I certainly do not want to shut my eyes or my ears to my hon. Friend’s proposals The Bill takes a balanced and proportionate approach. I therefore invite hon. Members to support the Government amendments and reject the remainder.
Public Health — House of Commons, 2020-10-06
Topic: Mixed Topics
Mark James Harper (Conservative, Centre-right): The regulations were obviously made and brought into force ahead of the commitment that the Secretary of State made to the House last week. Given that the regulations that we are debating today cover the whole of England and are obviously of very great significance, will the Minister confirm that regulations of this nature would in future be covered by the Secretary of State’s commitment and would be brought for debate and decision in this House before they came into force? Would that also apply to, for example, the self-isolation regulations, which have not yet been debated by this House and which are also significant? I want to ensure that we are following through on the commitments that the Government made last week, and that this House will get to debate measures that cover the whole country and are of great significance.
Public Health — House of Commons, 2020-10-06
Topic: Mixed Topics
Graham Stuart Brady (Conservative, Centre-right): I am very grateful to the Minister for giving way. We are three weeks in and we know that a different model is being applied in Scotland. At what point would she expect to be able to form a judgment as to whether the Scottish approach, excluding young children from the rule of six, is less effective, as effective, or more effective than that in England?
Public Health — House of Commons, 2020-10-06
Topic: Other
Desmond Angus Swayne (Conservative, Centre-right): Given that the Minister has pleaded simplicity for the rule of six, is it any less simple that the six should exclude children than that it should include them, or do we imagine that our constituents are stupid?
Public Health — House of Commons, 2020-10-06
Topic: Mixed Topics
Christopher Robert Chope (Conservative, Centre-right): On that point, can the hon. Gentleman tell the House of the present state of negotiations with the official Opposition about a debate on the 10 o’clock curfew? The suggestion was that there would be a debate tomorrow on the 10 o’clock curfew, but it is not going to be about that—it is going to be about what is happening in the north. Can the hon. Gentleman tell the House what progress there has been?
Public Health — House of Commons, 2020-10-06
Topic: Other
Desmond Angus Swayne (Conservative, Centre-right): The question was asked and the answer was that it was for simplicity. It was not a question of evidence: the answer was that it was simpler to include children. Given that there is no evidence, will the hon. Gentleman reassess his answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Wycombe (Mr Baker)?
Public Health — House of Commons, 2020-10-06
Topic: Mixed Topics
Steven John Baker (Conservative, Centre-right): I wonder whether the hon. Gentleman can help me out. I am looking at the provision on linked households, which is introduced on page 6. I have looked at the explanatory memorandum and I cannot find the explanation of what linked households means. Is he able to clearly explain, for the benefit of the nation, what this linked households provision is all about?
Public Health — House of Commons, 2020-10-06
Topic: Other
Nigel Martin Evans (Conservative, Centre-right): There are eight people on the call list, and I will get everyone in if it kills me. To do so, I am introducing a rule of six. It is not an arbitrary figure; I have divided the time left by how many people want to speak. The rule of six could become the rule of five or the rule of four if there are a lot of interventions.
Public Health — House of Commons, 2020-10-06
Topic: Other
Nigel Martin Evans (Conservative, Centre-right): Before I call Mark Harper, I would like to say that if business does end early, I hope that David Linden and Richard Drax, who are presenting petitions, will not be far from the Chamber, and that Richard Holden, who has the Adjournment debate, and Ed Argar, the Minister who will respond to it, are not far away either. I should hate for them to miss their opportunities.
Public Health — House of Commons, 2020-10-06
Topic: Other
Steven John Baker (Conservative, Centre-right): I notice that my right hon. Friend is back on a time limit, so I take this opportunity to note that we are voting on these regulations retrospectively. For that reason, I am going to abstain tonight. If we were voting on them prospectively then, for the kinds of reasons he is giving, and indeed for the reasons I gave, I would have voted against them. I shall abstain tonight, because I realise they are in force. I would like to see them changed in the ways he is setting out.
Public Health — House of Commons, 2020-10-06
Topic: Other
Helen Olivia Bicknell Whately (Conservative, Centre-right): I appreciate that my hon. Friend did not take the "let rip" position, but some have done so. The majority of those who have spoken this evening have absolutely supported the fact that we need to have restrictions in place, which is good to hear.
Rail Network: Accessibility for Disabled People — House of Commons, 2020-10-22
Topic: Mixed Topics
Christopher Heaton-Harris (Conservative, Centre-right): The Government have recently made £350 million available to make accessibility improvements at a further 209 stations through the Access for All programme, ramping up provision across the country. We also require the industry to comply with current accessibility standards whenever they install, replace or renew station infrastructure.
Maritime Workers’ Pay Protection — House of Commons, 2020-10-22
Topic: Mixed Topics
Virginia Ann Crosbie (Conservative, Centre-right): The maritime industry has submitted a £1 billion bid through the comprehensive spending review to kickstart maritime decarbonisation. That will boost wages and create jobs in coastal communities like Ynys Môn across the UK, and help the UK to lead in green maritime technology. Will the Minister confirm that his Department supports the bid, and that he will commit to meeting me and MPs from coastal communities to discuss this matter in more detail?
Covid-19 Quarantine: International Travel — House of Commons, 2020-10-22
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Felicia Jane Beatrix Drummond (Conservative, Centre-right): I have heard from a number of constituents in the travel and tourism industry who are very concerned about staying in business over the next six months. I therefore welcome my right hon. Friend’s recent proposal to reduce quarantine to seven days and on the use of testing capacity at major airports such as Heathrow. What can the Government do to help smaller regional airports, such as Southampton, to create their own testing capacity?
Covid-19 Quarantine: International Travel — House of Commons, 2020-10-22
Topic: Mixed Topics
Grant Shapps (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend is absolutely right. That links to the previous question inasmuch as we have to get this economy going if we are going to have to live with coronavirus for quite some time. We need to do that by ensuring that economic activity can continue and that people can continue to travel by coach, covid-safely, and by air. The global travel taskforce is working on the implementation of some really quite complex issues related to, for example—she mentioned testing at airports—whether testing at airports actually provides the solution. As we know, what is required at the moment, according to the best science, is still a period of self-isolation, followed by a test, which could take place either at an airport or perhaps even in a more convenient, more local location. That is what the global travel taskforce is working on with the airports, the travel sector and academics, as well as medical experts, in order to implement exactly that kind of system to assist the entire industry.
E-scooters — House of Commons, 2020-10-22
Topic: Mixed Topics
Mark Julian Francis Pawsey (Conservative, Centre-right): My constituent Mark Rawinski recently bought an e-scooter, and he has been telling me that it is far more affordable than a car or a motorcycle and drawing my attention to how much better it is for the environment. There is a strong case that e-scooters should be classified as personal electric vehicles, in the same way as electric bikes are, as they have similar power and speed. Does the Minister agree?
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2020-10-22
Topic: Civil Rights
Questions: Under the cover of covid, the Department has been pushing councils to bypass normal procedures in order to rush in anti-car road-blocking measures. Two fine examples are on the dual carriageway in Smethwick, Tollhouse Way, and in London on the route to the M40 at Park Lane. These are creating traffic jams, longer journey times, and increasing pollution. When is the Secretary of State going to get a grip on this situation and get our roads moving again?
Grant Shapps (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend has taken me to that station, and I am very keen to see matters progress. I am afraid that we will have to try his patience for just a little bit longer as these things work through the latest round of the Access for All projects.
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2020-10-22
Topic: Mixed Topics
Questions: Under the cover of covid, the Department has been pushing councils to bypass normal procedures in order to rush in anti-car road-blocking measures. Two fine examples are on the dual carriageway in Smethwick, Tollhouse Way, and in London on the route to the M40 at Park Lane. These are creating traffic jams, longer journey times, and increasing pollution. When is the Secretary of State going to get a grip on this situation and get our roads moving again?
Grant Shapps (Conservative, Centre-right): When it comes to playing politics with these issues, I think we can hear where it is all coming from. The simple fact is that we have already funded £1.6 billion, and we are talking to the Mayor about another large injection of money. I will do this, politics aside, to make sure that we get the best deal for Londoners.