argyrotsipi/train-dataset huggingface dataset:
Covid-19 Update — House of Commons, 2020-09-10
Topic: Health
Ben Morgan Lake (Plaid Cymru, Centre-left to left): I agree with the Secretary of State on the importance of mass testing. However, I am afraid to say that a number of residents in Ceredigion are being directed, under the current system, to travel much further than the 6.4-mile average he referred to in his statement. Indeed, in some instances they have been asked to travel as far away as Birmingham, over 100 miles away, while we know that Londoners are being told, in turn, to travel to Aberystwyth to get their tests. My question is a simple one: how does he intend to work with the Welsh Government to address this problem?
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2020-12-08
Topic: Health
Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru, Centre-left to left): A third of prisoners transferring from HMP Altcourse to HMP Berwyn last month tested positive for covid. I understand that Berwyn has requested a stop to transfers. Will the Secretary of State agree to that request, considering the extreme concerns about community infection?
Covid-19 Vaccine Roll-out — House of Commons, 2020-12-08
Topic: Health
Ben Morgan Lake (Plaid Cymru, Centre-left to left): Like many others, I welcome today’s developments and agree with the Secretary of State that we can look forward to the new year, when, we hope, further vaccines will come online. He will be aware that there has been some discussion of the relative effectiveness of different vaccines, so will that influence the Government’s distribution strategy in any way? Specifically, will certain vaccines be prioritised for certain groups?
Appropriate ME Treatment — House of Commons, 2019-01-24
Topic: Health
Ben Morgan Lake (Plaid Cymru, Centre-left to left): I join others in congratulating the hon. Member for Glasgow North West (Carol Monaghan) not only on securing this important debate but on her tireless work, with others, to raise awareness of the difficulties that individuals with ME endure; on relentlessly challenging authorities to improve the way in which they support sufferers; and on giving a voice to those who all too often feel abandoned and alone As we know, ME is a chronic, multi-system disease that impacts approximately a quarter of a million people across the UK. To put that number into context, ME affects more people than the terrible Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis combined. It is estimated, as has been mentioned, that it has an economic cost of some £3.3 billion. One would imagine that those considerations alone were sufficient to ensure adequate funding for biomedical research into ME and clinical care for those suffering from the disease, and yet ME research represents just 0.02% of all active grants given by UK mainstream funding agencies. It really does beggar belief that research into an affliction that leaves 25% of sufferers housebound or bedbound, and from which 95% of people do not recover, receives so little funding. This underinvestment needs to be addressed urgently, and I hope that the Minister can help in this regard. I also support a review of NICE guidelines on the treatments prescribed for ME and hope that that can be implemented as soon as possible. If positive changes are adopted, I hope, of course, that they are, in turn, implemented by the Welsh Government so that ME sufferers in Wales can benefit It is near impossible for those of us fortunate enough to not suffer from ME to truly comprehend its real, tangible impact, so I would like to conclude with the words of two individuals who have contacted me to share their experiences of the disease. John Peters suffers from ME and was first struck down in the 1980s. The impact on his life has been total, as he so painfully put it to me: "I have missed the whole spectrum of life: the big things such as family, a career; holidays, celebrations, the ‘hooks’ of someone’s years; but also the minor events—that night out with a friend, the moment on a mountain, the lazy morning in bed with someone, that fantastic book, the sharing of a joke." Saran, a teenager from Ceredigion, has suffered from ME for over a decade and is now mostly housebound after receiving a formal diagnosis only last year. She told me: "I have no idea what a life without chronic pain is, I don't know what it’s like to be able to tolerate noisy bright spaces, what it’s like to remember the conversations I’ve had with those I love…I have slowly watched my life disappear over many years, and now I’m entirely dependent on my parents, have no job, A levels, or hope for the future." I sincerely hope that this debate succeeds in its objectives, for we simply cannot wait any longer. John and Saran deserve some hope for the future.
Loan Charge — House of Commons, 2019-04-04
Topic: Health
David Jonathan Edwards (Plaid Cymru, Centre-left to left): I am deeply aware of this. The all-party group took evidence from a family whose father had committed suicide. If the House will indulge me, I received this email from a constituent: "I find all this massively worrying and stressful and I try not to discuss with my wife otherwise she would feel the same. At times I have considered suicide but realise that that will help no one and impact my family most." The loan charge is having a terrible effect on people’s mental health, isn’t it?
Beer Taxation and Pubs — House of Commons, 2019-03-28
Topic: Health
David Jonathan Edwards (Plaid Cymru, Centre-left to left): We recently had a consultation in the west of Wales on the reconfiguration of health services. Dr Rhys Thomas, one of the lead consultants, informed us that one of the biggest public health challenges that we face is loneliness, so there is a public health aspect to this as well.
Yemen — House of Commons, 2019-10-01
Topic: Defense
David Jonathan Edwards (Plaid Cymru, Centre-left to left): Considering that the Saudi National Guard has been militarily active in Yemen, what can the Minister tell us about Sangcom, the 10-year £2 billion Saudi Arabia National Guard Communications Project that is a collaboration between the Saudi regime and the British Government and is reportedly led by the Ministry of Defence?
Personal Independence Payment — House of Commons, 2018-01-23
Topic: Health
Ben Morgan Lake (Plaid Cymru, Centre-left to left): Vulnerable people with severe mental health problems in my constituency have had to resort to a distressing appeals process in order to secure the support they are entitled to. This is wholly inappropriate. Pursuant to the answer that the Secretary of State gave to the hon. Member for Shipley (Philip Davies), may I ask when we can expect to see some progress from her Department to ensure that individuals are assessed for psychological conditions by mental health clinicians in the first instance?
Contaminated Blood Inquiry — House of Commons, 2018-01-29
Topic: Health
Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru, Centre-left to left): There are nearly 300 sufferers of the scandal in Wales. Given that health is a devolved matter, will the Minister commit to ensuring not only that there is a voice for Welsh families, but that full consideration is given to the aftermath of the inquiry and the implications for health services in Wales?
NHS Staff Pay — House of Commons, 2018-03-21
Topic: Health
Ben Morgan Lake (Plaid Cymru, Centre-left to left): I, like many others, welcome the fact that NHS workers in England will finally receive a pay rise they deserve. Of course, health is devolved to the Welsh Government, so could the Secretary of State clarify how much of this additional funding is new funding and what the Barnett consequential will be for the Welsh Government?
Non-funded Pension Schemes — House of Commons, 2018-10-24
Topic: Defense
Ben Morgan Lake (Plaid Cymru, Centre-left to left): The 2016 actuarial valuations will have an unprecedented impact on the constrained resources of local authorities, teaching institutions, the fire service and police forces in Wales if UK Government funding is not forthcoming. Will the Minister confirm that this funding will be forthcoming from the Treasury to the Welsh Government?
Counter-Daesh Update — House of Commons, 2018-07-03
Topic: Defense
David Jonathan Edwards (Plaid Cymru, Centre-left to left): Is not one of the major problems we face that Daesh is an ideology, not a country? Therefore, when it is defeated in one geographical location, it can morph and develop in another location, as we are seeing on the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Daesh has extensive control of that eastern border, Libya and the sub-Saharan region. There is ultimately no military solution to the problem we face, unless we are to accept the situation of permanent war. We therefore need to concentrate on counter-radicalisation strategies. When we are involved in military activity in the middle east and Africa, the problem is that it feeds the fuel that drives Daesh.
Baby Loss — House of Commons, 2016-10-13
Topic: Health
Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru, Centre-left to left): I am most grateful to both the hon. Lady and the hon. Member for Colchester (Will Quince) for securing the debate A Dwyfor mother asked me to take the opportunity to express the depth of her feeling. She wrote: "We don’t just suffer the loss of a baby, we lose a toddler, a child, a teenager, birthdays, Christmas days, mother/father’s days the list is endless as is the grief. The pain of losing a child never leaves you." She also wanted me to say that she believes that a third-trimester scan would have made a significant difference in her case.
Chilcot Inquiry and Parliamentary Accountability — House of Commons, 2016-11-30
Topic: Defense
Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru, Centre-left to left): I will not, as time is short Unsurprisingly, there is much cynical public resignation. Last summer, we had a two-day debate and there was a debate in the other place. On 26 October, the hon. Member for Southend West (Sir David Amess) asked the Prime Minister for reassurance that, in respect of the Chilcot report, she had, as he put it, "a cunning plan to ensure that action is taken" In reply, the right hon. Lady said that the National Security Adviser was leading an exercise to learn the lessons from the Chilcot report, before adding: "There is much in it, and we need to ensure that we do learn the lessons from it."—[Official Report, 26 October 2016; Vol. 616, c. 277.] Although that is most assuredly the case, for me there is a further question: who is this "we" I know nothing of the National Security Adviser. I have no doubt that he is a capable, industrious and conscientious public servant, but he is appointed by the Prime Minister and he reports to the Prime Minister. The House of Commons decides its own ways of working and of holding the Government to account, hence this proposed referral to the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee "to conduct a further specific examination of this contrast in public and private policy and of the presentation of intelligence, and then to report to the House on what further action it considers necessary and appropriate to help prevent any repetition of this disastrous series of events." Given that the Prime Minister’s answer of 26 October is only partially relevant, I will refer to two more recent matters on the presentation of intelligence information. First, on the basis of that information was it reasonable to conclude that Iraq posed an imminent threat to the UK and so go to war? In evidence to the Liaison Committee on 2 November, Sir John Chilcot said in respect of the alleged imminence of the Iraqi threat to the UK: "As things have turned out, we know that it was not." That is, the threat was not imminent, but he seems to be saying that a correct judgment on the matter is only possible with hindsight—"as things…turned out". Significantly, he concluded by saying: "As things appeared at the time, the evidence to support it was more qualified than he"— Mr Blair— "in effect, gave expression to." That prompted a further question from the Chair, referring to the "test of whether a reasonable man would conclude that this evidence supported going to war." Sir John replied: "If I may say so, that seems an easier question for me to answer, because the answer to that is no." The second point I would have liked to make is on the question posed by the right hon. Member for New Forest East (Dr Lewis) of absolving Mr Blair, but unfortunately I have no time Mr Blair said, famously: "I think most people who have dealt with me, think I’m a pretty straight sort of guy and I am." Referral of this matter to PACAC will give him yet another opportunity to convince the world of his "pretty straight" credentials.
Yemen — House of Commons, 2016-12-19
Topic: Defense
Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru, Centre-left to left): I thank the Secretary of State for his statement and for prior sight of it. He was careful to say that the Saudis confirmed that they will not further use BL755 cluster munitions—that is, the British-supplied ones. Do they hold stocks of similar munitions supplied by others, and have they stopped their use as well?
Trident Renewal — House of Commons, 2015-01-20
Topic: Defense
Angus Robertson (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): I do not think anybody should dismiss threats at any time, but the question is whether one believes that the threat of catastrophic nuclear annihilation worked. I happen to believe that nuclear deterrents have not worked, and there are plenty of examples of conflicts that were not avoided—
Trident Renewal — House of Commons, 2015-01-20
Topic: Defense
Angus Robertson (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): Forgive me, but I want to make some progress. The right hon. Gentleman will have an opportunity to make a speech later, and I look forward to hearing it The time has come to put down a marker about scrapping Trident and not replacing these weapons of mass destruction. At present, a UK Trident submarine remains on patrol at all times, and each submarine carries an estimated eight missiles, each of which can carry up to five warheads. In total, that makes 40 warheads, each with an explosive power of up to 100 kilotons of conventional high explosive—eight times the power of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945, killing an estimated 240,000 people from blast and radiation.
Trident Renewal — House of Commons, 2015-01-20
Topic: Defense
Angus Robertson (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): The difficulty with that position, of course, is that, were it true, it would mean that Germany, Italy and Spain were not safe and required nuclear weapons. In fact, it is the same argument made by the North Korean regime, which believes it needs nuclear weapons to protect itself. It is a dangerous argument to pursue I have yet to hear a supporter of Trident convincingly explain in what circumstances they would be prepared to justify the killing of hundreds of thousands of innocent men, women and children and the causing of massive environmental damage to the world for generations to come. Those are the consequences of using nuclear weapons, and surely if one has them, one has to be prepared to use them. I have yet to hear anybody give an example of circumstances where they would be prepared to kill millions of people.
Trident Renewal — House of Commons, 2015-01-20
Topic: Defense
Angus Robertson (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): The hon. Gentleman overlooks the fact that the position of the SNP on NATO is exactly the same as that taken by the Governments of Denmark and Norway—countries that have provided the most recent NATO Secretaries-General. Those countries do not want to possess or host nuclear weapons, which is exactly the SNP’s position, but that has not precluded their participation in NATO. Perhaps having countries take that position might offer the opportunity to change the global approach to nuclear weapons currently pursued by NATO and nuclear-hosting states.
Trident Renewal — House of Commons, 2015-01-20
Topic: Defense
Angus Robertson (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): I like the hon. Gentleman a great deal, but I note that even he, one of the leading supporters of nuclear weapons, could not give an example of circumstances where he would be prepared to see the killing of hundreds of millions of people The case is stronger than ever for embracing the non-replacement of Trident, which would offer serious strategic and economic benefits, as outlined in the June 2013 report "The Real Alternative", including, "improved national security—through budgetary flexibility in the Ministry of Defence and a more effective response to emerging security challenges in the 21st century" and "improved global security—through a strengthening of the non-proliferation regime, deterring of nuclear proliferation and de-escalation of international tensions".
Trident Renewal — House of Commons, 2015-01-20
Topic: Defense
Angus Robertson (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): The hon. Lady makes a good point. We are hearing ever more—and respected—people from within the defence community understanding the consequences of the replacement of Trident and the displacement effect that would have on conventional defence within the MOD budget I will come to that last issue shortly, but first I want to return to the advantages outlined in the 2013 report "The Real Alternative", including "vast economic savings—of more than £100 billion over the lifetime of a successor nuclear weapons system, releasing resources for effective security spending, as well as a range of public spending priorities" as well as our "adherence to legal obligations including responsibilities as a signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)", and—think about this—the "moral and diplomatic leadership in global multilateral disarmament initiatives such as a global nuclear abolition treaty and the UN’s proposed Weapons of Mass Destruction Free Zone in the Middle East" All this would be possible if the UK Government were prepared to embrace a new approach to weapons of mass destruction.
Trident Renewal — House of Commons, 2015-01-20
Topic: Defense
Angus Robertson (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): As I have outlined, there are a number of reports that the through-life costs are nearly £100 billion. There is an issue as to how much one is spending year on year on the existing Trident fleet and then the construction costs, which will peak, I think, between 2019 and 2030.
Trident Renewal — House of Commons, 2015-01-20
Topic: Defense
Angus Robertson (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): The former Armed Forces Minister is, I think, concurring with that. It is billions and billions of pounds every year that could be saved and reprioritised. Given all the debates that we are currently having on austerity, the growth of food banks and many other issues—no doubt there are great supporters of the MOD who would wish to see increased spending within the MOD—there are alternatives. A significant amount of money could be saved were one to vote for the motion or if we were to ensure that, at the general election, as many Members as possible are returned to this place who share the views of those of us who wish to see Trident scrapped.
Trident Renewal — House of Commons, 2015-01-20
Topic: Defense
Angus Robertson (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): Occasionally I hear from Members who have a constituency interest, and I understand that they want to stand up for firms in their constituency. What I would say to them—I represent a constituency with a very significant defence footprint—is that there are alternatives to spending £100 billion on Trident, and it cannot be beyond the wit or imagination of the Government to look at alternatives for those people with amazing engineering and design skills. They do not need to produce nuclear weapons to have successful careers or, indeed, for their companies to be successful.
Trident Renewal — House of Commons, 2015-01-20
Topic: Defense
Angus Robertson (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): Indeed. The hon. Lady makes a very strong point, and I am pleased that there are Members in other parties who are clearly supporting the direction of the motion before us. Of course, it is not beyond the wit of Government or companies in the defence sector to concentrate their efforts on the conventional areas of defence rather than on nuclear submarines which have to be one of the most expensive ways of creating and maintaining jobs.
Trident Renewal — House of Commons, 2015-01-20
Topic: Defense
Angus Brendan MacNeil (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): The Secretary of State has spoken about the need to take defence and security seriously and the necessity of nuclear weapons to achieving that. Is he saying that nations that do not have nuclear weapons are not taking their defence and security seriously?
Trident Renewal — House of Commons, 2015-01-20
Topic: Defense
Angus Robertson (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): I am grateful to the Secretary of State for giving way so generously. Given how much work has been done on this matter in the Ministry of Defence—he is well supported by a large team of civil servants—will he confirm at the Dispatch Box today the total cost of Trident replacement, including its through-life costs? Is it approaching £100 billion or not?
Trident Renewal — House of Commons, 2015-01-20
Topic: Defense
Angus Robertson (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): The Secretary of State was unable to tell us earlier what the through-life costs of Trident replacement would be, so let me ask him a second question: when are the UK armed forces going to have a maritime patrol aircraft in service? When will that be?
Trident Renewal — House of Commons, 2015-01-20
Topic: Defense
Eilidh Whiteford (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): The right hon. Lady is making an important speech about the way we think about these issues. Does she agree that the threats emerging in the world at a geopolitical level relate to terrorism? Does she agree that a nuclear bomb is no use at all against terrorists?
Trident Renewal — House of Commons, 2015-01-20
Topic: Defense
Angus Brendan MacNeil (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): The right hon. Lady mentioned that 47 Governments of the 50 in Europe do not have nuclear weapons. On the UK Government’s logic, their description of countries not taking their defence and security "seriously" would apply to those countries. Does she think that is an appalling position for the UK Government to hold about our allies and friends in Europe?
Trident Renewal — House of Commons, 2015-01-20
Topic: Defense
Peter Wishart (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): I am loth to interrupt the hon. Gentleman because he is making a very good case, but does not he agree that Trident is a weapons system designed for the Brezhnevs of the world, not the bin Ladens and the current threat?