argyrotsipi/train-dataset huggingface dataset:
Ebbsfleet — House of Commons, 2015-03-03
Topic: Housing
Brandon Kenneth Lewis (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend has been a strong proponent not just of Ebbsfleet more generally but, as I saw on a couple of visits with him to his area, of making sure that this development is done in a way that is conducive to, works with and delivers for, the local community, recognising not just the community we want to build, but the communities and local authorities that are already in the area within the constituencies of my hon. Friends the Members for Gravesham (Mr Holloway) and for Dartford (Gareth Johnson). My hon. Friend the Member for Dartford has also worked closely with the local authorities who have their own affordable housing policies, which will be what govern the development of that area. Both of those authorities are clearly looking to secure a level of 30% of affordable housing, and I can assure my hon. Friend that today’s statement does not change what was said at the Budget last year or the finances announced in the autumn statement—I know that he has worked hard on that with his local residents and authorities. It stays in place, as was. What we are doing today is giving an update, in particular on the development and the incorporation of that corporation.
Ebbsfleet — House of Commons, 2015-03-03
Topic: Housing
Oliver Heald (Conservative, Centre-right): In welcoming the statement as the MP for Letchworth garden city, the world’s first, may I wish Ebbsfleet well? Does the Minister agree that the principles of garden cities—mixed tenure, a scheme of building that maintains garden city features over time, the features themselves, with allotments, space, commons, an agricultural area nearby, and separation of areas between residential, employment land and retail—can be applied not just to larger communities of 15,000 or 20,000, but to smaller communities too? In Hertfordshire we are looking at—the MPs are anyway—possibly pushing North Herts district council to go for a garden city or town that might be smaller than 10,000. Does the Minister agree that almost any size of community can be planned on garden city lines?
Ebbsfleet — House of Commons, 2015-03-03
Topic: Housing
Brandon Kenneth Lewis (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. and learned Friend makes a very good point. One point I have made at various recent events is that we must make sure as we move forward that we build good-quality design, not just lots and lots of housing estates. There are two reasons for that. If we want people to be more accepting of development, not only have we got to make sure that people are involved in that through local plans and neighbourhood planning, but the development they see in their area must be of good quality. That requires good-quality design not just of the properties but the overall master plan. My hon. and learned Friend is absolutely right that having even small areas developed where, when possible and appropriate, there is a good mix of retail, commercial and residential, with good open space and good community areas, bringing people together, does not just deliver good-quality homes for people to live in and good-quality places for people to raise their families, but also builds good, strong, long-lasting communities, and that is something I wholeheartedly support.
Ebbsfleet — House of Commons, 2015-03-03
Topic: Housing
Anthony Brian Baldry (Conservative, Centre-right): Ebbsfleet is blessed in that there is already a Bishop of Ebbsfleet, which must be the first time that the bishop has come before the city, rather than a city creating a bishop. I want to raise two points. We will not need an urban development corporation for Bicester. All the land for it lies within the area of Cherwell district council, and we are determined to make a success of it, and to make a garden town for the 21st century of which the country can be proud. What we will need, however, is the Ministry of Defence to surrender every square foot of MOD land that it does not need as speedily as possible. As evidence that Cherwell district council is determined to get on with this as speedily as possible, as my hon. Friend the Minister will know but the House may not know, Cherwell had acquired land to build 1,900 self-build homes. This is an incredibly popular project. Local development orders are now in place. Queues of people are coming, wanting to acquire these plots for self-build homes. May I suggest that this project, witnessed by the Prime Minister yesterday, could be rolled out to other parts of the country, because there is clearly a large appetite among the public for building their own homes, as we have seen in Bicester?
Ebbsfleet — House of Commons, 2015-03-03
Topic: Housing
Brandon Kenneth Lewis (Conservative, Centre-right): My right hon. Friend has been a loud and strong proponent of the fantastic work being done in Bicester and of development on those garden city principles, and he is absolutely right. I visited Bicester last year and I visited again last week to see the excellent work done in just a few months, and the progress made to deliver the development in a good, strong, community-built way. He is right that this shows it does not have to be just one type of tenure. We can also develop the custom and self-build opportunities, which the hon. Member for Wolverhampton North East (Emma Reynolds) and I have agreed on in the House—there is cross-party agreement—in the last few months I would say, however, that we do not do well enough in this country in sharing best practice. I advise people across local government who are looking at developments and how to develop to look at what is happening in places like Bicester and to talk to those involved. They are strong proponents, they are happy to talk to people, and they have done some excellent work that they can share with others about how good-quality development can help build strong communities of which we can all be proud.
Housing Costs (Reformed Welfare System) — House of Commons, 2015-03-03
Topic: Housing
Mark Steven Spencer (Conservative, Centre-right): I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman, who is being generous in giving way. Does he also recognise that it is wrong to distinguish between individuals on the basis of who their landlords are? Whether their landlord happens to be in the private sector or the public sector should make no difference to the level of support they get.
Housing Costs (Reformed Welfare System) — House of Commons, 2015-03-03
Topic: Housing
Mark Steven Spencer (Conservative, Centre-right): I am not familiar with Birmingham, Yardley, but I wonder whether the fact that the lists were so long is a symptom of the legacy of the previous Government’s inability to build single-bedroom accommodation for the hon. Gentleman’s constituents to move into.
Housing Costs (Reformed Welfare System) — House of Commons, 2015-03-03
Topic: Other
Eleanor Fulton Laing (Conservative, Centre-right): Order. I appreciate that there is a feeling the House is not very busy and that the whole afternoon and evening stretches before us, but another debate is scheduled to take place after this one. If everyone follows the example of the hon. Member for Birmingham, Yardley (John Hemming) and speaks for approximately 10 minutes, all Members who have indicated that they wish to speak will have the opportunity to do so. I will not impose a time limit at the moment. The hon. Gentleman has set a good example, and I hope that everyone will follow it.
Housing Costs (Reformed Welfare System) — House of Commons, 2015-03-03
Topic: Other
Eleanor Fulton Laing (Conservative, Centre-right): Order. Before the hon. Lady addresses any further points. She may have been able to count, but she has now spoken for 12 minutes. I trusted her to speak for 10 minutes, so I trust that she is going to wind up very soon.
Housing Costs (Reformed Welfare System) — House of Commons, 2015-03-03
Topic: Other
Mark James Harper (Conservative, Centre-right): That is an interesting point. Let me take it away and see whether it is possible to do that in the time remaining. I have explained the reason for the lack of response to the Committee and, as I have said, it is the only report from the Select Committee that the Department has not responded to within six months. I am sorry about that, but the blame does not lie with the Conservatives in the Government; it lies elsewhere. [Laughter.] I am just being honest here at the Dispatch Box.
Housing Costs (Reformed Welfare System) — House of Commons, 2015-03-03
Topic: Housing
Mark Steven Spencer (Conservative, Centre-right): I know that the Minister is very busy in his Department and in the Forest of Dean, but I was wondering whether he would join me on Friday when I will be cutting the ribbon on some new properties built by Newark and Sherwood Homes in the village of Bilsthorpe. If he were able to come, I would be more than happy to let him take the scissors off me. If not, perhaps he could praise Newark and Sherwood Homes for the work it is doing in developing new homes in Sherwood and Newark.
Housing Costs (Reformed Welfare System) — House of Commons, 2015-03-03
Topic: Housing
Mark James Harper (Conservative, Centre-right): I will have to stick to praising Newark and Sherwood Homes, and to allow my hon. Friend to retain control of the scissors, which he is more than capable of doing, so that he can open that new development on Friday. I am afraid that, at this point in the parliamentary cycle, one’s diary is quite full If we look at the affordable homes programme, 77% of approved homes are one and two-bedroom properties, which is up from 68% in the last round. New house building is now following that approach Finally, let me turn to the point about local housing allowance raised by the hon. Member for Erith and Thamesmead and others. The allowance was intended to exert a downward pressure on rents. That means not necessarily that rents will go down but that the pressure on rents will be less than it otherwise would have been. In other words, it might mean that rents do not rise as much as they would otherwise have done. The hon. Lady specifically asked about parts of the country where the pressure is higher. As she said, there is something called targeted affordability funding, which means that where rents are significantly diverging from benefit rates, we have increased LHA rates by up to 4%, which is, I think, the right approach I will conclude now as I am conscious of the time. I have set out for the Chair of the Committee the reasons why we have not responded to the report, and I have addressed a number of concerns, which was a challenge given the amount of time that I had. Our policies are working. They have driven the lowest rise in the welfare bill since the creation of the welfare state, and they are also helping to get people back into work, which is why we are seeing a record number of men and women across the country in work, and that demonstrates the success of our long-term economic plan Question deferred (Standing Order No. 54). Department of Health
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services — House of Commons, 2015-03-03
Topic: Mixed Topics
Sarah James (Wollaston) (Conservative, Centre-right): I absolutely agree. The other problem is that sometimes those larger national charities may have no local presence or understanding We need greater flexibility so that commissioners within health and local authorities are able to provide stable, long-term funding and to set the priorities for these new pots of money. It is always easy to announce new projects, but we must allow funding to be directed at existing services that have a fantastic proven track record. The value for money that we get from these services is extraordinary, as is the value that young people place on them. Young people have told me—this applies particularly to a rural constituency such as mine—that it is no good having a CAMHS service in a neighbouring town if they cannot get to it because there is no transport. That is why voluntary services are so particularly valued I was going to discuss our comments on schools, but my hon. Friend the Member for Brigg and Goole (Andrew Percy), as a former teacher, is far better placed to talk about that, so I will leave it to him to elaborate. I just want to touch on the new challenges that young people face with cyber-bullying, sexting, and image sharing. This is a 24-hour pressure; there is no safe haven for them in these circumstances. I welcome the fact that the taskforce will comment on not only the challenges but the opportunities that the internet may give us to assist young people.
Closure of NatWest branch in Eccleshall — House of Commons, 2015-03-03
Topic: Domestic Commerce
William Nigel Paul Cash (Conservative, Centre-right): This petition relates to the closure of the NatWest bank branch in Eccleshall in my constituency. It is supported by over 700 signatures and is accompanied by an Adjournment debate that I had today in Westminster Hall on the same subject The petition reads as follows: The Petition of residents of the constituency of Stone in Staffordshire, Declares that residents of Eccleshall object to the closure of NatWest branch in Eccleshall and further that this is the only remaining bank branch in Eccleshall The Petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to encourage NatWest to keep the Eccleshall branch open And the Petitioners remain, etc [P001440]
Forced Marriage — House of Commons, 2015-07-02
Topic: Civil Rights
Robert James Buckland (Conservative, Centre-right): The joint Home Office and Foreign and Commonwealth Office forced marriage unit, which has been in operation for about 10 years, provides free and confidential advice on the dangers of being forced into marriage and the precautions that can be taken. It operates both here and overseas and last year gave advice and support in nearly 1,300 cases. I commend its work to the House.
Serious Fraud Office — House of Commons, 2015-07-02
Topic: Mixed Topics
Robert James Buckland (Conservative, Centre-right): The Serious Fraud Office is a small and demand-led organisation that comprises investigators, prosecutors, accountants and other specialists. The model, which is known as the Roskill model, gives the director of the SFO the flexibility to have the right combination of expertise to tackle the most complex and large cases. The current blockbuster funding approach allows him to take on cases that are exceptionally demanding in terms of resource, such as the LIBOR case, while avoiding the need constantly to maintain high levels of permanent staff, which are not always necessary.
Rule of Law (Magna Carta) — House of Commons, 2015-07-02
Topic: Civil Rights
Questions: What steps he is taking to ensure that the rule of law continues to be upheld in line with the principles of Magna Carta.
Jeremy Paul Wright (Conservative, Centre-right): Last month, along with guests from many other countries, I attended the commemoration of the sealing of Magna Carta 800 years ago at Runnymede. In the centuries since, the rule of law has played a fundamental part in our national identity. The Lord Chancellor and the Law Officers share a particular responsibility to promote it in Government—one that we all take extremely seriously.
Rule of Law (Magna Carta) — House of Commons, 2015-07-02
Topic: Civil Rights
Questions: What steps he is taking to ensure that the rule of law continues to be upheld in line with the principles of Magna Carta.
Giacomo Lopresti (Conservative, Centre-right): Will my right hon. and learned Friend assure me and the House that any future Bill of Rights will contain the principles of Magna Carta? Will he also join me in paying tribute to William Marshal, who later became the Earl of Pembroke? He was one of the original signatories of Magna Carta, served five English kings loyally, saved us from the French, and then reissued Magna Carta under his own seal in 1216.
Rule of Law (Magna Carta) — House of Commons, 2015-07-02
Topic: Civil Rights
Questions: What steps he is taking to ensure that the rule of law continues to be upheld in line with the principles of Magna Carta.
Jeremy Paul Wright (Conservative, Centre-right): I am happy to join my hon. Friend in paying tribute to those who brought about the original Magna Carta; we all owe them a great debt. He will know that William Marshal and others would probably not recognise the human rights landscape now; a lot has changed. We want to promote a new and modern version of a Bill of Rights that I hope maintains all the important principles of Magna Carta but recognises what has changed in the past 800 years.
Rule of Law (Magna Carta) — House of Commons, 2015-07-02
Topic: Mixed Topics
Questions: What steps he is taking to ensure that the rule of law continues to be upheld in line with the principles of Magna Carta.
Victoria Atkins (Conservative, Centre-right): I declare that I am a barrister. The county of Lincolnshire holds one of only four copies of Magna Carta. What steps is my right hon. and learned Friend taking to ensure that the principles that have been developed in this country since 1215 are promoted abroad?
Rule of Law (Magna Carta) — House of Commons, 2015-07-02
Topic: Civil Rights
Questions: What steps he is taking to ensure that the rule of law continues to be upheld in line with the principles of Magna Carta.
Jeremy Paul Wright (Conservative, Centre-right): I welcome my hon. Friend to her place—another lawyer; this is good news, we are heading in the right direction. She is right to point out that the rule of law is important not just in this country but across the globe, and this country has a proud record of doing what it can to promote it. We are a leading member of the United Nations Human Rights Council. She will be aware of the efforts of our former right hon. Friend, William Hague, in relation to sexual violence in conflict. We are the first state in the world to implement the UN’s guiding principles on business and human rights, and there are other examples.
Rule of Law (Magna Carta) — House of Commons, 2015-07-02
Topic: Civil Rights
Questions: What steps he is taking to ensure that the rule of law continues to be upheld in line with the principles of Magna Carta.
Jeremy Paul Wright (Conservative, Centre-right): It is important to draw the distinction between the Human Rights Act and human rights. We are not in favour of the first; we are very much in favour of the second. As for the devolution consequences of any action we may take, the hon. Gentleman will have to be patient and see what proposals my right hon. Friend the Lord Chancellor brings forward. I can assure him, however, that whatever they are, we will engage in proper consultation with the devolved Administrations.
Rule of Law (Magna Carta) — House of Commons, 2015-07-02
Topic: Civil Rights
Questions: What steps he is taking to ensure that the rule of law continues to be upheld in line with the principles of Magna Carta.
Jeremy Paul Wright (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Lady will recognise that Magna Carta was far from a perfect expression of human rights. That is why I say that things have moved on in the past 800 years, and we should welcome that. On the European convention on human rights, the Government have been very clear. We have no quarrel with the wording of the convention; our quarrel is with the way in which it has been interpreted by the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. That is the problem we seek to address.
Prison Uniform Policy — House of Commons, 2015-07-02
Topic: Civil Rights
Questions: What recent assessment she has made of the equality implications of the way that the prison uniform policy is applied to male and female prisoners.
Caroline Julia Dinenage (Conservative, Centre-right): It has long been the case that women are not required to wear prison-issue clothing. Men can earn the opportunity to wear their own clothes under the incentive and earned privileges scheme. That reflects the understanding that the experiences that lead to imprisonment and the impact of imprisonment can be very different for men and for women.
Prison Uniform Policy — House of Commons, 2015-07-02
Topic: Civil Rights
Questions: What recent assessment she has made of the equality implications of the way that the prison uniform policy is applied to male and female prisoners.
Philip Andrew Davies (Conservative, Centre-right): I very much welcome the Minister to her position. Female prisoners do not currently have to wear prison uniforms because it might affect their self-esteem. Research by the Ministry of Justice that was supposed to back that up was so deficient that it was not even published. In the interests of real equality, not just the "equality but only when it suits" agenda, will she get on with ensuring that both male and female prisoners have to wear prison uniforms?
Prison Uniform Policy — House of Commons, 2015-07-02
Topic: Civil Rights
Questions: What recent assessment she has made of the equality implications of the way that the prison uniform policy is applied to male and female prisoners.
Caroline Julia Dinenage (Conservative, Centre-right): I am interested in equality whether it suits or not. The fact is that 95% of prisoners are men, and our entire prison system is largely designed with them in mind and to suit them. I make no apologies for the fact that I believe our prisons should be places of rehabilitation as well as punishment. If this small compromise helps to achieve that aim, it is well worth doing.
Gender Pay Gap — House of Commons, 2015-07-02
Topic: Mixed Topics
Nicky Morgan (Conservative, Centre-right): As we discussed in the House only yesterday, the gender pay gap has fallen to its lowest level ever, at 19.1%, and has been virtually eliminated among full-time workers under the age of 40. We remain determined to eliminate the gender pay gap for all, which is why we will require larger employers to publish gender pay information. We will publish an initial consultation on that soon, with a view to making regulations as soon as we can.
Gender Pay Gap — House of Commons, 2015-07-02
Topic: Civil Rights
Sue-Ellen Cassiana Braverman (Conservative, Centre-right): We heard the views of many Members in an important debate yesterday. In my constituency, the gender pay gap is about 29.8%, which is above the national average. Does my right hon. Friend agree that we must all do more to highlight the importance of tackling the gap?
Gender Pay Gap — House of Commons, 2015-07-02
Topic: Civil Rights
Nicky Morgan (Conservative, Centre-right): I entirely agree that it is crucial that we continue to raise awareness of the gender pay gap among employers and employees. I am sure that as the new champion for her constituency, my hon. Friend will do that. One way is to challenge gender stereotypes in schools through the Opening Doors project, which I know Cams Hill school in her constituency is participating in.
Gender Pay Gap — House of Commons, 2015-07-02
Topic: Civil Rights
Nicky Morgan (Conservative, Centre-right): The right hon. Gentleman makes a good point. We need to inspire young people about career options and subject choices when they are at school, regardless of their gender or ethnicity. Often, women end up in careers in the five c’s—cleaning, catering, clerical, cashiering and caring—for which salaries tend to be lower. As we discussed yesterday, there are many complex reasons for the gender pay gap, and we will do all we can to tackle them.
Gender Pay Gap — House of Commons, 2015-07-02
Topic: Mixed Topics
Questions: As my right hon. Friend has said, the group of women who endure the largest gap in pay by comparison with their male peers is those over the age of 40. What is she doing specifically to address that? Many of those women are highly talented and highly skilled, but we as a country are not getting the best out of them.
Nicky Morgan (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Lady raises an important point. The Government have made it clear that we would like employers to consider paying the living wage, but it has to be the right decision for them. We have made moves to increase the minimum wage, and we have increased the level at which people start to pay income tax, which has disproportionately affected women.