argyrotsipi/train-dataset huggingface dataset:
Ukraine — House of Commons, 2022-03-15
Topic: International Affairs
James Spencer Cleverly (Conservative, Centre-right): I can assure the hon. Gentleman and the House that we will continue applying sanctions to the Russians to continue the pressure on Vladimir Putin and to choke off the supply of money to his war machine The Government have announced nearly £400 million in both humanitarian and economic support to Ukraine. We are providing medical supplies, generators and other essentials. We are bringing Ukrainian children to the UK to continue their cancer treatment, and we have made the offer that the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine and other UK military medical facilities will be made available to injured Ukrainian service personnel. We will also welcome here Ukrainians fleeing from the conflict. We have put no cap on that number, and we have already seen that over 100,000 British families have offered to make their homes available to the refugees.
Ukraine — House of Commons, 2022-03-15
Topic: International Affairs
Bernard Christison Jenkin (Conservative, Centre-right): I appreciate that there might be difficulties with this, but would the Minister consider whether our offer should be open to injured Russian military personnel as well? If they are captured on the battlefield and they are injured, we should show them the humanity that we are obliged to under the Geneva conventions.
236 bus between Glossop and Ashton — House of Commons, 2022-03-15
Topic: Transportation
Robert Largan (Conservative, Centre-right): The loss of the 236 bus service between Glossop and Ashton has left people in Glossop, Hadfield and Gamesley without a direct bus route to Tameside Hospital or Ashton College. I fought hard to try to save this service and 750 local bus users have signed my petition to reinstate this vital transport link, which I am proud to present to Parliament today The petition states: The petition of residents of the United Kingdom, Declares that, as a result of the loss of the 236 bus, Glossop has no connection and no direct bus route to Tameside Hospital and Ashton College. The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urge the Government to note this loss and, in light of the recent outcome of the Judicial Review into bus franchising in Greater Manchester, urge Derbyshire County Council and Transport for Greater Manchester to work together to restore the 236 bus service And the petitioners remain, etc [P002718]
Great British Railways headquarters — House of Commons, 2022-03-15
Topic: Transportation
David Thomas Morris (Conservative, Centre-right): The petition is supported by the hon. Member for Lancaster and Fleetwood (Cat Smith), who is in her place The petition states: The petition of residents of the United Kingdom, Declares that Carnforth would be an ideal location for the new headquarters of Great British Railways; further that the creation of the headquarters would bring additional jobs to the community, as well as encourage new investment; further that Lancashire County Council should note the importance of this proposal; and further that an initial petition organised by Lancaster Civic Vision gained over 500 signatories from the whole community The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urge the Government to note the nomination of Carnforth to house the new headquarters of Great British Railways And the petitioners remain, etc [P002719]
Moving Civil Service Jobs outside London — House of Commons, 2022-02-24
Topic: International Affairs
Stephen Paul Barclay (Conservative, Centre-right): Before I start, Mr Speaker, I am sure I speak for the whole House when I say I am appalled by the horrific events in Ukraine. This is an unprovoked attack by President Putin, and the UK and its allies will respond decisively. This morning the Prime Minister spoke to President Zelensky and chaired Cobra. He will make a statement to this House later today to outline the UK response, including overwhelming sanctions. The Cabinet Office is accelerating work on domestic resilience and we will provide more information on that in due course More than 2,000 civil service jobs have already moved to places across the UK under the Places for Growth programme, including York and the south-west.
Moving Civil Service Jobs outside London — House of Commons, 2022-02-24
Topic: International Affairs
Kevin Paul Hollinrake (Conservative, Centre-right): May I associate myself with my right hon. Friend’s words? In this Parliament, we will stand in solidarity against the deranged tyranny we have seen and make the road that President Putin has chosen as painful as possible York is a beautiful city. It is the beating economic heart of the York city region, the new devolved region of York and the whole of the beautiful county of North Yorkshire. We would give a very warm welcome to anybody who relocates their jobs and their families to the area. Will my right hon. Friend update us on the very exciting plans we have heard about, which will see a number of jobs coming to the city?
Moving Civil Service Jobs outside London — House of Commons, 2022-02-24
Topic: Government Operations
Stephen Paul Barclay (Conservative, Centre-right): Mr Speaker, even as Lancastrians I am sure that both you and I recognise that York is indeed a beautiful city. It very much features in our plans to relocate roles. Around 300 civil service roles have already moved or are moving to the city, in addition to the 2,790 civil servants already based in York.
Moving Civil Service Jobs outside London — House of Commons, 2022-02-24
Topic: Education
Stephen Paul Barclay (Conservative, Centre-right): First, I thank the hon. Gentleman. Through his experience in the House, he brings great context to the issues we face On Huddersfield, I very much agree. One of the issues is how we combine the Places for Growth programme with other parts of Government, not least the record investment in research and development—increased from £15 billion to £22 billion—so that we take the best of our academic research in our universities, and get the start-ups and then the scale-ups in places such as Huddersfield.
Civil Servants: Return to the Office — House of Commons, 2022-02-24
Topic: Labor
Questions: What steps his Department is taking to support the return of civil servants to the office following the end of guidance to work from home during the covid-19 outbreak.; What steps his Department is taking to support the return of civil servants to the office following the end of guidance to work from home during the covid-19 outbreak.
Stephen Paul Barclay (Conservative, Centre-right): The Cabinet Office has followed central Government guidance to employers to reduce the risk of transmission in the workplace, so that all our buildings return to the maximum available capacity as soon as possible now that new restrictions have lifted.
Civil Servants: Return to the Office — House of Commons, 2022-02-24
Topic: Government Operations
Questions: What steps his Department is taking to support the return of civil servants to the office following the end of guidance to work from home during the covid-19 outbreak.; What steps his Department is taking to support the return of civil servants to the office following the end of guidance to work from home during the covid-19 outbreak.
Jack Edgar Brereton (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank my right hon. Friend for that response. As well as getting Whitehall back to the office, and given the recent announcements about rolling back the state, does he agree that we should now focus on reducing both the record numbers of people working in central Government and the civil servant headcount?
Civil Servants: Return to the Office — House of Commons, 2022-02-24
Topic: Government Operations
Questions: What steps his Department is taking to support the return of civil servants to the office following the end of guidance to work from home during the covid-19 outbreak.; What steps his Department is taking to support the return of civil servants to the office following the end of guidance to work from home during the covid-19 outbreak.
Stephen Paul Barclay (Conservative, Centre-right): I very much agree. My hon. Friend will have noticed that the spending review 2020 included a provision to do exactly that. However, the point is more nuanced, because this is also about empowering civil servants and taking away often the many layers so that the very good work of sometimes more junior civil servants can get to Ministers and senior decision makers. There is a fiscal benefit of this and an opportunity in how we better empower staff and, in turn, combine that with our learning and development offer. Indeed, that is why the Cabinet Office is doubling the learning and development package that we offer to our staff.
Civil Servants: Return to the Office — House of Commons, 2022-02-24
Topic: Government Operations
Questions: What steps his Department is taking to support the return of civil servants to the office following the end of guidance to work from home during the covid-19 outbreak.; What steps his Department is taking to support the return of civil servants to the office following the end of guidance to work from home during the covid-19 outbreak.
Robin John Millar (Conservative, Centre-right): We all know that civil servants have a vital role in delivering and managing public services and it is essential that they can get on with that, so I welcome what has been described. However, will my right hon. Friend reassure my Aberconwy constituents by clarifying that any UK Government instruction to civil servants will also apply in Wales, where Welsh Government guidance remains to work at home?
Civil Servants: Return to the Office — House of Commons, 2022-02-24
Topic: Government Operations
Questions: What steps his Department is taking to support the return of civil servants to the office following the end of guidance to work from home during the covid-19 outbreak.; What steps his Department is taking to support the return of civil servants to the office following the end of guidance to work from home during the covid-19 outbreak.
Stephen Paul Barclay (Conservative, Centre-right): We are clear, in relation to areas of reserved authority, that we are a UK Government—indeed, the Prime Minister is the Minister for the Union—and we have been clear on that in our messaging with Departments. The point is that many staff want to get back into the office, particularly those who do not have the benefit of a larger house, a garden and perhaps an office at home. There are often important opportunities that come from being in the office that are not always available when they work from home.
Civil Servants: Return to the Office — House of Commons, 2022-02-24
Topic: Government Operations
Questions: What steps his Department is taking to support the return of civil servants to the office following the end of guidance to work from home during the covid-19 outbreak.; What steps his Department is taking to support the return of civil servants to the office following the end of guidance to work from home during the covid-19 outbreak.
Stephen Paul Barclay (Conservative, Centre-right): As an MP for a rural constituency, I absolutely recognise that point, as well as the issue of wellbeing relating to commuting times and other aspects, so this is part of a nuanced approach. However, the point is that the desks in Whitehall, for example, do not equate to the total number of full-time equivalent staff. There are already far fewer desks than FTEs, so if we are paying for office space, the question is why it would not be used. This is about using the office space that we have as well as recognising that there are opportunities for hybrid working.
Brexit Opportunities Unit — House of Commons, 2022-02-24
Topic: Foreign Trade
Jacob William Rees-Mogg (Conservative, Centre-right): Thank you, Mr Speaker; it is a rare treat Her Majesty’s Government are delivering an ambitious programme to seize the opportunities of Brexit and deliver growth and innovation across the United Kingdom. The Brexit Opportunities Unit co-ordinates those reforms in close partnership with other Departments, including by working towards our target to cut at least £1 billion of EU red tape to help businesses to innovate and grow.
Brexit Opportunities Unit — House of Commons, 2022-02-24
Topic: International Affairs
Martin John Vickers (Conservative, Centre-right): Businesses and business organisations in my constituency are eager to engage with the Brexit Opportunities Unit. Will my right hon. Friend be touring the UK to promote Brexit opportunities, and if so, may I invite him to visit Cleethorpes in the near future?
Public Procurement — House of Commons, 2022-02-24
Topic: Government Operations
Jacob William Rees-Mogg (Conservative, Centre-right): Her Majesty’s Government are reforming the procurement rules to make it simpler and quicker for suppliers, including small and medium-sized enterprises and social enterprises, to bid for public sector contracts. The reforms will entrench transparency for the full extent of a commercial transaction, and will make it easier for buyers to take account of previous poor performance by suppliers.
Public Procurement — House of Commons, 2022-02-24
Topic: Foreign Trade
Jacob William Rees-Mogg (Conservative, Centre-right): One of the opportunities of Brexit is that we will be able to encourage people to buy more from SMEs, which tend to be UK-based rather than from overseas. Opening up procurement has the effect of ensuring that more British companies get contracts, and that is a good thing to be doing, but there is always a balance to be struck between ensuring that one buys cheaply and efficiently and supporting British companies. I believe that British companies can out-compete, and be as efficient as, anyone in the world, and that that is how procurement ought to operate.
Public Procurement — House of Commons, 2022-02-24
Topic: Agriculture
Jacob William Rees-Mogg (Conservative, Centre-right): I do not think we need to go into my personal dietary habits. I have mainly been giving free publicity to Cadbury Creme Eggs over the years, rather than going into the details of whether or not I like foie gras—although people may be able to guess what the answer is As for the strategy for procurement of food, one of the things it will do is allow social benefit to be taken into account. It will not just be about value for money, although value for money is inevitably fundamental to all procurement, so it will be possible for people to make decisions on a broader range of issues.
Public Procurement — House of Commons, 2022-02-24
Topic: Government Operations
Jacob William Rees-Mogg (Conservative, Centre-right): I am grateful to my hon. Friend for that question. The new procurement rules will make it easier for buyers to exclude suppliers that have underperformed on other public contracts. Currently, that is possible only if poor performance has led to contract termination, damages or other comparable sanctions. We will establish a new, centrally managed debarment register, which will identify any companies that should be banned from any new public contract. Crucially, though, there has been a change within the procurement from Government to ensure that the management of contracts once they are procured is improved and is the great focus of the energy of the procurement department, because however brilliantly the procurement is issued, if it is not then managed well and effectively the benefits are lost. This is, in fact, an issue that we discussed when I had another role in this distinguished House.
Public Procurement — House of Commons, 2022-02-24
Topic: Government Operations
Jacob William Rees-Mogg (Conservative, Centre-right): I cannot reveal the details of Bills before they are published, but I agree with the hon. Lady’s basic thrust and point. One of the advantages of our new procurement system is that we will have better data and will therefore be able to ensure that the whole of the country is represented. To revert to the point made by my hon. Friend the Member for Broadland (Jerome Mayhew), part of the way of spreading it more widely around the country is to bring in smaller businesses, which means getting rid of rules that are unnecessary and that hinder businesses from tendering for contracts.
Public Procurement — House of Commons, 2022-02-24
Topic: Agriculture
Timothy Paul Loughton (Conservative, Centre-right): The Minister is very welcome to come to Worthing, where I am sure he will get an even better culinary experience than when he goes to Cleethorpes. One of the great benefits of Brexit is that we are no longer bound by EU bureaucratic procurement rules, so will he ensure that there is clear guidance to local authorities, local schools and other areas of public procurement that they should favour local businesses, particularly smaller businesses, and local producers so that our children and public service workers can enjoy quality food and drink products that are locally produced in this country, environmentally friendly and create fewer air miles?
Cyber-Resilience — House of Commons, 2022-02-24
Topic: Technology
Stephen Paul Barclay (Conservative, Centre-right): Our national cyber strategy sets out how we will ensure that the UK remains a leading democratic cyber-power that is more resilient and able to counter cyber-threats. This and the Government cyber-security strategy are supported by £2.6 billion of taxpayers’ money over the next three years.
Cyber-Resilience — House of Commons, 2022-02-24
Topic: Technology
Jamie Hamilton Wallis (Conservative, Centre-right): I welcome the Government’s pledge to create regional cyber-clusters across the UK as part of their levelling-up agenda, but does my right hon. Friend agree we need to be conscious that, if we attempt to standardise security protocols across multiple organisations, the overall effectiveness of the security of each individual organisation must improve and not be weakened as a result?
Cyber-Resilience — House of Commons, 2022-02-24
Topic: Technology
Stephen Paul Barclay (Conservative, Centre-right): I take my hon. Friend’s point, but having the 12 regional clusters will help businesses that want to do the right thing and know how best to protect against the risks of cyber. Our aim is to help businesses improve their cyber-security. Given events in Europe today, it is particularly pressing that businesses take this seriously.
Covid-19: Public Inquiry — House of Commons, 2022-02-24
Topic: International Affairs
Heather Kay Wheeler (Conservative, Centre-right): I associate myself with the hon. Lady’s comments about Ukraine. South Derbyshire and the Derby area have a very large diaspora of Ukrainian-related families, so my thoughts and prayers are with them today. To answer the hon. Lady’s question, and I will try to answer questions in my new role, I believe the answer is yes.
UK Global Strategy — House of Commons, 2022-02-24
Topic: International Affairs
Questions: If he will make an assessment with the Foreign Secretary of the potential merits of introducing a national strategy council to develop and support a long-term global strategy for the UK.
Robert William Henry Seely (Conservative, Centre-right): On responding to the changing global context, would it be accurate to say that this morning deterrence has failed? Do the Government also agree that perhaps if we had a national strategy council that looked forward a decade to the trends shaping our world, our policy might be less ad hoc, less reactive and less last-minute, and our ability to deter wars, which are currently breaking out in Europe, might be stronger?
Leaving the European Union: Potential Benefits — House of Commons, 2022-02-24
Topic: International Affairs
Questions: What discussions the Minister of State for Brexit Opportunities has had with (a) industry bodies and (b) the devolved Administrations on the Government’s assessment of the potential benefits of the UK leaving the EU.; What discussions the Minister of State for Brexit Opportunities has had with (a) industry bodies and (b) the devolved Administrations on the Government’s assessment of the potential benefits of the UK leaving the EU.
Jacob William Rees-Mogg (Conservative, Centre-right): Last week, I met port industry representatives to discuss Brexit opportunities, and I intend to meet a wide range of interested parties across different sectors and industries. Ministers and officials from each Department regularly engage with the devolved Administrations on specific policy areas, and I intend to do so in areas of common interest. I am delighted to have had a letter from Angus Robertson asking to have a meeting, which I look forward to doing. We will include in these meetings reviews of retained EU law.
Leaving the European Union: Potential Benefits — House of Commons, 2022-02-24
Topic: Macroeconomics
Questions: What discussions the Minister of State for Brexit Opportunities has had with (a) industry bodies and (b) the devolved Administrations on the Government’s assessment of the potential benefits of the UK leaving the EU.; What discussions the Minister of State for Brexit Opportunities has had with (a) industry bodies and (b) the devolved Administrations on the Government’s assessment of the potential benefits of the UK leaving the EU.
Jacob William Rees-Mogg (Conservative, Centre-right): Actually, the Government have a very good record in clamping down on the tax gap and ensuring that people pay the tax that is owed. Fraud, within the whole system of government, is something that must be borne down on. Every element of fraud is taking money from other taxpayers. Therefore, the Government have a strong drive to bear down on it, and have introduced over the past 12 years a number of measures to reduce the opportunities for any tax fraud. We do not need the European Union to tell us how to do it; I could go through some countries of that organisation that have a pretty poor tax collecting record.
Leaving the European Union: Potential Benefits — House of Commons, 2022-02-24
Topic: International Affairs
Questions: What discussions the Minister of State for Brexit Opportunities has had with (a) industry bodies and (b) the devolved Administrations on the Government’s assessment of the potential benefits of the UK leaving the EU.; What discussions the Minister of State for Brexit Opportunities has had with (a) industry bodies and (b) the devolved Administrations on the Government’s assessment of the potential benefits of the UK leaving the EU.
Stephen Crabb (Conservative, Centre-right): Two weeks ago, the courts again threw out the Welsh Labour Government’s legal challenge to the United Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020. Does my right hon. Friend agree that instead of spending the past five years expending an enormous amount of time, energy and taxpayers’ money on fighting a democratic referendum result, the devolved Administrations would have served their populations far better by working collaboratively with the UK Government on the great national mission of levelling up our one United Kingdom?
Leaving the European Union: Potential Benefits — House of Commons, 2022-02-24
Topic: International Affairs
Questions: What discussions the Minister of State for Brexit Opportunities has had with (a) industry bodies and (b) the devolved Administrations on the Government’s assessment of the potential benefits of the UK leaving the EU.; What discussions the Minister of State for Brexit Opportunities has had with (a) industry bodies and (b) the devolved Administrations on the Government’s assessment of the potential benefits of the UK leaving the EU.
Jacob William Rees-Mogg (Conservative, Centre-right): I entirely agree with my right hon. Friend. It is noticeable that the hard-left Administration in Wales, backed up by separatists, is not acting in the interests of the people of Wales. It would be much better to accept the democratic result of the Brexit referendum. The people of the United Kingdom voted to leave; we have now left and the opportunities will flow. To waste taxpayers’ money on taking fruitless legal action is, to my mind, the sort of thing that only the hard-left socialist would do.