argyrotsipi/train-dataset huggingface dataset:
Covid-19 Update — House of Commons, 2021-02-09
Topic: Immigration
Matthew John David Hancock (Conservative, Centre-right): No, I do not agree with the hon. Lady. I reassure every one of her constituents and all citizens across Northern Ireland that we work closely with the Government in Dublin to ensure that data is shared properly and that both Governments have an appropriate system to safeguard our borders against the challenges that we face while allowing free travel within the common travel area.
Covid-19 Update — House of Commons, 2021-02-09
Topic: Mixed Topics
Matthew John David Hancock (Conservative, Centre-right): I talk to my Israeli counterpart regularly, and I am impressed by the effort that Israel has delivered on to vaccinate its population. I am very happy to look into the detailed points that my right hon. Friend raises.
Covid-19 Update — House of Commons, 2021-02-09
Topic: Other
Matthew John David Hancock (Conservative, Centre-right): I will absolutely look into the suggestion that my hon. Friend makes, which is all about making sure that we reach out to people at a moment when everybody, or almost everybody, is going through a process together—and I hope it is everybody. It is very interesting proposal, which I will take away and hopefully speak to my hon. Friend about in the days to come.
Pensions — House of Commons, 2021-02-09
Topic: Other
Nigel Martin Evans (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank the hon. Gentleman for giving notice of his point of order and for putting the matter on the record at the earliest opportunity. I think we will leave that there I will now suspend the sitting in order for Members to safely leave and others to come into the Chamber.
Trade Bill — House of Commons, 2021-02-09
Topic: Other
Nigel Martin Evans (Conservative, Centre-right): As I said in my introduction, all of this is being done under the provisions of the programme motion agreed by the House on 19 January. The questions to be put at that time are governed by Standing Order No. 83G, which does not allow for questions to be put on motions or amendments moved other than by Ministers. It is therefore not possible to have a Division on certain amendments that have been tabled, but I can assure the hon. Member that everything is in order.
Trade Bill — House of Commons, 2021-02-09
Topic: Other
Nigel Martin Evans (Conservative, Centre-right): With this it will be convenient to consider the following: Lords amendments 2B and 3B, Government motion to disagree, and Government amendments (a) and (b) in lieu Amendment (i) to Government amendments (a) and (b) in lieu Lords amendment 6B, Government motion to disagree, and Government amendments (a) to (c) in lieu.
Trade Bill — House of Commons, 2021-02-09
Topic: Civil Rights
Gregory William Hands (Conservative, Centre-right): At the moment, I am speaking about human rights—I am coming on to genocide in a moment—but I totally appreciate my right hon. Friend’s question. It would not be proper for me as a Government Minister to seek to dictate how a Select Committee might approach its business; I think we have to have a level of trust in our Select Committees to approach this question sensibly and logically.
Trade Bill — House of Commons, 2021-02-09
Topic: Mixed Topics
Nusrat Munir Ul-Ghani (Conservative, Centre-right): I find it hard to believe that, if a country was investigated for genocide, that could in any way be seen as a propaganda event. It is not for us to determine how that decision is taken. The Government repeatedly say that that is for the courts, so we should allow the courts to come to a determination on the basis of evidence. We should never believe that people will not put a case forward to the courts because it might fail. That is just nonsense.
Trade Bill — House of Commons, 2021-02-09
Topic: Civil Rights
Gregory William Hands (Conservative, Centre-right): I have to say that I disagree with my hon. Friend. I also think that the proposal made in the amendment tabled by the Chairman of the Justice Committee, my hon. Friend the Member for Bromley and Chislehurst (Sir Robert Neill), is a superior process, which I am going to outline. So I disagree with her point, if I may respectfully say that As I was saying, if a judge were unable to make a preliminary determination on genocide, it would be a huge propaganda win for the country in question, effectively allowing that state to claim that it had been cleared by a UK court. That would be an awful result, and I encourage the House to think strongly about the implications of that before supporting this amendment. Rather than helping persecuted people, we would be setting their cause back. Further, any determination would be subject to appeal, which would create a more drawn-out process than that envisaged by the amendment.
Trade Bill — House of Commons, 2021-02-09
Topic: Other
Gregory William Hands (Conservative, Centre-right): I am going to make more progress—sorry, I will not give way further The wording of that substantive motion will be provided by the Committee. A similar process would ensue in the other place to take note of the report. The process that I have outlined would be triggered in each case by the publication of the Select Committee report.
Trade Bill — House of Commons, 2021-02-09
Topic: Other
Nigel Martin Evans (Conservative, Centre-right): I remind the House that, following Mr Speaker’s recent announcement, where second and subsequent Divisions take place on the same item of business, the doors will normally be locked after five minutes, rather than eight—that is, after eight minutes on the first Division and after five minutes for each subsequent one.
Payment Scheme for Victims of the Troubles — House of Commons, 2021-01-20
Topic: Mixed Topics
Brandon Kenneth Lewis (Conservative, Centre-right): From recent engagement with victims’ groups, their overriding concern is that the scheme be open for applications as quickly as possible. We share that objective, and I will continue to work with the Executive’s delivery of this scheme. We must make sure progress is not diverted by any red herrings. This is a devolved matter, and devolved matters are funded from the block grant. The Executive need to step up and fund this scheme. The Department of Finance in the Northern Ireland Executive needs to step forward and to get the independent fiscal council organised to provide that independent advice and scrutiny to help them on these budgetary matters.
Payment Scheme for Victims of the Troubles — House of Commons, 2021-01-20
Topic: Mixed Topics
Simon James Hoare (Conservative, Centre-right): May I first, on behalf of the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee, echo my right hon. Friend’s opening comments this morning? I welcome, too, as he has, the movement on the historical institutional abuse payments, but he will be aware that there are other issues with regard to legacy remaining outstanding and long overdue. I know he is consulting on these at the moment. Can he give a commitment that that consultation will have concluded, any draft legislation will be published and a route plan to delivery will be in the public domain by the time the House rises for the summer recess-?
Payment Scheme for Victims of the Troubles — House of Commons, 2021-01-20
Topic: Mixed Topics
Brandon Kenneth Lewis (Conservative, Centre-right): To my hon. Friend the Chairman of the Select Committee, I have to say that this is to the huge credit of the Committee and the work it has done. The recent piece of work it has done looking into legacy has been immensely helpful. There have been some very useful contributions in that. He is quite right: we are engaging widely on this issue at the moment. Obviously, this was delayed, as we were all—across both the Irish Government and the UK Government, the Northern Ireland Executive and of course in communities—focused on covid over the course of last year, but that work is now ongoing, and I certainly intend and hope to be able to fulfil the timeline that he has just set me as a target.
Payment Scheme for Victims of the Troubles — House of Commons, 2021-01-20
Topic: Mixed Topics
Brandon Kenneth Lewis (Conservative, Centre-right): I am sure the hon. Lady will be aware that I meet with Executive Ministers on a regular basis, whether the First Minister, the Deputy First Minister or indeed the Justice Minister, who is taking this work programme forward, and who I have to say is doing a very good piece of work. She is still, as of the last conversation I had with her, on target to have the administrative structure in place—I think her intention is by the spring, or late March—in order to allow victims to apply for the scheme. She has also been very proactive as the owner of this portfolio in engaging with victims’ groups both directly and, as I am sure we have all seen, on social media, so I think they are very much aware of the work she is doing to get this progressed. I have said to her that I will continue to give her my full support. The UK Government have shown our support through not just the approximately £15 billion of block grant but the £918 million uplift that we secured through the spending review. I look forward to seeing the details as the Executive are able to work through exactly what they think this scheme will cost. It is a priority for the Executive—it is clearly a part of "New Decade, New Approach." It is a devolved matter. I look forward to seeing exactly what the Department of Finance in the Northern Ireland Executive is putting into this priority to deliver it for those victims, as is required.
Northern Ireland Protocol — House of Commons, 2021-01-20
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Brandon Kenneth Lewis (Conservative, Centre-right): As I said in my previous answer, we are working with the industry on some of the issues it is facing. There is a range of different things. The issue the hon. Lady referred to—vehicles moving from Great Britain back into Northern Ireland—is about ensuring that Great Britain businesses are engaged. I encourage businesses to engage with the Trader Support Service. Companies that have used it have found it a really good, easy way to ensure the free flow of goods. It is why supermarkets are able to get that good flow of products through. Companies such as Marks and Spencer have seen a really good flow through. I encourage companies to sign up to this Government-supported and paid-for scheme.
Abortion Services — House of Commons, 2021-01-20
Topic: Civil Rights
Robin Caspar Walker (Conservative, Centre-right): I recognise the hon. Lady’s work on this important issue and appreciate the engagement that we have had on it to date. Regulations have been in place to make provision for safe and lawful access to abortions since 31 March 2020. Some service provision has been available since last April, with over 719 women and girls having been able to access services locally by mid-October last year. We take our moral and legal duties on this matter very seriously and remain disappointed that full abortion services remain to be commissioned by the Department of Health, which would be the most appropriate way to progress the matter. We continue to monitor the situation closely.
Abortion Services — House of Commons, 2021-01-20
Topic: Civil Rights
Robin Caspar Walker (Conservative, Centre-right): I recognise that the hon. Lady has taken a consistent and firm position on this issue. The Government take this issue seriously. It is about protecting the rights of women and girls. The regulations in Northern Ireland, as she will recognise, do not make any reference to sex-selective abortion. They follow the same approach as those in the rest of the UK on this issue. The Government publish an annual analysis of the male-female birth ratio for England and Wales to see whether any evidence of this issue arises. The latest reports show no evidence that this is an issue in England and Wales. We will continue to report on the sex birth ratio, and will work with the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency to consider including Northern Ireland in this analysis in future years. In the meantime, we will continue to monitor the implementation of the regulations, and urge the Executive to move forward with commissioning.
Engagements — House of Commons, 2021-01-20
Topic: Mixed Topics
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (Conservative, Centre-right): Mr Speaker, I know Members from across the House will want to join me in echoing you in congratulating President-elect Biden on his inauguration later today. I said when I spoke with him on his election as President that I looked forward to working with him and his new Administration, strengthening the partnership between our countries, and working on our shared priorities for tackling climate change, building back better from the pandemic, and strengthening our transatlantic security Our sympathies also go out to those affected by the latest floods, and I want to thank the Environment Agency and our emergency services for the work they are doing to support those communities. I will be chairing a Cobra meeting later on, to co-ordinate the national response. This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others, and in addition to my duties in this House, I will have further such meetings later today.
Engagements — House of Commons, 2021-01-20
Topic: Other
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (Conservative, Centre-right): It is becoming a feature of the right hon. and learned Gentleman’s questions that he fails to listen to the answer I have just given. Let me repeat this, because I think he gave a figure of 413,000. I have just done some maths briefly in my head, and if you add 213,000 to 175,000, plus 15,000, you get to 403,000. If only he had bothered to do that swift computation in his head he would have had the answer before he stood up and claimed not to have received it. It was there in the previous answer Of course it is outrageous that any data should have been lost, but as I said in my first answer, which I hope the right hon. and learned Gentleman heard, we are trying to retrieve that data.
Engagements — House of Commons, 2021-01-20
Topic: Immigration
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (Conservative, Centre-right): I think, last March, the right hon. and learned Gentleman, along with many others, was actually saying that we did not need to close the borders, but as usual, Captain Hindsight has changed his tune to suit events It is interesting that his first few questions were about a computer glitch in the Home Office, which we are trying to rectify as we are in the middle of a national pandemic. This country is facing a very grave death toll, and we are doing everything we can to protect the British public, as I think he would expect. That is why we have instituted one of the toughest border regimes in the world. That is why we insist that people get a test 72 hours before they fly. They have to provide a passenger locator form, and they have to quarantine for 10 days, or five days if they take a second test I am delighted that the right hon. and learned Gentleman now praises the Home Secretary, which is a change of tune, and I am delighted that he is now in favour of tough border controls, because last year he was not. Indeed, he campaigned for the leadership of the Labour party on a manifesto promise to get back to free movement.
Engagements — House of Commons, 2021-01-20
Topic: Civil Rights
Nicola Faye Richards (Conservative, Centre-right): Next week, we mark Holocaust Memorial Day, remember the 6 million Jewish men, women and children murdered by the Nazis, and pay tribute to the extraordinary survivors. Will the Prime Minister join me in thanking the Holocaust Educational Trust for organising a live webcast so that students throughout the country can tune in on 26 January to hear the testimony of survivor Eve Kugler? Will he join me in asking all Members to encourage their local schools to join Q3 Academy Great Barr, from West Bromwich East, in taking part?
Engagements — House of Commons, 2021-01-20
Topic: Civil Rights
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend is absolutely right to warn us of the need to continue to inoculate our populations and ourselves against the wretched virus of antisemitism, which has a tendency to recur and re-infect societies, including, tragically, our own. I am very happy to join her in encouraging all Members to ask all schools to do what the excellent Q3 Academy in Great Barr is doing and to tune in to the event that she mentions.
Engagements — House of Commons, 2021-01-20
Topic: Public Lands
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (Conservative, Centre-right): I could have heard almost any amount about the rich food-producing parts of West Lancashire: the hon. Lady is entirely right, and we will protect those areas. She is entirely right to call for flood defences. That is why we put £5.2 billion over six years into flood defences, including the Crossens pumping station refurbishment scheme that she mentions, in which we have invested £5.7 million to protect nearly 4,000 homes.
Engagements — House of Commons, 2021-01-20
Topic: Mixed Topics
Gary Nicholas Streeter (Conservative, Centre-right): The south-west has an ambitious programme to build back better in both the green and blue sectors, investing in both clean growth and marine high-tech clusters, but to do so, we will need continued investment in our infrastructure. Will my right hon. Friend assure us that levelling up does not just involve the north but every region of the United Kingdom, including the south-west?
Engagements — House of Commons, 2021-01-20
Topic: Immigration
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank the hon. Member for what he has done just now to draw attention to the scheme, but I must say that I respectfully disagree with him about the ignorance in which our wonderful EU nationals have been, because 4 million of them have successfully applied and been given residence, thanks to the scheme we have instituted. It is a great success, and we pay tribute to the wonderful EU nationals in our country who do a fantastic job for this country.
Engagements — House of Commons, 2021-01-20
Topic: Public Lands
Theodora Roosevelt Clarke (Conservative, Centre-right): Over the last week, there has been yet again very significant flooding in Stafford. Unfortunately, my constituents in Penkridge, central Stafford and Bishops Wood are regularly experiencing the disruption and distress that flooding causes. Will my right hon. Friend commit to my campaign to establish a flood control centre in Stafford that residents can call directly, which would provide 24/7 assistance for my constituents affected by flooding?
Engagements — House of Commons, 2021-01-20
Topic: Public Lands
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (Conservative, Centre-right): I have every sympathy for the residents of Stafford who have been affected by flooding and for everybody who has been affected by flooding in the latest bout. What I can say to my hon. Friend is that the Environment Agency is working hand in glove with her local authority and other partners to find a particular solution to the flooding in Sandon Road and Sandyford Brook.
Engagements — House of Commons, 2021-01-20
Topic: Mixed Topics
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (Conservative, Centre-right): The last time I looked, Bexley was a Conservative council and Greenwich was Labour, which may explain part of the problem. The reality is that we are supporting every council, with £4.6 billion of support for local government so far during the pandemic. The hon. Lady raises council tax. Perhaps she could have a word with her friend the Mayor of London, who is threatening to put up his council tax by 10%.
Engagements — House of Commons, 2021-01-20
Topic: Mixed Topics
Derek Gordon Thomas (Conservative, Centre-right): The announcement by my right hon. Friend that the G7 summit is to take place in Carbis Bay in June presents a tremendous opportunity for my constituency and, of course, the Duchy of Cornwall. I thank the Prime Minister for this. Does he share my belief that the G7 summit offers the perfect opportunity to secure a global commitment to embrace and accelerate our ambitious low-carbon industrial revolution?
Serious Criminal Cases Backlog — House of Commons, 2021-01-20
Topic: Mixed Topics
Questions: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will make a statement on the backlog of serious criminal cases in the justice system.
Chris Ian Brian Mynott Philp (Conservative, Centre-right): As my right hon. Friend knows, we ran a consultation in the autumn on this topic, and I hope we will be able to respond formally to that and move forward in the near future. His suggestion that recently retired magistrates who are under the new retirement age can return is a very good point well made, and I can assure him that it will definitely feature in our thinking when we respond to the consultation.
Serious Criminal Cases Backlog — House of Commons, 2021-01-20
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Questions: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will make a statement on the backlog of serious criminal cases in the justice system.
Kieran John Mullan (Conservative, Centre-right): The Minister will understand the attention that has been paid to this issue, but I welcome the highlighting of the historical trends with regard to the hyperbole coming from the Opposition Benches. Does he agree that with many private events venues unable to operate and claiming taxpayer-funded grants and support, it makes sense for the taxpayer to be paying into those as Nightingale courts instead? May I encourage him to hasten the roll-out of such venues?
National Security and Investment Bill — House of Commons, 2021-01-20
Topic: Mixed Topics
Thomas Georg John Tugendhat (Conservative, Centre-right): I am grateful to my hon. Friend for highlighting this point. May I assure him that I have absolute confidence that the people he will recruit into the unit will be the best and brightest? I pay huge tribute and send many congratulations to the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, who is sitting next to him. He is a friend of long standing, and I am delighted to see him serving Cabinet; that is well earned and somewhat overdue. I am sure that they are both going to have the best judgment possible. However—I am afraid there is a "however"—there are other people who are going to have to decide whether or not to file, and there is therefore a danger that people will over-file, even though the judgments will have been very cautiously made.
National Security and Investment Bill — House of Commons, 2021-01-20
Topic: Other
Nadhim Zahawi (Conservative, Centre-right): That is something I have been watching carefully as we introduced this legislation, obviously. We have had around 36 inquiries to the team already, so it feels to me that where we have landed is proportionate and right.
National Security and Investment Bill — House of Commons, 2021-01-20
Topic: Mixed Topics
Robert William Henry Seely (Conservative, Centre-right): I will not labour the point beyond this. The Minister says that tax evasion will not be a bar. I accept that the Government made that statement. Does he accept that, in Australia, tax evasion is one of those significant elements? He rather implies that tax evasion and tax evaders will not be opposed in buying UK companies, so how high will the bar be set on criminality or on unsavoury characters—maybe people close to Russian Presidents and oligarchs and questionable companies?