argyrotsipi/train-dataset huggingface dataset:
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe — House of Commons, 2020-11-03
Topic: International Affairs
James Spencer Cleverly (Conservative, Centre-right): Ultimately, we do want to see the Iranian Government come back into the international sphere, but the decisions that will enable them to do so are in their gift. Their permanent release of British dual nationals in detention would be a very positive step in the right direction, and we will continue to call on them to do that.
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe — House of Commons, 2020-11-03
Topic: International Affairs
James Spencer Cleverly (Conservative, Centre-right): I have spoken with the Prime Minister about this issue, and I know that it remains a priority for him. It is very much a priority for the Foreign Secretary, me and the FCDO. I can assure the hon. Gentleman and the House of our passion for working towards the permanent release of British dual nationals in detention; it remains an absolute priority for us, and we will continue doing what we can to bring about their permanent release. Our actions will be relentlessly focused on that, and I can assure him that it remains a priority throughout Government.
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe — House of Commons, 2020-11-03
Topic: International Affairs
John Michael Howell (Conservative, Centre-right): In view of the growing normalisation between Arab states and Israel in an anti-Iran alliance targeted at its human rights abuses and its regional aggression, how is the Foreign Office going to tap into this source of growing antagonism towards what Iran is doing in order to achieve Nazanin’s release?
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe — House of Commons, 2020-11-03
Topic: International Affairs
James Spencer Cleverly (Conservative, Centre-right): I think there is widespread support for the UK’s attempts to bring our dual nationals home. I cannot speak on behalf of other Governments, but I hope that Iran will have seen that there is international support for us. Ultimately, as I have said in response to previous questions, there is an opportunity now for Iran to reset its international reputation by doing the right thing and permanently releasing the British dual nationals in detention.
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe — House of Commons, 2020-11-03
Topic: International Affairs
Antony Higginbotham (Conservative, Centre-right): Iran has long walked the knife-edge of what is and is not acceptable under the joint comprehensive plan of action, exposing the agreement’s significant flaws in the process; it is clear that it is not deterring Iran’s actions, either in the region or with respect to dual nationals. I recognise the Government’s reluctance to walk away from the agreement without something else being in place, but we cannot reward bad behaviour or this hostage diplomacy. I therefore urge the Minister to give full consideration to what might be the point at which we have to walk away, and to reconsider the arms embargo.
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe — House of Commons, 2020-11-03
Topic: International Affairs
James Spencer Cleverly (Conservative, Centre-right): As the Foreign Secretary made clear, the JCPOA is not perfect. However, while it continues to offer some benefits in constraining and verifying Iran’s nuclear programme, and in the absence of something better, we will continue to support it. It would be inappropriate for me to speculate on what future actions the Government might take in relation to Iran.
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe — House of Commons, 2020-11-03
Topic: International Affairs
James Spencer Cleverly (Conservative, Centre-right): The actions of Iran this week show that the reason British dual nationals are being detained arbitrarily is that the Iranian regime choose to do so. To hand them opportunities to make excuses and to externalise their actions is deeply inappropriate. I urge the hon. Gentleman to reflect carefully. He is a deeply honourable person—I know him personally—but I think it is an error to hand them an opportunity to externalise the decisions that they have taken.
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe — House of Commons, 2020-11-03
Topic: International Affairs
Elliot Colburn (Conservative, Centre-right): I too extend my thanks to the hon. Member for Hampstead and Kilburn (Tulip Siddiq), and to the Carshalton and Wallington residents who have contacted me about Nazanin. The Minister mentioned bringing Iran back into the international fold. May I seek his assurance that that is very much dependent on Iran’s compliance with international law, respect for human rights, and, ultimately, the release of British dual nationals such as Nazanin?
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe — House of Commons, 2020-11-03
Topic: International Affairs
James Spencer Cleverly (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend makes a very good point. It is exactly behaviour of that kind that would see a road map for Iran being brought back into the international fold. In this instance, we ultimately wish to see something very simple: the permanent release of all British dual national detainees. That would be a positive step—perhaps the first—in the right direction for Iran.
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe — House of Commons, 2020-11-03
Topic: International Affairs
Scott Lloyd Benton (Conservative, Centre-right): As well as destabilising the region and having a long history of financing global terror, we must not overlook the Iranian regime’s human rights abuses and their detention of British citizens. Indeed, there was no mention in the 2015 nuclear deal of either financing global terror or human rights abuses. The Prime Minister has been quite right to call out the shortcomings of that deal. Does my right hon. Friend feel it is finally time to look again and call for a new comprehensive agreement with Iran?
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe — House of Commons, 2020-11-03
Topic: International Affairs
James Spencer Cleverly (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend asks a very good question. As long as the JCPOA can offer some benefit to constraining Iran’s pursuit of a nuclear programme and, as I said, in the absence of something better, we will continue to support it. We do raise human rights, for example, at the various highest levels, and we do take action alongside our friends in the international community. We have been clear that we need to find a long-term solution to address the actions across the region that Iran is taking.
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe — House of Commons, 2020-11-03
Topic: International Affairs
James Spencer Cleverly (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Lady raises an important point about the health of the British dual nationals held in incarceration. It is an issue that we take very seriously and have raised directly with the Iranian regime. I return to the point that we continue to work at every level, both from London and with our post in Tehran, to secure the permanent release of all the British dual nationals in detention.
Overseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill — House of Commons, 2020-11-03
Topic: Law and Crime
David Michael Davis (Conservative, Centre-right): I have a lot of sympathy with what the right hon. Gentleman is saying, but may I drag him away from his politics for a second? Would it not be very simple to incorporate the recommendation in a 1960s magistrates Act of a judge advocate general, as that would deal with exactly what he is talking about?
Overseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill — House of Commons, 2020-11-03
Topic: International Affairs
Thomas Georg John Tugendhat (Conservative, Centre-right): I will carry on It is also an issue for the human rights of some of the people we are fighting. Bizarrely, there were situations in Afghanistan where individuals could only be detained for a certain number of hours. They could not, for various reasons, be handed over to the Afghan authorities, despite the fact that we were, in theory, supporting the Afghan Government. It meant that after a certain number of hours—normally about 96 hours—they had to be released. The fact that they were known bomb makers who had definitely been handling explosives because chemical evidence showed it, could not be used, because in order to be used, those people would have had to be handed over to the Afghan authorities, and various people argued that the Afghan authorities were too inappropriate, too corrupt or too violent So, what happened? What do you think happens when someone who has taken up arms against you, literally tried to kill you and planted bombs to try to maim you cannot be detained? It is simple: after the legal limit was reached, the prisoners were released and followed for a number of hours, until they did exactly what we would expect: they went back to a weapons cache or arms unit and were engaged again as lawful military targets. How is that a defence of the human rights, even of the individual concerned?
Overseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill — House of Commons, 2020-11-03
Topic: Law and Crime
Giacomo Lopresti (Conservative, Centre-right): There is nothing in the Bill that prohibits any investigation within or after the five years for any such acts. There is nothing that favours them; there is no amnesty, no pardon, and no statute of limitations. By the way, I enjoyed the hon. Gentleman’s book, which I read a couple of weeks ago, but I have to say that on this occasion, he is mistaken.
Overseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill — House of Commons, 2020-11-03
Topic: Law and Crime
David Michael Davis (Conservative, Centre-right): It is a privilege to follow the gallant and hon. Gentleman, who is a co-signatory with me to amendments 1 to 10, which deal with the issue of torture. If this country stands for anything, it stands for the rule of law. That enhances our reputation abroad and increases our influence abroad. It is also important to the reputation and effectiveness of our armed forces, who are made safer and more effective because of it. The right hon. Member for North Durham (Mr Jones) spoke at length about the Bill not dealing with investigations, so in the interests of time I will move past that As the hon. Member for Barnsley Central (Dan Jarvis) said, the Judge Advocate General—the most senior judge in the Service Prosecuting Authority, the person who is the most knowledgeable about all these issues and who was in place for 16 years when these issues were being dealt with—says that this Bill does not address the issue. I will quote him again later on, because he is clearly not some left-wing, liberal lawyer or somebody who wants to undermine the armed forces; he is somebody who wants this country to succeed In the witness statements to the Bill Committee, the overriding view of the witnesses was that the principal failing was the failure to include war crimes, crimes against humanity and torture in schedule 1, which in their view contravenes the UK’s commitment to international law and invites the attention of the International Criminal Court.
Overseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill — House of Commons, 2020-11-03
Topic: International Affairs
David Michael Davis (Conservative, Centre-right): I will read the quote: "Would we be content that a member of the Iraqi Government’s consent would be needed to prosecute? Would we accept a decision by that person not to prosecute? In my view, there would be outrage in this country if"––[Official Report, Overseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Public Bill Committee, 8 October 2020; c. 128, Q278]— the Iraqis behaved in that way. The Judge Advocate General said that we should always remember that the law should be "even-handed" to all people.
Overseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill — House of Commons, 2020-11-03
Topic: Law and Crime
Robert Alexander Stewart (Conservative, Centre-right): I support exactly what my very great friend is saying, but may I point out to the House that no Bill will protect someone like Dennis Hutchings, who has been repeatedly brought back and reinvestigated, in Northern Ireland or elsewhere? This legislation will not be retrospective, as I understand it. Does my hon. Friend agree?
Overseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill — House of Commons, 2020-11-03
Topic: Law and Crime
Robert Alexander Stewart (Conservative, Centre-right): I rise to oppose that comment. The Bill does not decriminalise torture. Torture remains a major crime, and I speak as someone who has given evidence in five war crimes trials at The Hague. Torture is torture, and it is still something that the Government deeply oppose. The Bill does not actually legitimise torture in any way.
Covid-19: Support for Business — House of Commons, 2020-07-21
Topic: Macroeconomics
Alok Kumar Sharma (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend will know that we have supported over 9 million jobs through the job retention scheme, 2.7 million people have benefited from the self- employment support scheme and around 870,000 small businesses have benefited from grants. The Chancellor set out his plan for jobs a few days ago. The key now is to get the economy up and running, so that businesses can trade.[Official Report, 1 September 2020, Vol. 679, c. 2MC.]
Covid-19: Support for Business — House of Commons, 2020-07-21
Topic: Education
Ben Everitt (Conservative, Centre-right): That is absolutely right, but it is not just about bouncing back; it is also about levelling up. Will the Secretary of State join my hon. Friend the Universities Minister in giving his backing in the spending review to the shovel-ready MK:U—a much needed technical university in Milton Keynes which will deliver cutting-edge science, technology and engineering jobs and skills for local employers?
Covid-19: Support for Business — House of Commons, 2020-07-21
Topic: Labor
Alok Kumar Sharma (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend highlights an important point. Throughout the covid-19 period, the Government have provided unprecedented support for employment and worked in close partnership with the business community. I understand that it continues to be a difficult time for many businesses, but as he highlights, in that spirit of partnership, we expect all employers to treat their employees fairly and follow the rules.
Covid-19: Support for Business — House of Commons, 2020-07-21
Topic: Macroeconomics
Alok Kumar Sharma (Conservative, Centre-right): The right hon. Gentleman will also acknowledge that the Government have provided unprecedented support to businesses across the whole economy. As I said, the key right now is to support businesses to open, to get the economy up and running. That is the best way that we can support businesses across the United Kingdom.
Covid-19: Support for Business — House of Commons, 2020-07-21
Topic: Labor
Alok Kumar Sharma (Conservative, Centre-right): The furlough scheme will have been up and running for a full eight months, providing a huge amount of support for more than 9 million jobs. It is becoming more flexible and allowing people to return to work part time. The right hon. Gentleman will know that the Chancellor has also set out the job retention bonus which, if it is taken up by all employers, will represent a £9 billion boost for the economy. I say to him again that the key is to get the economy up and running and to get businesses trading.
Covid-19: Support for Business — House of Commons, 2020-07-21
Topic: Labor
Alok Kumar Sharma (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Gentleman talks about support in Scotland; like many colleagues in the House, I believe in the Union, and we must work together to support workers across the United Kingdom. More than 730,000 jobs have been protected in Scotland through the furlough scheme. The hon. Gentleman will know that, as a result of the additional moneys that the Chancellor announced at the summer statement, the total additional Barnett funding to Scotland since March is £4.6 billion.
Horizon Post Office Scheme — House of Commons, 2020-07-21
Topic: Government Operations
Paul Stuart Scully (Conservative, Centre-right): The independent review of Horizon will provide a public summary of the failings that occurred at Post Office Ltd, which I hope will give postmasters the answers that they have been seeking all these years. It will also ensure that lessons are learned for the future.
Horizon Post Office Scheme — House of Commons, 2020-07-21
Topic: Government Operations
Paul Stuart Scully (Conservative, Centre-right): I am grateful to the hon. Lady for her question and her continued highlighting of the sub-postmasters’ situation. I hope to announce the chair of the review very soon so that we can start on it at pace in September.
Horizon Post Office Scheme — House of Commons, 2020-07-21
Topic: Government Operations
Paul Stuart Scully (Conservative, Centre-right): The chairman or woman of the review will be announced in due course so that we can start the review of this injustice in September at pace. It is important that we speak to the Post Office, the Government, the sub-postmasters and other people, including at Fujitsu, to get to the bottom of this matter so that we can learn the lessons and move forward for the sub-postmasters of the future.
Aerospace Sector — House of Commons, 2020-07-21
Topic: Transportation
Nadhim Zahawi (Conservative, Centre-right): I am grateful to the hon. Member for his question and for his comments about our engagement with the sector. We are supporting the aviation and aerospace sector with £8.5 billion and rising. If he looks at support from other countries, which we do, he will see that we will also consider further support as we progress, as the Chancellor has said, through the recovery.
Aerospace Sector — House of Commons, 2020-07-21
Topic: Labor
Jane Fiona Catherine Stevenson (Conservative, Centre-right): Wolverhampton North East is home to aerospace companies that have seen an unprecedented and sudden collapse of demand. Collins Aerospace is now sadly considering mass redundancies. What further support can the Government offer to limit job losses in Wolverhampton?
Aerospace Sector — House of Commons, 2020-07-21
Topic: Technology
Nadhim Zahawi (Conservative, Centre-right): We work with the whole aerospace industry. I am the co-chair of the Aerospace Growth Partnership. As well as access to the furlough scheme and the corporate finance scheme, the Secretary of State announced yesterday £400 million in further funding for research and development support for the sector to get to that Jet Zero flight. The Future Flight Challenge is already investing £300 million. We continue to work with the sector to make sure that those skill sets, that ecosystem that has been so brilliant at delivering an incredible industry in the UK, are maintained for the next three to five years, which is the timeline by which the sector looks to recover.
Aerospace Sector — House of Commons, 2020-07-21
Topic: Macroeconomics
Nadhim Zahawi (Conservative, Centre-right): I take issue with "warm words and no action" as £8.5 billion has been put to work to protect jobs and to protect the sector. It is great to see that, this week, Airbus has shown confidence in the UK with confirmation that the wings for its latest aircraft, the A321XLR, will be built in the UK at Broughton. That demonstrates our engagement not just with Airbus, but with Bombardier and with other major players in the market and, of course, the supply chain as well. We continue to put the support in place and to look at further support as we progress through the economic recovery.
Social Distancing: Beauty Sector — House of Commons, 2020-07-21
Topic: Macroeconomics
Paul Stuart Scully (Conservative, Centre-right): Further to the Prime Minister’s announcement on 17 July, I am delighted that all close contact services will be able to resume from 1 August. We have taken a phased, cautious approach to reopening our economy, guided by the scientific and medical advice.
Covid-19: Green Economic Recovery — House of Commons, 2020-07-21
Topic: Environment
Kwasi Alfred Addo Kwarteng (Conservative, Centre-right): The Prime Minister has made clear our intention to build back greener. We are taking action to deliver on that commitment, including through a commitment of over £3 billion to reduce emissions from our buildings across the UK, £800 million to promote carbon capture from power stations and industry, and a further £100 million being invested in R&D in direct air capture technologies.
Covid-19: Green Economic Recovery — House of Commons, 2020-07-21
Topic: Energy
Thomas William Randall (Conservative, Centre-right): I am delighted that the Chancellor focused on creating green jobs in his summer economic update. Does my right hon. Friend agree that launching a multi-billion pound drive to improve the energy efficiency of homes will not only be good for creating jobs and driving us towards our net zero target but will save people money on their energy bills?
Covid-19: Green Economic Recovery — House of Commons, 2020-07-21
Topic: Energy
Kwasi Alfred Addo Kwarteng (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend is exactly right. Our £3 billion investment in energy efficiency could support up to 140,000 green jobs. The £2 billion green homes grant will upgrade over 600,000 homes, saving households up to £600 a year on their energy bills.
Covid-19: Green Economic Recovery — House of Commons, 2020-07-21
Topic: Energy
Kwasi Alfred Addo Kwarteng (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Lady asks a very pertinent question. The Chancellor set out a £3 billion programme, and of course it will take time before that money is fully deployed. As well as the green homes upgrade, we have committed £320 million to the heat networks investment project, which is very relevant to the kind of work that she has described.
Covid-19: Green Economic Recovery — House of Commons, 2020-07-21
Topic: Energy
Kwasi Alfred Addo Kwarteng (Conservative, Centre-right): We are absolutely committed, as the hon. Lady knows, to tidal power and all forms of marine power. There was a specific issue with the Swansea bay tidal lagoon project, which was that it was felt not to be economical. That was a specific, project-based, single incidence where we did not feel that it was value for taxpayers’ money.
Home Working — House of Commons, 2020-07-21
Topic: Labor
Amanda Jane Solloway (Conservative, Centre-right): Around 90% of employees already have a statutory right to request homeworking as well as other forms of flexible working. We are now encouraging employers and employees to discuss how work can be done safely at home or in a covid-secure workplace.
Home Working — House of Commons, 2020-07-21
Topic: Labor
Michael Louis David Fabricant (Conservative, Centre-right): Well, a recent survey has shown that two thirds of people would prefer to work from home either full time or part time, rather than work all the time at the places they worked from pre-covid. With this change in attitudes, which means we will end up with less pollution and probably a better standard of living, what can the Government do, and what can she do, to encourage this type of working for those who want it?
Home Working — House of Commons, 2020-07-21
Topic: Labor
Amanda Jane Solloway (Conservative, Centre-right): I am sure that my hon. Friend did not. We are aware of the wider benefits of flexible working. Nearly half of employees have worked from home during covid-19. Most employees already have the right to request flexible working, which employers can reject only for really sound business reasons. In our manifesto, we committed to take it further, and we will be looking at it in the light of covid.
Support for Businesses: Scotland — House of Commons, 2020-07-21
Topic: Macroeconomics
Nadhim Zahawi (Conservative, Centre-right): We are in constant conversation with Rolls-Royce and other employers, quite rightly. The sector will be impacted for between three and five years. It is right that companies should be able to right-size their businesses and, as the Secretary of State referred to, have a constructive dialogue with their employees about how they arrive at that right size. The Government’s position is to support the industry with more than £8.5 billion of support through the covid pandemic.