argyrotsipi/train-dataset huggingface dataset:
Tower Block Cladding — House of Commons, 2018-05-21
Topic: Housing
James Peter Brokenshire (Conservative, Centre-right): We are remembering those who lost their lives in the tragedy at Grenfell Tower today as the public inquiry opens. I know this will be an incredibly difficult time for all those affected. The whole House will join me, I am sure, in sending them our thoughts and prayers. I am determined to ensure that no community suffers again as they have done To that end, in the days since the fire, my Department has worked with fire and rescue services, local authorities and landlords to identify high-rise buildings with unsafe cladding; to ensure that interim measures are in place to reduce risks; and to give building owners clear advice about what they need to do over the longer term to make buildings safe. Remediation work has started on two thirds of buildings in the social housing sector, and we have called on building owners in the private sector to follow the example set by the social sector and not pass on costs to leaseholders. I will be holding the first roundtable with representatives from the private sector this week and repeat what I said last week: if the industry does not step up, I am not ruling anything out. My predecessor and the then Home Secretary asked Dame Judith Hackitt to carry out an independent review of building regulations and fire safety. I welcomed her final comprehensive report last week, which called for major reform. Having listened carefully to the arguments for banning combustible materials in cladding systems on high-rise residential buildings, the Government are minded to agree and will consult accordingly In addition, the Prime Minister announced that the Government will fully fund the removal and replacement of potentially dangerous aluminium composite material—ACM—cladding on buildings owned by social landlords, with costs estimated at £400 million. I will be writing to social sector landlords this week setting out more detail It is vital that people living in buildings like Grenfell Tower are safe and feel safe. I am confident that the work we are undertaking and the important reforms triggered by the Hackitt review will help to restore confidence and provide the legacy that the Grenfell communities need and deserve.
Tower Block Cladding — House of Commons, 2018-05-21
Topic: Housing
James Peter Brokenshire (Conservative, Centre-right): May I underline what I said in my opening comments about the importance of remembering and reflecting on the very moving testimony that has already been provided in the public inquiry? It is right that all those affected are able to share their memories of those who lost their lives and, indeed, that there should be no time limit on that process. We all need to reflect extremely carefully on the testimony given The right hon. Gentleman raises many points, a number of which we dealt with last week during the debates on Grenfell Tower and during my statement on the Hackitt report. He knows that I have been very clear about wanting to speed up the process, which is why I said last week that it is not a question of waiting for the final recommendations to be fully implemented, and it is why I took the steps that I did in relation to combustible cladding and other issues such as the use of desktop studies. I have outlined that although the consultation on desktop studies closes later this week, I will obviously not hesitate to ban them if they cannot be used safely The right hon. Gentleman highlights the advice from the fire authorities. Obviously, we are guided by the National Fire Chiefs Council on these matters, and the London fire brigade has given its advice in that regard. He mentions sprinklers. I would underline the points that I made last week—that is, we have given certain advice regarding the provision of sprinklers on new blocks of over 30 metres in height, but for existing buildings it is for the building owner to decide. As Dame Judith Hackitt rightly pointed out in her report, no single fire safety measure, including sprinklers, can be seen as a panacea I have already outlined the further steps that we are taking regarding remediation. We gave further instructions to local authorities last week to further empower them to take action in respect of identifying buildings. There is no lack of urgency on my part or on the part of my Department when it comes to moving forward with addressing these issues and underlining and recognising the serious concerns that have been expressed. Equally, I have underlined our desire to do the right thing in relation to fire safety. We will be taking the actions that I outlined last week and underlined again today to ensure that we are following this through and pursuing it rigorously.
Tower Block Cladding — House of Commons, 2018-05-21
Topic: Other
John Simon Bercow (Conservative, Centre-right): Order. There is considerable interest in this matter, as I would have anticipated, and which I shall endeavour to accommodate, but it might help the House if I advise colleagues that I do not want to run this urgent question at great length. There is another to follow; there will be many further opportunities to debate Grenfell; and of course we have other important business of which to treat. Succinctness personified would be appreciated and could be aided by the right hon. Member for New Forest West (Sir Desmond Swayne) if he were standing, but it will not be because he is not.
Tower Block Cladding — House of Commons, 2018-05-21
Topic: Housing
James Peter Brokenshire (Conservative, Centre-right): My right hon. Friend is right to highlight that Barratt has done the right thing by saying that it will not be passing costs on to leaseholders. It is outrageous that many have acted in the way in which they have by not participating. I am this week hosting the first roundtable to consider the next steps. As I said, I am not ruling anything out.
Tower Block Cladding — House of Commons, 2018-05-21
Topic: Housing
James Peter Brokenshire (Conservative, Centre-right): Obviously, we have taken steps to identify at-risk buildings. As I pointed out, we set out a further direction last week aimed at local housing authorities in England. We want to support them in their work through that statutory declaration. There are some local authorities that still have more work to do, which is why we have committed a sum in the order of £1.3 million to support local authorities to move as swiftly as possible to identify buildings and see that remediation takes place.
Tower Block Cladding — House of Commons, 2018-05-21
Topic: Housing
James Peter Brokenshire (Conservative, Centre-right): I welcome the action of the Select Committee in this regard. We are obviously working at pace to move forward with the consultation, which is intended to be forward-looking. I hear the hon. Gentleman’s point about building regulations that could only speak to the existing timescale. There is also an issue, which comes through very clearly in Dame Judith Hackitt’s report, about the risks of these sorts of systems and why these building owners need to take their responsibilities extremely seriously.
Tower Block Cladding — House of Commons, 2018-05-21
Topic: Public Lands
Michael Penning (Conservative, Centre-right): As a former firefighter and Fire Minister myself, I am really pleased to hear the Secretary of State say that we should immediately, as soon as this report allows us to, ban combustible cladding. That is something that we could do. One thing that we could easily do tomorrow morning is to make sure that there are heat-seeking cameras on every appliance that goes out to any incident in the country. That would provide the opportunity to make sure that there are no hotspots, which could mean that this sort of fire could have been put out much earlier.
Tower Block Cladding — House of Commons, 2018-05-21
Topic: Housing
James Peter Brokenshire (Conservative, Centre-right): My right hon. Friend touches on broader issues of appliances. There is also an issue in relation to electrical safety. Some colleagues may be familiar with some of the building regulations standards in that respect. The Government are continuing to work with the British Standards Institution on a revised standard that is due to be published in July.
Tower Block Cladding — House of Commons, 2018-05-21
Topic: Housing
James Peter Brokenshire (Conservative, Centre-right): I am grateful to the right hon. Gentleman for highlighting the really essential issue of private sector leaseholds, where I have made the points that I have. That is why I will be hosting a roundtable this week, with a further roundtable to follow, to inform next steps. I hear what he has said, and all I can say to him at this stage is that I have not ruled anything out.
Tower Block Cladding — House of Commons, 2018-05-21
Topic: Housing
Stephen James Metcalfe (Conservative, Centre-right): I welcome the £400 million that the Government have put forward to help remove unsafe cladding. What advice would the Secretary of State give to housing associations on accessing this fund so that they can bring the work forward very quickly?
Tower Block Cladding — House of Commons, 2018-05-21
Topic: Housing
James Peter Brokenshire (Conservative, Centre-right): Like my hon. Friend, I would like the funds to be available quickly. That is why we will be writing out to relevant agencies later this week with further details. This is about prioritising the funding becoming available to relevant housing associations and local government, and we will take action this week.
Tower Block Cladding — House of Commons, 2018-05-21
Topic: Housing
James Peter Brokenshire (Conservative, Centre-right): I understand and hear very clearly the call that has been made. There are certain statutory obligations to consult under the Building Act 1984. That is why I have said that I am minded to make this change, subject to the consultation. My officials are working at pace in relation to getting that consultation out, because I hear the very clear message that the right hon. Gentleman is giving about the urgency of this.
Tower Block Cladding — House of Commons, 2018-05-21
Topic: Housing
James Peter Brokenshire (Conservative, Centre-right): Obviously it is for all building owners to ensure that they are taking appropriate steps. We know that interim measures are in place. As I said to my hon. Friend last week, Dame Judith Hackitt’s recommendations are focused on residential accommodation of 10 storeys and above, but she has said that some of her recommendations may have a broader application, and we will consider that as part of the consultation.
Tower Block Cladding — House of Commons, 2018-05-21
Topic: Mixed Topics
James Peter Brokenshire (Conservative, Centre-right): The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy effectively leads on that issue, and we will continue to work in conjunction with it, to work with industry and to support action, so that all fire safety issues are at the forefront.
Tower Block Cladding — House of Commons, 2018-05-21
Topic: Housing
Matthew James Offord (Conservative, Centre-right): You will recall, Mr Speaker, that in Edgware in my constituency, Premier House was recently converted from an office block into residential property, but unfortunately the cladding has remained. Many of my constituents who saved up to buy a property there find themselves in a situation where the owners of the building want to charge them for removal of the cladding. I hear the point that was made about a low-interest scheme, but does my right hon. Friend agree that leaseholders should be afforded the same protection as tenants and not have to pay for that out of their own pocket?
Tower Block Cladding — House of Commons, 2018-05-21
Topic: Housing
James Peter Brokenshire (Conservative, Centre-right): I understand the point that my hon. Friend makes on leaseholders. Obviously there are legal relationships, but that is why I have underlined the need for us to take further action and to have the initial meetings that I have set out. I have been pretty clear in my view.
Tower Block Cladding — House of Commons, 2018-05-21
Topic: Housing
Kevin Paul Hollinrake (Conservative, Centre-right): Does the Secretary of State share my surprise that the Hackitt review did not look in detail at the building regulations? Does he accept the need for urgent revision of the building regulations and clarity on them, particularly with regard to combustible materials, and will he set out the process and timescale for that review?
Tower Block Cladding — House of Commons, 2018-05-21
Topic: Mixed Topics
Kevin John Foster (Conservative, Centre-right): I welcome the tone of the Secretary of State’s responses, but can he say a bit more about the issue of desktop studies? I think many people find it very surprising that there can be a desktop study to see whether something will be safe in such a large building.
Tower Block Cladding — House of Commons, 2018-05-21
Topic: Housing
James Peter Brokenshire (Conservative, Centre-right): There are legal restrictions on me in terms of my obligations under the Building Acts to consult on changes to building systems and regulation. However, I underline that, as Dame Judith points out, the safest approach is to use non-combustible materials, and that is the very clear advice.
Tower Block Cladding — House of Commons, 2018-05-21
Topic: Mixed Topics
Robert John Blackman (Conservative, Centre-right): The Select Committee had an opportunity to review Dame Judith Hackitt’s report and to question her on it. One of the clear issues is legislative change, as my right hon. Friend has mentioned. Will he set out whether that is primary or secondary legislation, and what the timeframe is for the process we will have to go through, because decisions need to be made?
Tower Block Cladding — House of Commons, 2018-05-21
Topic: Other
James Peter Brokenshire (Conservative, Centre-right): The end-to-end approach that Dame Judith recommends in her report will require primary legislation and secondary legislation. That is why I have said I will come back to the House before the summer recess to advise on the next steps, with a comprehensive response in the autumn. I made a commitment to primary legislation on Thursday, and I believe that is what is required, but it is a question of getting it right.
Tower Block Cladding — House of Commons, 2018-05-21
Topic: Housing
James Peter Brokenshire (Conservative, Centre-right): I can tell the hon. Lady that the latest figures I have are that 304 buildings have ACM cladding systems that the expert panel advises are unlikely to meet current building regulations: 158 are social housing buildings; 14 are public buildings, including hospitals and schools; and 132 are in the private sector, of which 101 are private residential buildings. Obviously, it is a question of the private residential side stepping up to the mark, and owners may well be taking interim measures. However, a sense of urgency needs to be applied, which is why I have mentioned the steps for getting on with making sure that leaseholders do not have to meet such a liability and that building owners meet their obligations.
Tower Block Cladding — House of Commons, 2018-05-21
Topic: Mixed Topics
Thomas Christopher John Pursglove (Conservative, Centre-right): I note that remedial work is under way on two thirds of public sector blocks where there is unsafe cladding, but what steps is my right hon. Friend taking to make sure that the final third are dealt with as quickly as possible?
Tower Block Cladding — House of Commons, 2018-05-21
Topic: Housing
James Peter Brokenshire (Conservative, Centre-right): It is important that we see the public sector estate dealt with as quickly as possible. Obviously, the additional funding of £400 million that the Prime Minister announced last week will go towards supporting that activity. Equally, there is an important point about the other things that may not be being focused on at the moment. Indeed, there is the actual supply side of more affordable homes and other building costs that might not otherwise receive the same focus.
Tower Block Cladding — House of Commons, 2018-05-21
Topic: Other
James Peter Brokenshire (Conservative, Centre-right): I would certainly be interested in receiving further details from the hon. Lady about the case she highlights, because it is important that advice is followed and that appropriate steps are taken. I will certainly look into the issues she raises.
Tower Block Cladding — House of Commons, 2018-05-21
Topic: Housing
Nigel Paul Huddleston (Conservative, Centre-right): There is an increasing trend for modern high-rise buildings to contain a mix of office, retail, hospitality and residential offerings. Will he ensure that sufficient attention is therefore paid to building regulations on all such buildings?
Tower Block Cladding — House of Commons, 2018-05-21
Topic: Domestic Commerce
James Peter Brokenshire (Conservative, Centre-right): I do not want to let the private sector off the hook for its responsibilities. That is why in the time for which I have been Secretary of State I have underlined my commitment and why I will be talking to industry this week and next to underline that clear message. I can then consider the right next steps to ensure that this is followed through with that intent.
Tower Block Cladding — House of Commons, 2018-05-21
Topic: Housing
James Peter Brokenshire (Conservative, Centre-right): Sprinklers can be an effective fire safety measure, but they are one of many such measures that could be adopted. As Dame Judith Hackitt points out in her report, no fire safety measure, including sprinklers, could be seen as a panacea, as I highlighted earlier. We have obviously set out clear advice about new blocks over 30 metres, and for existing buildings it is for the building owner to decide, based on risk, the appropriate safety measures to take.
Tower Block Cladding — House of Commons, 2018-05-21
Topic: Public Lands
James Peter Brokenshire (Conservative, Centre-right): Obviously, we have seen this issue with ACM material. We will continue to reflect on this in the light of Dame Judith Hackitt’s report. There are other issues as well. I made a written ministerial statement on fire doors and issues that have been highlighted in that regard, including on how we intend to follow through with further testing on fire doors to ensure that there are no further issues across the sector.
Gaza: UN Human Rights Council Vote — House of Commons, 2018-05-21
Topic: Other
John Simon Bercow (Conservative, Centre-right): Order. Many hon. and right hon. Members are seeking to catch my eye on this important matter, as could have been anticipated. I am keen to accommodate demand up to a point, but as in respect of the previous urgent question I do not wish to run this at inordinate length. There is other important business to which we must attend, so I am looking to move on after approximately half an hour from the start of exchanges. Pithy questions, pithy answers and we will maximise participation.
Gaza: UN Human Rights Council Vote — House of Commons, 2018-05-21
Topic: Mixed Topics
Alistair James Hendrie Burt (Conservative, Centre-right): The reality, as we can hear from comments on both sides of the House, is that many people have already made up their minds about the events of last week. That is what the British Government must seek to avoid. If we want clarity about what happened, some people must be prepared to say, "We must find out the facts. We must await the facts". Otherwise, as our explanation said, we only add to those who are already hardened in their hearts, and then we will not get the evidence we need.
Gaza: UN Human Rights Council Vote — House of Commons, 2018-05-21
Topic: Immigration
Alistair James Hendrie Burt (Conservative, Centre-right): The first part of the hon. Gentleman’s question demonstrates the difficulty of dealing with the issue. He has already made up his mind about all this, and he is welcome to do that, but, as I have said, the United Kingdom Government cannot I have made no personal interventions in the case of that gentleman. I said last week that immigration processes were for each individual state, but we have made representations about the closing down of political space. We believe it is much better to interact with people than seek to bar them from a country; however, that is Israel’s own immigration right, as it would be ours.
Gaza: UN Human Rights Council Vote — House of Commons, 2018-05-21
Topic: Other
Alistair James Hendrie Burt (Conservative, Centre-right): No, I do not think that that is the case at all. As I said earlier, true friends take a position in which they try as best they can to learn all the facts of the circumstances before coming to any conclusions, particularly in an area as sensitive and difficult as this. That is what we have sought to do.
Gaza: UN Human Rights Council Vote — House of Commons, 2018-05-21
Topic: Public Lands
Alistair James Hendrie Burt (Conservative, Centre-right): I will repeat what I have repeated before—this is clearly set out in the United Kingdom’s concerns about the whole process: "The loss of life, casualties and volume of live fire presents a depressingly familiar and unacceptable pattern. This cannot be ignored." The hon. Lady comes to her own conclusions about what she thinks has happened, but others have different narratives. It is clear that the extent of the live fire has caused casualties that raise prima facie questions about what has happened, which is why we must find out what the answer to that is.
Speaker’s Statement — House of Commons, 2018-05-21
Topic: Other
John Simon Bercow (Conservative, Centre-right): Last Wednesday, the Government chose to schedule a major transport statement on an Opposition day, thereby substantially reducing the time available for Opposition business. I thought then, as I think now, that this was very badly handled. It was, in particular, disrespectful both to the House and to the 23 Back Benchers who were hoping to participate in the Opposition day debate on the Grenfell Tower disaster It was in that context—and in that context alone—that, having expressed my displeasure about the matter quite forcefully from the Chair, I used the word "stupid" in a muttered aside. That adjective simply summed up how I felt about the way that day’s business had been conducted. Anyone who knows the Leader of the House at all well will have not the slightest doubt about her political ability and her personal character I love this House. I respect all of my colleagues, and I hold you all in the highest esteem. It is our duty to get on with the business of Parliament: scrutinising legislation, debating issues and standing up for the people we are here to represent. For my part, I shall continue to speak out firmly for the interests of the whole House and if, from time to time, it involves publicly disagreeing with the Government’s management of business, then so be it.
Private Members’ Bills: Money Resolutions — House of Commons, 2018-05-21
Topic: Other
Andrea Jacqueline Leadsom (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Gentleman will fully appreciate that the Government never ignore the resolutions of this House. I will come to the specifics of the reason for not allowing a money resolution on the private Member’s Bill of the hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton.
Private Members’ Bills: Money Resolutions — House of Commons, 2018-05-21
Topic: Other
Andrea Jacqueline Leadsom (Conservative, Centre-right): I am sure that the hon. Gentleman will realise that that is simply not true. There have been countless votes. Many Bills are already going through this place and several have received Royal Assent. There is a great deal of activity in this Chamber and in the other place. We continue to respect views right across this Chamber, and to adapt and amend legislation in order to improve it wherever possible. This Government are showing the greatest of respect to all parliamentarians.