argyrotsipi/train-dataset huggingface dataset:
Windrush Lessons Learned Review — House of Commons, 2020-07-21
Topic: Immigration
Priti Sushil Patel (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend is absolutely right, and I can assure him that the two are separate—obviously we have a bespoke team working on Windrush. I hear him completely on the wider immigration cases. The closure of centres over the last four months will not have assisted with the speed of processing, but now that we are getting back to work, the claims will be processed and people will be given the attention they deserve.
Windrush Lessons Learned Review — House of Commons, 2020-07-21
Topic: Mixed Topics
Jack Edgar Brereton (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank my right hon. Friend for the support her Department has given to my constituents affected by this. Will she ensure everything is done to get them the compensation they are entitled to as soon as possible?
Windrush Lessons Learned Review — House of Commons, 2020-07-21
Topic: Immigration
Priti Sushil Patel (Conservative, Centre-right): As I said, all policies are under review in the Department, but specifically, on no recourse to public funds, it is right that those who benefit from the state also contribute to it. The policy is specific to migrants coming to our country being financially independent, which is also in the interests of British taxpayers.
Windrush Lessons Learned Review — House of Commons, 2020-07-21
Topic: Other
Priti Sushil Patel (Conservative, Centre-right): As I have already stated, Wendy’s review is important because she described a number of measures that evolved under Labour, coalition and Conservative Governments over decades. It is important that we all look at ourselves, because we must all be better at walking in other people’s shoes. We must all take responsibility for the failings that happened in the past. We are also one community who deserve to be treated with respect. We should therefore all learn lessons from the past.
Windrush Lessons Learned Review — House of Commons, 2020-07-21
Topic: Mixed Topics
Simon Richard James Fell (Conservative, Centre-right): My right hon. Friend referred to changing the Home Office’s openness to scrutiny, which will, quite rightly, lead to the Home Office better understanding the communities and groups it serves. What steps will she put in place to ensure that a similar level of understanding can be applied to the data that the Home Office holds and the impact that changes in policy might have on the people whom the data reflects?
Windrush Lessons Learned Review — House of Commons, 2020-07-21
Topic: Immigration
Priti Sushil Patel (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend makes an important point about data, with the type of trends and information that comes through to the Home Office. In fact, the hon. and learned Member for Edinburgh South West (Joanna Cherry) also touched on data and processes. On scrutiny, we need to look at all aspects—not just policy but information, trends, flows, immigration data and all the sorts of data that come into the Department. We also need the skills to do that. That is part of the change we are seeing not just in the Home Office but across Government, with data analytics and information, in how we as a Government can respond on policy while treating people with compassion and fairness.
Counter-Terrorism and Sentencing Bill — House of Commons, 2020-07-21
Topic: Other
Joy Inboden Morrissey (Conservative, Centre-right): May I ask why an actual age is not included in amendment 30? There is an allusion to an age, but not a specific age. Will he outline why that was not included in the amendment when it was drafted?
Counter-Terrorism and Sentencing Bill — House of Commons, 2020-07-21
Topic: Other
Alicia Alexandra Martha Kearns (Conservative, Centre-right): I am slightly confused by the suggestion we should be extending to 25 years old when there are Members of Parliament who are under 25. Is he suggesting that somehow different rules should apply to them or that they are not yet at the age where they can appropriately represent their constituents?
Counter-Terrorism and Sentencing Bill — House of Commons, 2020-07-21
Topic: Housing
Eleanor Fulton Laing (Conservative, Centre-right): We now come to Lords amendments to the Business and Planning Bill. I am going slowly here to allow a natural changeover of personnel at a 2 metre distance. I am grateful to hon. Members for their co-operation.
Business and Planning Bill — House of Commons, 2020-07-21
Topic: Other
Christopher John Pincher (Conservative, Centre-right): I do not propose to detain the House any longer than simply to say thank you to you, Madam Deputy Speaker, and to right hon. and hon. Members across the House for their commitment to the Bill and their contributions to it. I wish it safe and swift passage to Royal Assent Lords amendment 1 agreed to. Lords amendments 2 to 42 agreed to. Deferred Divisions Motion made, and Question put forthwith (Standing Order No. 41A(3)), That, at this day’s sitting, Standing Order No. 41A (Deferred divisions) shall not apply to the Motions in the name of Secretary Matt Hancock relating to Public Health; the Motion in the name of Secretary Dominic Raab relating to Sanctions; and the Motion in the name of Christopher Pincher relating to Town and Country Planning.—(David Duguid.)
Misuse of Nitrous Oxide — House of Commons, 2020-07-21
Topic: Other
Eleanor Fulton Laing (Conservative, Centre-right): Order. The hon. Gentleman is standing, but this is an Adjournment debate and it is not open to everybody to speak. Hon. Members have to have fulfilled certain conditions to do so. I am not aware of that having happened—therefore, they have not been fulfilled. The hon. Gentleman may intervene on the Minister, if the Minister wishes to take the intervention—hon. Members can make their point but they cannot make a speech in the Adjournment debate.
Misuse of Nitrous Oxide — House of Commons, 2020-07-21
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Craig Mackinlay (Conservative, Centre-right): We have the same problem as the hon. Member for Canterbury (Rosie Duffield) on the beaches. It seems to be the fashion of the day. The Minister said that there are controls on retailers, but I have just looked online and eBay is selling these things—100 for £48.95—despite the guidance from the Government that this should not be on open sale. Something is going wrong with these online retailers, and something needs to be done.
Manufacturing Sector — House of Commons, 2020-11-10
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Nusrat Munir Ul-Ghani (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank the Secretary of State for his response. I wish to seek further assurances on behalf of my three local chambers of commerce—Hailsham, Crowborough and Uckfield. What further support can be provided for small and medium-sized manufacturing firms in my constituency, not only during covid, but during transition next year?
Manufacturing Sector — House of Commons, 2020-11-10
Topic: Mixed Topics
Pauline Elizabeth Latham (Conservative, Centre-right): Rolls-Royce is a very important manufacturer throughout the UK, not least in Derby, where it employs more than 12,000 people. Will my right hon. Friend assure me that whenever the Government help Rolls-Royce, all money spent will directly support the recovery of domestic civil aerospace manufacturing?
Covid-19 Lockdown: Business Support — House of Commons, 2020-11-10
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Paul Stuart Scully (Conservative, Centre-right): The right hon. Lady raises a really important point. As well as having regular meetings with the hospitality and retail sectors about the immediate future, we also have the Retail Sector Council and the Hospitality Futures Group, an industry-led a group, which we participate in fully to make sure that we can address such long-term concerns.
Covid-19: Business Sectors — House of Commons, 2020-11-10
Topic: Mixed Topics
Nadhim Zahawi (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Lady makes an important point about the labour market statistics released this morning. The Government are committed to helping the most vulnerable, as was demonstrated with the £2 billion kickstart scheme for young people, who have in many ways been heavily impacted by the challenge of covid. She will see from this Government a green industrial strategy. As the Secretary of State has already set out—judge us by what we do—36% of the world’s offshore energy is produced by this country, and we will go much further.
Retail Sector: Covid-19 — House of Commons, 2020-11-10
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Paul Stuart Scully (Conservative, Centre-right): I have regular discussions on the effect of covid-19 with a range of retail reps. Next month, I will co-chair a meeting of the Retail Sector Council. There has been unprecedented support, including within the £200 billion of Government support for the retail sector, but clearly we must work closely with it at all times.
Retail Sector: Covid-19 — House of Commons, 2020-11-10
Topic: Housing
Paul Stuart Scully (Conservative, Centre-right): We have extended the moratorium until the end of the year and will continue to work with tenants. This week, I had a roundtable with a ministerial colleague in the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. We will work with tenants and landlords to come up with a fair solution for retailers across this country to protect our high streets and our retail areas.
Covid-19: Support for Businesses — House of Commons, 2020-11-10
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Nadhim Zahawi (Conservative, Centre-right): My Department continues to deliver a wide range of measures to support UK business. We have extended our loan schemes across the board, which have already delivered over £62 billion of finance, until the end of January, and the new local authority grants will also offer further support to businesses affected by the national restrictions.
Covid-19: Support for Businesses — House of Commons, 2020-11-10
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Nicola Jane Aiken (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank the Minister for his reply. During this second lockdown, many of us are likely to find comfort in reading. My constituent David Campbell, who runs Everyman’s Library, has written—with the backing of over 20 leading authors, including Salman Rushdie, Simon Jenkins and Sebastian Faulks—to the Prime Minister asking that books be considered an essential item for sale during the current restrictions. Does my hon. Friend agree that, to support small businesses during the covid-19 crisis, it would be preferable that local independent shops, which are based in the heart of their local communities and often employ local people, remain open and secure sales, rather than a global internet brand?
Covid-19: Support for Businesses — House of Commons, 2020-11-10
Topic: Mixed Topics
Nadhim Zahawi (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend makes an important point. It is a very difficult decision that we have grappled with. Independent bookshops are of great importance to local communities, with books playing a vital role in people’s mental health and wellbeing. The decision to close non-essential retail is part of a wider package of measures to make it clear that people should stay at home and accept this for a limited period of time. Of course, bookshops can offer delivery and click-and-collect services, which I am sure that her constituent, David Campbell, is probably considering.
Covid-19: Support for Businesses — House of Commons, 2020-11-10
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Julian Charles Sturdy (Conservative, Centre-right): The Government’s new support measures for businesses provide a genuine lifeline. However, support to stay closed is not the long-term answer, and many will only remain viable if they can be open as normal for the pre-Christmas season. May I ask what the Minister is doing to urgently lobby Government and the Prime Minister on the necessity of keeping businesses going and getting them reopened from 2 December, including in hospitality, which is so important to a city like York?
Covid-19: Support for Businesses — House of Commons, 2020-11-10
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Nadhim Zahawi (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend makes a very powerful point, and I absolutely agree with him. This is not the long-term answer, and I fully appreciate that retailers across England will be desperate to reopen in time for the important Christmas trading period. The regulations, as the Prime Minister said, will expire on 2 December, and we will return to the local restrictions thereafter—the tiered system. Of course, Ministers and officials are regularly engaging across Government, including my colleagues in BEIS, to ensure the sector can reopen safely on 2 December.
Covid-19: Support for Businesses — House of Commons, 2020-11-10
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Ben Spencer (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank the Minister for his answer: financial support for businesses is such a lifeline at this time. Speaking to businesses across the spectrum in Runnymede and Weybridge—from those in the wedding sector to logistics and corporate events—they tell me that one of the biggest challenges they face is uncertainty around planning for the next six months to a year. Does my hon. Friend agree with me that one of the best supports for business we can give is a long-term plan for how we deal with and get out of the covid pandemic?
Covid-19: Support for Businesses — House of Commons, 2020-11-10
Topic: Mixed Topics
Nadhim Zahawi (Conservative, Centre-right): I am grateful for my hon. Friend’s question. The current restrictions will expire on 2 December. After those restrictions have expired, we intend to return to the tiered system, as I just mentioned on an earlier question. Of course, we have to make sure that businesses have that clarity, hence why the Chancellor extended the furlough scheme all the way to the end of March for businesses. The British Chambers of Commerce made it very clear to me a few days ago in a phone call that that was incredibly important help at the right time.
Covid-19: Support for Businesses — House of Commons, 2020-11-10
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Thomas Patrick Hunt (Conservative, Centre-right): The Arcade Tavern is one of the most popular pubs in Ipswich. It has insurance against income loss because of notifiable diseases, but its insurers, New India, is refusing to pay out, blaming the Government for the loss of income. This has left the business fighting this pandemic and for the money that it is entitled to. Will my hon. Friend assure me that the Government will look unfavourably on insurers that do not honour their contracts and that this is not the case of the little man being stitched up? I have the letter right here, so I am happy to share it with him after this.
Covid-19: Support for Businesses — House of Commons, 2020-11-10
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Nadhim Zahawi (Conservative, Centre-right): I will happily look at the letter, and it sounds incredibly concerning that any insurer would act in this way. Pubs, of course, are a valuable part of many local communities across the country. We are in continual dialogue with the insurance sector regarding its response to this unprecedented situation. I will happily look at the letter and the details of my hon. Friend’s case.
Marine Renewable Energy — House of Commons, 2020-11-10
Topic: Mixed Topics
Kwasi Alfred Addo Kwarteng (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Lady will be aware that the green jobs element of the transition is at the centre of the Government’s net-zero strategy, and we fully intend to have something like 2 million green jobs by 2030, although now we have only 460,000. Green jobs are at the centre of the recovery that we are trying to drive.
Sizewell C Nuclear Power Station: Government Scrutiny — House of Commons, 2020-11-10
Topic: Housing
Nadhim Zahawi (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend makes a powerful point and his message has been heard clearly. I reassure him that proposals for mitigating the potential impact of Sizewell C will be considered during the examination of the development consent application, and local people and local bodies, such as the county council, will have the opportunity to make representations. The Secretary of State will then thoroughly examine and consider the recommendations from the Planning Inspectorate, which will be submitted to him following that examination. I give my hon. Friend that guarantee.
Covid-19: Support for Businesses — House of Commons, 2020-11-10
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Kwasi Alfred Addo Kwarteng (Conservative, Centre-right): The Department has engaged regularly with the Chancellor and other partners across the devolved Governments, including in Scotland, since the beginning of the covid-19 outbreak to make sure that businesses have the right information, guidance and support that they need.
Covid-19: Support for Businesses — House of Commons, 2020-11-10
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Kwasi Alfred Addo Kwarteng (Conservative, Centre-right): Obviously, I am not familiar with the exact details that the hon. Lady refers to. What I can point out is that in her constituency of Central Ayrshire, banks have provided something like £37 million of business loans, but I would be very interested to hear the specifics of that case and to see what we can do to meet those concerns.
Covid-19: Support for Businesses — House of Commons, 2020-11-10
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Kwasi Alfred Addo Kwarteng (Conservative, Centre-right): We are in constant contact with Companies House and other sources of information relating to businesses. With regard to the specifics, I am not as familiar with those charges as the hon. Gentleman, but again I point out that something like £30 million of loan money—of credit—has been supplied to companies in his constituency.
Covid-19: Support for Businesses — House of Commons, 2020-11-10
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Kwasi Alfred Addo Kwarteng (Conservative, Centre-right): The provision of credit, as I have suggested to some of the hon. Gentleman’s colleagues, has been very generous during this covid-19 period. Obviously, we can refine the process and we are very open to listening to ideas from hon. and right hon. Members about how we can do that. I would like to point out that, last year, in his constituency of Midlothian, we issued something like £49 million-worth of credit. Many of the companies in his constituency have been very grateful and very happy to receive that money.
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2020-11-10
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Alok Kumar Sharma (Conservative, Centre-right): As the hon. Gentleman will know, I followed all the rules, as we always do in my Department. I want to thank businesses, trade unions and the business representative organisations we worked with earlier this year to put together the guidelines to keep business areas covid secure.
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2020-11-10
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Andrea Marie Jenkyns (Conservative, Centre-right): High streets up and down our country are struggling and rely on this peak selling time of year. What is my right hon. Friend’s plan to relaunch sales and drive footfall after lockdown and help to save our high streets?
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2020-11-10
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Kwasi Alfred Addo Kwarteng (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank my hon. Friend for raising this issue; I know that she is a tireless champion for her local high street. She knows that click and collect and delivery services are still possible, as are takeaway services for the hospitality sector. The Under-Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, my hon. Friend the Member for Sutton and Cheam (Paul Scully), is working tirelessly with retail to make sure that once the lockdown is over, we can bounce back more strongly and take on board much of the important advice that she has been giving us.
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2020-11-10
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Alok Kumar Sharma (Conservative, Centre-right): As the hon. Gentleman will know, showrooms were one of the first businesses required to be closed that were reopened in the last national restrictions period. What I would like, and what I know he wants, is for us get to the point on 2 December where we move back into local restrictions and we are able to open up businesses across the country.
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2020-11-10
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Paul Howell (Conservative, Centre-right): I, like others, have had many approaches from my local businesses in Sedgefield, some of which, because of specific rules, have received inadequate support in the context of what they need to survive. Bexbrides in Hurworth and J&C Coaches in Newton Aycliffe are perfect examples. Bex described it as like having a mine of customers that has been flooded: you know the customers are there—brides are still waiting to get married—but you cannot get to them until the flood subsides. But you know it will. These businesses and others need to keep themselves afloat until the flood subsides. Can the Minister please work with his friend the Chancellor to ensure that they are better supported through the next phase of the pandemic? Will he meet me to enable me to discuss in detail the best support options for them?
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2020-11-10
Topic: Mixed Topics
Kwasi Alfred Addo Kwarteng (Conservative, Centre-right): I am grateful to my hon. Friend for that important question. We fully appreciate that it is a very difficult time, and of course ministerial colleagues are working constantly with Treasury colleagues and officials to ensure that we have the right support, however this pandemic, this dreadful disease, develops. We are working effectively and many of the remedies are being widely appreciated.
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2020-11-10
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Daniel Leonard James Poulter (Conservative, Centre-right): The Secretary of State will be aware that many businesses in the hospitality industry—pubs, and also some companies in the wedding industry—are reliant on the six weeks around Christmas for much of their profit during the winter period. What additional support can he reassure me will be put into place to ensure that the hospitality industry is properly recompensed for the Christmas period and the early part of the new year given the difficult circumstances that we face with covid?
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2020-11-10
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Alok Kumar Sharma (Conservative, Centre-right): I recognise the difficulty that the hospitality sector faces. Of course we want to ensure that, as we come out of the national restriction on 2 December, businesses move into the tiered areas, and I hope that some business will be able to reopen. However, it is worth pointing out that pubs and restaurants can continue to operate as takeaways and support is available, including grants of up to £3,000 per month, as well as additional support through the £1.1 billion funded to local authorities.
Covid-19 Update — House of Commons, 2020-11-10
Topic: Mixed Topics
Matthew John David Hancock (Conservative, Centre-right): Yes, absolutely; this is a UK programme and I have been working closely with my Northern Ireland counterpart, Robin Swann, who is doing a brilliant job in Northern Ireland, to make sure that we get this roll-out as effective as possible right across the whole United Kingdom.
Covid-19 Update — House of Commons, 2020-11-10
Topic: Other
Nigel Martin Evans (Conservative, Centre-right): Before I call Jacob Young, I would just like to say thanks for all the birthday wishes. I absolve anybody else from saying happy birthday to me. I am coming to terms with the fact that The Times added a year to my age. It is bad enough being the age I am, I do assure you, but none the less.
Covid-19 Update — House of Commons, 2020-11-10
Topic: Mixed Topics
Matthew John David Hancock (Conservative, Centre-right): This is something that we are working hard on in the Department. I am not yet in a position to answer all those questions, except to say that I have looked at the results of the Spanish trial that my right hon. Friend mentions, not least because he sent me those results with some enthusiasm. We are looking at this very closely.