argyrotsipi/train-dataset huggingface dataset:
Neighbourhood Planning Bill — House of Commons, 2016-12-13
Topic: Housing
Gregory Thomas Mulholland (Liberal Democrats, Centre to centre-left): I thank my colleagues on the save the pub all-party group, particularly the hon. Members for Brighton, Pavilion (Caroline Lucas) and for Sheffield, Heeley (Louise Haigh), who are vice-chairs of it. I thank the hon. Member for City of Durham (Dr Blackman-Woods) for very kindly opening the debate for me. I apologise to you, Madam Deputy Speaker, and to the House for not being present at that time, but I was wandering over to the Chamber expecting a vote and suddenly saw that the debate on new clause 9 had begun. I also thank the hon. Lady and her colleagues for their consistent support on this issue. Above all, I thank the hon. Member for Eddisbury (Antoinette Sandbach) for having the courage to add her name to the new clause. She will be toasted by many groups around the country I thank Protect Pubs for its excellent campaigning. It is now the leading organisation in the country for standing up for and protecting our pubs. I also thank the British Pub Confederation, which represents 14 pub sector organisations in the UK. I declare an interest as I am its chair Today we are campaigning on exactly the same issue that the hon. Lady’s colleague and great friend of pubs, the hon. Member for Bristol North West (Charlotte Leslie), set out in an amendment in February 2015 as vice-chair of the save the pub group. Too many pubs are still closing. The statistics go up and down slightly, but in excess of 20 pubs are closing a week The hon. Member for Shipley (Philip Davies) has missed the point. The new clause is not about stopping pubs that are not viable from being converted into other things. Pubs are being converted into other things all the time. Some pubs might be unviable, but a considerable number of them are viable and profitable. Unfortunately, they are closing because of permitted development rights. Surely it cannot be right that a wanted, profitable business can be closed without local people having any say I will not go into the detail, because I know there is limited time, but I think that people are aware of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995, which allows people to turn pubs into shops, supermarkets and offices, or to demolish them, without planning permission. May I ask how long I have to speak, Madam Deputy Speaker?
Neighbourhood Planning Bill — House of Commons, 2016-12-13
Topic: Housing
Gregory Thomas Mulholland (Liberal Democrats, Centre to centre-left): Of course we must hear from the Minister, but we need to hear the argument or people will not know what the new clause is about, as is clear from the comments made by the hon. Member for Shipley The new clause is about the simple principle that if someone wants to demolish a pub or to convert it into anything, the proposal should go through the planning process to allow residents to have their say on whether they oppose or support it. That is all we are talking about. This simple, common-sense change would mean that—as is the case, strangely, for theatres and launderettes—proposals for pubs would have to go through the planning process Let me quote a Conservative councillor. Councillor Michael Iszatt of Cheshunt North ward in Hertfordshire was quoted in The Guardian in 2014, talking about the closure of the Victoria. He said: "It wasn’t a quiet pub" He clearly knew that it was not a failing pub, as did the planning authority, but it could do nothing. Councillor Iszatt said: "Localism doesn’t apply here… Localism’s got to be a little village where the big supermarkets aren’t interested, because there aren’t thousands of people to buy things. We’re not allowed to have a community. But the reality is, we do." That profitable and wanted pub became a Morrisons. It was the victim of the sort of predatory purchasing that we see all the time.
Neighbourhood Planning Bill — House of Commons, 2016-12-13
Topic: Housing
Gregory Thomas Mulholland (Liberal Democrats, Centre to centre-left): Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. I will speak for no more than a minute to conclude, because otherwise people will not have heard any of the arguments for the new clause The Victoria was a profitable, wanted pub. It was closed in 2014 and turned into a Morrisons. And guess what? Because people did not want that and did not have the chance to comment, the Morrisons has closed. Permitted development rights have doubly failed that community, because a profitable business was closed and a supermarket that was not wanted has also closed, meaning that the building is empty I know that the Government will not listen and make a concession; frankly, they have not had the chance to hear the arguments properly. However, I urge Ministers to sit down with me and the save the pub group, with the hon. Member for Eddisbury and with Councillor Michael Iszatt to discuss how the Government can address the problem. While communities up and down the country—and councillors, including Conservative ones—are in uproar about the situation, it cannot continue.
Neighbourhood Planning Bill — House of Commons, 2016-12-13
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Gregory Thomas Mulholland (Liberal Democrats, Centre to centre-left): Surely the Minister knows what the so-called British Beer and Pub Association is—it is the representative body for the large property companies called pubcos, which are selling off pubs. Of course it wants its members to be able to continue this appalling asset-stripping and to continue doing deals with supermarkets.
Refugees — House of Commons, 2016-11-22
Topic: Immigration
Questions: What discussions he has had with his counterparts in the EU, Africa and the middle east on tackling the refugee situation in Europe and the middle east.
Alexander Morrison Carmichael (Liberal Democrats, Centre to centre-left): Is the Minister aware of the rising levels of violence directed towards those in refugee camps on the island of Chios, including volunteers? Is he aware that on 16 November the camp at Souda was attacked by about 60 members of the far-right group New Dawn? Boulders were thrown into containers containing refugee women and children. Following that, three volunteers, two of whom are UK citizens, were arrested by the Greek police. Can he assure me that every support will be given to UK citizens volunteering in that area to ensure that their rights are protected?
Defence Estate — House of Commons, 2016-11-07
Topic: Mixed Topics
Thomas Anthony Brake (Liberal Democrats, Centre to centre-left): Can the Secretary of State assure me that this is not driven solely by the need to raise cash for the MOD and that the armed forces were actively consulted about alternative uses for the land that is being disposed of? Will he use every method of leverage possible to ensure that the homes that are built are affordable, both to buy and to rent? Will he acknowledge the concerns among service personnel about the future accommodation model and the potential impact on some service families?
Exiting the EU and Workers’ Rights — House of Commons, 2016-11-07
Topic: Immigration
Thomas Anthony Brake (Liberal Democrats, Centre to centre-left): One of the many claims made by the Brexiteers during the EU referendum campaign, and one to which the right hon. Gentleman has not referred, was the famous figure of £350 million a week for the NHS. One of the other claims was that they would support the rights of EU workers. I wonder whether he might touch on that because it directly affects the 1.5 million to 2 million UK citizens who are in other EU countries.
UN International Day: Violence against Women — House of Commons, 2016-12-08
Topic: Civil Rights
Thomas Anthony Brake (Liberal Democrats, Centre to centre-left): I thank the right hon. Lady for giving way to one of the boys. I welcome the measures the Government are introducing in relation to FGM, particularly the requirement for the NHS to collate data sets on it. Does she have any evidence that that is starting to feed through to an increased level of prosecutions, for instance?
Tourism — House of Commons, 2016-11-03
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Mark Fraser Williams (Liberal Democrats, Centre to centre-left): The figures alluded to by the Minister, not least those for Wales, are welcome, but what assessment has she made of the further impact on the industry of the reduction in VAT on tourism and visitor attractions?
Leaving the EU: Financial Services — House of Commons, 2016-11-03
Topic: Mixed Topics
Alexander Morrison Carmichael (Liberal Democrats, Centre to centre-left): The hon. Lady makes an important point. Is she aware of the particular importance of freedom of movement to the so-called Fintech sector? In the region of 30% of chief financial officers and chief executive officers in one of the major expanding areas of our financial services sector come from countries in other parts of the EU. Does that not illustrate what is at stake?
The Government's Plan for Brexit — House of Commons, 2016-12-07
Topic: Other
Thomas Anthony Brake (Liberal Democrats, Centre to centre-left): No doubt that is the position that the right hon. Gentleman has adopted today, and he may have done so consistently over a number of months, but there are many others here in very senior positions who adopt a different position on a daily basis.
Immigration Rules — House of Commons, 2016-12-05
Topic: Immigration
Questions: If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of applying different immigration rules to Scotland and other constituent parts of the UK.
Alexander Morrison Carmichael (Liberal Democrats, Centre to centre-left): The Minister cannot get away from the fact, though, that different parts of the country have different labour and immigration needs. In the northern isles at present our fishing industry is being crippled because white fish boats in particular cannot get the visas for the crews that they need to go to sea. Will the Minister meet me and representatives of the fishing industry to find a way around that?
Leaving the EU: Departmental Staff — House of Commons, 2016-12-05
Topic: Immigration
Questions: What assessment her Department has made of the implications of the UK leaving the EU for (a) the number of and (b) skills required by its staff.
Thomas Anthony Brake (Liberal Democrats, Centre to centre-left): The Secretary of State has just confirmed that the 3 million EU citizens in the UK will have to be documented. If that processing adds roughly 10% to the Home Office workload, does the Minister accept that it will cost at least £100 million a year and require 3,000 extra staff? If he does not, what is his estimate?
Economic Growth: Coastal Areas — House of Commons, 2016-11-29
Topic: Public Lands
Timothy James Farron (Liberal Democrats, Centre to centre-left): The coastal communities of Cumbria were deeply affected by Storm Desmond last December. The River Kent, which meets the sea at Morecambe bay, is one of Britain’s fastest-flowing and shortest rivers, and when it flooded last December, untold damage was caused to communities and the economy throughout the county. In last week’s autumn statement, the Government went back on their word from last December to fund the resilience of bridges to help prevent future flooding. Will the Chancellor apologise to the flood-hit communities of Cumbria for that betrayal, and, even at this late stage, will he change his mind?
Historical Sexual Abuse (Football) — House of Commons, 2016-11-29
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Timothy James Farron (Liberal Democrats, Centre to centre-left): I associate myself with the remarks of others about the hideous and tragic crash in Colombia earlier today I pay tribute to those who have come forward and initiated the national discussion that we are now having. It takes immense courage, but the impact on others who might have suffered is huge, encouraging them and strengthening their resolve to come forward. Last weekend, I stood on the touchline watching my son play for Milnthorpe Corinthians against Kendal Wattsfield. Tens or even hundreds of thousands of children play football every weekend. It is our national game. I thoroughly respect what the FA is doing with its investigation. What I am saying is in no way an attempt to undermine or criticise the FA, but given that this is the national game and the potential scale of the problem, will the Secretary of State ensure that there is independence in the investigation and that resources are put into it? We must not simply allow the sport to investigate itself.
Under-occupancy Charge — House of Commons, 2016-11-14
Topic: Housing
Gregory Thomas Mulholland (Liberal Democrats, Centre to centre-left): It is not only councils, housing organisations and charities that have made it clear that the people who are now exempted through the court case should have been exempt all along; the Secretary of State also realises that he failed to listen to the will of this House when it passed the Affordable Homes Bill. Will he now listen and ensure that when people cannot find homes because there are no suitable homes to move to they are also not penalised?
Digital Economy Bill — House of Commons, 2016-11-28
Topic: Civil Rights
Alexander Morrison Carmichael (Liberal Democrats, Centre to centre-left): The Minister will be aware that such age verification will inevitably require the companies concerned to hold a lot of data. What assurances can he give the House that those data will not be liable to being hacked, as happened in the Ashley Madison case?
Digital Economy Bill — House of Commons, 2016-11-28
Topic: Mixed Topics
Alexander Morrison Carmichael (Liberal Democrats, Centre to centre-left): Will the data therefore be held in an anonymised form that will not allow the people who have provided them to be identified, should the data be stolen? The best security in the world can still be breached?
Local Government Finance Settlement — House of Commons, 2016-12-15
Topic: Mixed Topics
Norman Peter Lamb (Liberal Democrats, Centre to centre-left): This is, surely, a truly feeble response to a national crisis. The LGA would be entitled to reject the proposal and put the ball firmly back in the Government’s court, for them to think again. This is an unfair way to raise additional money; it will increase inequalities between rich and poor areas. When will the Government come forward with plans to work genuinely across parties? There have been two suggestions about that already in this question-and-answer session, but the Secretary of State has not answered either one. When will he work with others to come up with a genuine solution to what is now a real national crisis?
Points of Order — House of Commons, 2016-12-15
Topic: Housing
Gregory Thomas Mulholland (Liberal Democrats, Centre to centre-left): On a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker. I need to bring a very troubling matter to the House’s attention. One issue that has exercised us has been the activities of corporate lobbyists, which at times have cast a dark shadow over the political process. A brief was circulated on 13 December by the British Beer and Pub Association, which represents the large pub companies and wishes its members to be allowed to continue to convert pubs into supermarkets without needing planning permission. The briefing the association circulated to some MPs made an entirely false claim, which was then repeated by the Minister for Housing and Planning at the Dispatch Box as a reason for not accepting a new clause to a Bill; hon. Members were clearly influenced by the briefing in the way they voted. The Minister said on Tuesday: "A briefing note from the British Beer and Pub Association makes the point that removing permitted development would not only stop the conversion of pubs to supermarkets and whatever else we would want to stop, but might prevent pubs from doing improvement works to their premises, which we clearly would not want." I challenged the Minister, who then said: "I am well aware of what the BBPA is, but I tend to take the approach that, when I see briefings, I look at the points they make. If they make a sensible point, they are worth looking at. The BBPA makes a serious point."—[Official Report, 13 December 2016; Vol. 618, c. 744.] No—the BPPA made an entirely false claim. It is very troubling that civil servants did this, but this corrupts the legislative process—
Points of Order — House of Commons, 2016-12-15
Topic: Other
Gregory Thomas Mulholland (Liberal Democrats, Centre to centre-left): I merely ask your advice about the corruption of the legislative process, which was clearly inadvertent on the part of the Minister. What can we do to make the British Beer and Pub Association apologise, and to stop this kind of corruption of our legislative process in future?
Commercial Financial Dispute Resolution Platform — House of Commons, 2016-12-15
Topic: Civil Rights
Norman Peter Lamb (Liberal Democrats, Centre to centre-left): I thank the hon. Gentleman for raising this incredibly important issue. Does he agree that along with all the people who suffered the horrendous loss of their business and livelihood, we need to think about whistleblowers, the incredibly brave people who risk everything to expose wrongdoing? They need to be properly treated, too.
Commercial Financial Dispute Resolution Platform — House of Commons, 2016-12-15
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Norman Peter Lamb (Liberal Democrats, Centre to centre-left): Does the hon. Gentleman also agree that the absence of a clear dispute resolution process actually incentivises bad behaviour and sharp practice? If the banks know that there is no proper mechanism to challenge wrongdoing, it encourages that bad behaviour.
Indefinite Leave to Remain — House of Commons, 2016-10-31
Topic: Immigration
Questions: What estimate she has made of the number of non-UK EU nationals currently residing in the UK who will be entitled to apply for indefinite leave to remain after the UK leaves the EU.
Gregory Thomas Mulholland (Liberal Democrats, Centre to centre-left): There are EU nationals who are working, contributing and paying tax and who have children at school in every parliamentary constituency in the UK. If it is not cynical using them as a bargaining chip, why on earth will she not finally do the right thing and announce that they will be allowed to stay in this country?
Refugees: Age Identification — House of Commons, 2016-10-31
Topic: Immigration
Questions: What steps she has taken to ensure that young adult refugees are not entering the UK as children; and what checks she plans to put in place to improve age identification of such refugees.
Alexander Morrison Carmichael (Liberal Democrats, Centre to centre-left): Instead of treating refugees as if they were broken-mouthed ewes, surely we should be working with the authorities and the Government in France to ensure that we never again see the shambolic and shameful treatment that we saw last week.
Neighbourhood Plans — House of Commons, 2016-10-24
Topic: Housing
Gregory Thomas Mulholland (Liberal Democrats, Centre to centre-left): There will be no real localism while developers have the right to appeal planning decisions and communities do not. In cases where a neighbourhood plan is in place, will the Secretary of State commit to seriously consider allowing a community right of appeal when a developer proposes a speculative development that goes against that plan?
Calais — House of Commons, 2016-10-24
Topic: Immigration
Timothy James Farron (Liberal Democrats, Centre to centre-left): I thank the Home Secretary for her statement and advance sight of it, and for her work in recent days in trying to expedite the response to this crisis. However, we should step up to the mark and challenge the suggestion that human trafficking is the cause and the source of the crisis. Human traffickers are wicked people who exploit a crisis that is global and European Specific to Calais, many of the vulnerable children being brought to the UK will have family somewhere, even if they are currently separated. I understand that the United Kingdom is the only European Union country that does not allow unaccompanied children with refugee status the right to sponsor immediate family, including parents, to join them. Given the importance of keeping families together, will the Home Secretary ensure that unaccompanied refugee children are able to sponsor their parents, for the purpose of refugee family reunion, if and when they are found?
Health Service Medical Supplies (Costs) Bill — House of Commons, 2016-10-24
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Norman Peter Lamb (Liberal Democrats, Centre to centre-left): I very much agree with the point that the Secretary of State has just made. He talked about collaboration with the CMA. Can he give any indication as to whether he expects action to be taken on abuse in the marketplace, given that a small number of companies have behaved appallingly?
Rural Economy: Leaving the EU — House of Commons, 2016-11-24
Topic: Mixed Topics
Questions: Does the Minister agree that in addition to the effect on the rural economy, leaving the EU will enable us to take back control of animal product imports without the EU wildlife trade regulations impinging on us? Will she look at stricter regulations for lion trophy imports?
Mark Fraser Williams (Liberal Democrats, Centre to centre-left): One of the characteristics of European structural funds has been support for post-industrial areas. Areas such as mine in west Wales have been huge beneficiaries of structural funds to boost training and businesses. What assurances can the Minister give that west Wales will continue to have access to such funding streams post-2020?
Electronic Voting: House of Commons — House of Commons, 2016-11-24
Topic: Other
Thomas Anthony Brake (Liberal Democrats, Centre to centre-left): I thank the hon. Gentleman for those two questions. On the time it takes Members to vote, he may not be aware that back in 1997 this House did consider substantial changes to the way in which we voted, and I am afraid it voted to keep things exactly as they were. I hope that by, perhaps, early next year we will have a substantive debate in this place on the restoration and renewal issue, and that would be the appropriate opportunity for him to raise his point.
Contaminated Blood and Blood Products — House of Commons, 2016-11-24
Topic: Mixed Topics
Timothy James Farron (Liberal Democrats, Centre to centre-left): I am grateful to the hon. Lady for leading this debate. Many people around the country are hugely grateful to her, me included. Two of my constituents—Mike Dorricott and Neil Howson—sadly passed away as a consequence of contaminated blood and the diseases that they contracted. Their loved ones have exactly the concern that the hon. Lady indicated: that the dependence on potential discretionary payments is insufficient. The fact that the one-off payment is not backed up by the generosity, regularity and dependability of an annual payment means that such people often have to give up work, lose the ability to have a pension of their own and find themselves in immense hardship.
Casey Report — House of Commons, 2016-12-06
Topic: Civil Rights
Thomas Anthony Brake (Liberal Democrats, Centre to centre-left): The Secretary of State will know about concerns that Prevent is undermining efforts to integrate the Muslim community. Will he set out what support the Department is giving to community-led initiatives to identify and prevent radicalisation?
Charter for Budget Responsibility — House of Commons, 2015-01-13
Topic: Macroeconomics
David Jonathan Edwards (Plaid Cymru, Centre-left to left): I agree with much of the hon. Gentleman’s argument, which chimes with my economic critique, but can he explain why this evening Labour Members will be voting with the Tories in favour of the motion and wedding themselves to more Tory austerity?