argyrotsipi/train-dataset huggingface dataset:
Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse — House of Commons, 2016-11-21
Topic: Law and Crime
Edward Garnier (Conservative, Centre-right): I do not for one moment undervalue the intentions of those who set up this inquiry and those who are working with it, although it has had a very rocky road since it was begun. Nor do I underestimate for one moment the trauma felt by those who have been affected by child sex abuse. I have acted in a number of criminal cases in which I have seen with my own eyes the terrible consequences for adults of what happened to them as children. I want to ask my hon. Friend a question from a slightly different angle. I have a constituent who, since the early part of this century, has been left in a hideous, Kafkaesque limbo. He does not know whether he is an accused person or a witness. What is his status in relation to this inquiry? He, like the victims, needs to be told when this is all going to finish, both for him and for the victims. Will my hon. Friend please make some inquiries of the inquiry to ensure that this man can either be prosecuted or set free?
Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse — House of Commons, 2016-11-21
Topic: Law and Crime
Sarah Louise Newton (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank my right hon. and learned Friend for the customary thoughtfulness with which he asked his question and reflected on the importance of this inquiry. As he quite rightly points out, child sexual abuse can have a devastating impact not just on the victims, but on the people caught up in such inquiries. He referred to a particular case that is an operational matter for the police. While I can understand why he wants to bring this matter to a swift conclusion on his constituent’s behalf, these are operational matters for the police, who, quite rightly, are independent of the Home Office.
Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse — House of Commons, 2016-11-21
Topic: Law and Crime
Sarah Louise Newton (Conservative, Centre-right): I absolutely assure the hon. Lady and every other Member in the House that we will absolutely not let this inquiry run into the sand. It is vital to the full protection of children in our country that we understand the failings of the past, seek remedies for the victims and use that intelligence to improve and have better safeguarding arrangements for children today The hon. Lady asked questions about operational details that she knows full well it would be completely inappropriate for me to answer. I can assure her that the chair of the independent inquiry regularly meets survivors groups, and I am sure that she will listen to the concerns raised by the Shirley Oaks Survivors Association. She is undertaking a review to make sure that the inquiry is properly focused to address the really serious concerns that are being raised.
Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse — House of Commons, 2016-11-21
Topic: Law and Crime
Michael Louis David Fabricant (Conservative, Centre-right): I appreciate that this is an independent inquiry, but my hon. Friend must understand that the victims groups have become upset and disturbed about the nature of the inquiry and how long it is going to take. Will she at least assure me that the scope of the inquiry will not be reduced, and that whatever funds are required by the inquiry will be delivered by the Home Office?
Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse — House of Commons, 2016-11-21
Topic: Law and Crime
Sarah Louise Newton (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank my hon. Friend for that comment. I quite understand that the victims, who have been abused, will feel disappointed at some of the issues that there have been with the inquiry. I quite understand that, but as he says, it is absolutely vital that the independence of the inquiry is maintained. The chair is meeting and engaging with the survivors organisations and individuals to make sure that the inquiry absolutely delivers on its terms of reference, which they themselves shaped. To go back to my initial response to the urgent question, the fact that 80 cases a week are being referred to the police and that over 500 people have come forward to participate in the truth project shows how valuable the inquiry already is to those victims.[Official Report, 23 November 2016, Vol. 617, c. 3MC.]
Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse — House of Commons, 2016-11-21
Topic: Government Operations
Sarah Louise Newton (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank the hon. Lady for her series of questions. I will take her last point first. On confidence, there is a huge amount that we can do in this House, and that is to get behind the inquiry. It is open for business. It is worth getting some perspective. Although I am really disappointed that one victims group has decided not to engage with the inquiry at the current time, I am hopeful that it will re-engage in the future. We must remember that it is one group. The inquiry is open for business and getting on with its work The question about the legal counsel is for the chair and the leadership of the commission. It is their responsibility to make sure that they appoint the people necessary to undertake the task. I am sure that the chair understands the concerns raised by Members and victims organisations regarding making sure that she gets on with resolving the issues so that the very important work that the inquiry is doing can come to a swift and really good conclusion.
Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse — House of Commons, 2016-11-21
Topic: Government Operations
James Michael Ellwood Berry (Conservative, Centre-right): Does my hon. Friend agree that the role of the Home Secretary, or any Secretary of State, under the Inquiries Act 2005 is to appoint the chair and the panel and to agree the terms of reference with that chair, and that for a Member to come to this House with an imperious and censorious list of questions, such as those we heard from the hon. Member for Wigan (Lisa Nandy), does not help the inquiry and totally fails to understand the law?
Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse — House of Commons, 2016-11-21
Topic: Law and Crime
Sarah Louise Newton (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank my hon. Friend, who is a lawyer, for asking such an insightful question. It is very disappointing that Opposition Members are coming to the House and making such censorious claims when what we really need to do is get behind this independent inquiry so that it can do the job for victims and make sure that we all learn what more we can do to keep children in our country safe.
Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse — House of Commons, 2016-11-21
Topic: Law and Crime
Sarah Louise Newton (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank the hon. Gentleman for his question. He is an assiduous constituency MP and he is quite right to raise the concerns of the victims based in his constituency. The Prime Minister and the Home Secretary could not have made clearer their confidence in the chairman of the independent commission. It is really important that we carry on with the inquiry and that we let it get on with its vital job of getting to the truth and making sure that we learn the lessons to keep children in our country safe.
Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse — House of Commons, 2016-11-21
Topic: Law and Crime
Sarah Louise Newton (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend is quite right. We set up an independent inquiry so that it can get on with its work. It shaped the terms of reference with the victims themselves, and, as we have seen from my response to the urgent question, it is making good progress.
Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse — House of Commons, 2016-11-21
Topic: Law and Crime
Sarah Louise Newton (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank the right hon. Lady for her question, and I pay tribute to her for the work she has done in campaigning so assiduously for justice for her constituents. I reassure her and everyone who is here that those lessons have been learned from the past. The inquiry is an incredibly important part of what the Government are doing to learn lessons from the past and make sure that we are doing everything that we can to keep children in our country safe. As a result of people coming forward to the inquiry, as I said in my response to the urgent question, more than 80 referrals a week are being made to the police. Information and evidence gathered by the inquiry are being used to seek the prosecutions that absolutely need to be made, as the right hon. Lady described.[Official Report, 23 November 2016, Vol. 617, c. 3MC.]
Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse — House of Commons, 2016-11-21
Topic: Government Operations
Peter Heaton-Jones (Conservative, Centre-right): This inquiry is doing incredibly important work. Does the Minister agree that the most important aspect is that it is independent of Government? "Independent" is the first word of its title. Does she agree, therefore, that the best thing that Members on both sides of the House can do to support its work is to give it the space it needs to do that work independently?
Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse — House of Commons, 2016-11-21
Topic: Law and Crime
Sarah Louise Newton (Conservative, Centre-right): I am grateful to my hon. Friend for absolutely hitting the nail on the head. As constituency MPs, we have all met victims of domestic abuse and violence and children who have been involved in child sexual exploitation, so we know how absolutely devastating this is. It is really important that we do everything we can to support those people and encourage them to come forward to the inquiry. Wherever the evidence takes us, we will seek those solutions and those prosecutions.
Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse — House of Commons, 2016-11-21
Topic: Law and Crime
Sarah Louise Newton (Conservative, Centre-right): If the right hon. Gentleman or his constituents have any evidence whatever, they should go to the inquiry right now. We are not waiting for the end of the inquiry to take action, as I have said before; more than 80 cases are sent to the police every week so that action can be taken. It is really important that people engage with the inquiry and support their constituents in doing so, so that we can seek justice for the victims.[Official Report, 23 November 2016, Vol. 617, c. 4MC.]
Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse — House of Commons, 2016-11-21
Topic: Social Welfare
John Michael Howell (Conservative, Centre-right): I would like to pick up on a point the Minister has already made. This inquiry plays a vital part in protecting vulnerable children for the present and for the future. Will she put it in the context of what else the Government are doing?
Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse — House of Commons, 2016-11-21
Topic: Law and Crime
Sarah Louise Newton (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend is quite right. The inquiry is incredibly important, but is part of an overarching strategy. We want to do everything we possibly can to keep children in our country safe. We are seeing record levels of prosecutions and huge investment in supporting victims, making sure that we take apart the culture of secrecy and cover-up that contributed to the delays we have heard about from Opposition Members.
Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse — House of Commons, 2016-11-21
Topic: Law and Crime
Sarah Louise Newton (Conservative, Centre-right): Royal commissions can be very important, but they tend to take a very long time. The Government’s view was that an independent inquiry was the best way to learn the lessons and secure the justice that the victims were looking for.
Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse — House of Commons, 2016-11-21
Topic: Law and Crime
John Philip Glen (Conservative, Centre-right): There was speculation over the weekend about the way an inquiry was taking place in Wiltshire. When events might have happened a long time ago, evidence is difficult to corroborate and high-profile figures are involved, there is always a significant risk that things might somehow just get left. Will the Minister assure the House that when victims give evidence, although that evidence might be difficult to corroborate and it might be about things that happened a long time ago, our chief constables and investigating officers up and down the country will go where the evidence takes them, as they should? Will she commit to ensuring that sufficient resources are available so that everyday policing is not affected when these serious matters happen in individual constabularies?
Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse — House of Commons, 2016-11-21
Topic: Law and Crime
Sarah Louise Newton (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend makes a very powerful point. I can absolutely give him the assurance he is looking for—we must go where the evidence takes us. It can be very painful for people to revisit terrible things that happened in the past, but I encourage them, as I am sure he is doing, to come forward, go to the police and give that evidence The inquiry has been given the status of one of the most important police functions in our country. The police have the resources to support investigations into historical sexual abuse of children.
Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse — House of Commons, 2016-11-21
Topic: Law and Crime
Peter William Bone (Conservative, Centre-right): I congratulate the hon. Member for Wigan (Lisa Nandy) on being granted the urgent question, but I do not think that it has been the best question: there has been a lot of noise from the Opposition and not a lot of clarity from them. [Interruption.] As they are proving, Sir, at this very moment. Does the Minister agree that one of the most important things is that we look after potential child victims of abuse now? Is not the simplest thing that the Government could do to take responsibility for child victims of sexual abuse, especially those who were internally trafficked, away from the Department for Communities and Local Government and make it an independent responsibility of the Home Office, because too many children are re-trafficked into sexual abuse while under the DCLG’s care?
Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse — House of Commons, 2016-11-21
Topic: Law and Crime
Sarah Louise Newton (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank my hon. Friend for his helpful question. Bringing us right up to date with the incredibly important work that we are doing to ensure that we keep children safe in our country, while addressing historical issues, is very important and it informs what we do now, but we leave no stone unturned in our determination to make sure that children are safe, including those children, as he rightly points out, who might be trafficked or who are victims of modern slavery. We constantly keep under review our care for those children.
Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse — House of Commons, 2016-11-21
Topic: Law and Crime
Sarah Louise Newton (Conservative, Centre-right): We have absolute confidence in the inquiry. I respectfully urge everyone in the House today to get behind the inquiry to make sure that it works for victims. More than 500 victims have come forward, and that is leading to cases going forward for the police to take action. It is really important that we send out a strong and united message from the House that we all think that this independent inquiry is vitally important for victims and survivors and that we will all do our best to support the inquiry’s work.
Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse — House of Commons, 2016-11-21
Topic: Law and Crime
Sarah Louise Newton (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Lady draws on her work and personal experience. In working with victims, she made a huge contribution before she came to the House, and I am sure that some of them look at what has happened and feel disappointed, but I can assure her that we are utterly committed to seeing the inquiry through and that we utterly support the chair, Professor Alexis Jay, who we believe is the person to see this through. I encourage the hon. Lady to speak to the victims in her constituency and assure them that this is a top priority for the Government. We will support the independent inquiry to do its job so that the victims she worked with and those all over the country get the justice they seek.
Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse — House of Commons, 2016-11-21
Topic: Government Operations
Sarah Louise Newton (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Gentleman says there are concerns about a lack of openness and transparency, which I simply do not accept. This Government have done more than any other to make people accountable, to be more transparent, to open up processes and to make those in authority accountable for their actions.
Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse — House of Commons, 2016-11-21
Topic: Law and Crime
Sarah Louise Newton (Conservative, Centre-right): The question you are asking is about a specific case, but it would be completely inappropriate for me to comment on a case that is going through the courts. I have absolute confidence in our criminal justice system. The matters the hon. Gentleman raises should be raised with the justice system.
Higher Education and Research Bill — House of Commons, 2016-11-21
Topic: Education
John Simon Bercow (Conservative, Centre-right): Members will note that I have, unusually, selected some starred amendments. I have done so in the circumstances applying to this particular Bill—the hon. Member for Southport (John Pugh), following his point of order on this matter, will be conversant with the issues—because the deadline for tabling amendments had already passed when today’s business was announced last week. In those circumstances, it seemed to me sensible and helpful to the House to proceed in this way New Clause 1 Duty to monitor and report on financial sustainability "(1) The OfS must monitor the financial sustainability of the following registered higher education providers— (a) those who are funded wholly or partly by a grant, loan or other payment from the OfS under section 37 or 38 (financial support for providers), (b) those who are not so funded but are eligible to receive such funding under section 37 or 38, and (c) those who provide higher education courses which are designated for the purposes of section 22 of the Teaching and Higher Education Act 1998 (financial support for students) by or under regulations made under that section (2) The OfS must include in its annual report a financial sustainability summary for the financial year to which the report relates (3) "A financial sustainability summary" for a financial year is a summary of conclusions drawn by the OfS for that year, from its monitoring under subsection (1), regarding relevant patterns, trends or other matters which it has identified (4) Patterns, trends or other matters are "relevant" if— (a) they relate to the financial sustainability of some or all of the registered higher education providers monitored under subsection (1), and (b) the OfS considers that they are appropriate to be brought to the attention of the Secretary of State (5) In this section— "annual report" means the annual report under paragraph 13 of Schedule1; "financial year" has the same meaning as in that Schedule (see paragraph 12(6))."—(Joseph Johnson.) This new clause, which is for insertion after clause 61, requires the OfS to monitor the financial sustainability of registered higher education providers who are in receipt of, or eligible for, certain kinds of public funding. It requires the OfS to include in its annual report a summary of conclusions which it draws from that monitoring regarding patterns, trends or other matters which it has identified relating to the financial sustainability of some or all of the providers monitored and which it considers are appropriate to be brought to the attention of the Secretary of State. Brought up, and read the First time.
Higher Education and Research Bill — House of Commons, 2016-11-21
Topic: Education
Jo Johnson (Conservative, Centre-right): New clause 1 relates to the Office for Students, which is central to the Bill and has quality, student choice, equality of opportunity and value for money at its core. Through the creation of the independent OFS, the Bill will join up the currently fragmented regulation of the sector—essential to ensure that students are protected, and that students and the taxpayer receive good value for money from the system. The Bill will boost social mobility and promote opportunity for all. It will drive up innovation, diversity, quality and capacity in our world-class higher education sector, while protecting academic freedom and institutional autonomy. The Bill will also create UK Research and Innovation, a new body with strategic vision for research and innovation in the UK I am pleased that the Bill received such thorough scrutiny in Committee. I have reflected on the points made by Opposition Members and I am pleased to present some important amendments today. We made it clear in our White Paper that the OFS will have responsibility for oversight of the financial health of the sector, and will monitor the sustainability of individual institutions. It is absolutely essential that all providers who are eligible to receive some form of public funding have sustainable finances to ensure value for students and taxpayers We have listened to stakeholder evidence and to the Committee debates. Stakeholders including Universities UK consider the Higher Education Funding Council for England’s holistic oversight of the health of the sector to be an essential part of the regulator’s role. I understand the importance of this oversight in maintaining confidence in the sector and preserving its world-class reputation. The stakeholders share the desire to make our policy intention in the White Paper explicit in legislation. This role will include financial oversight of all the institutions’ activities, spanning teaching and research.
Higher Education and Research Bill — House of Commons, 2016-11-21
Topic: Education
Jo Johnson (Conservative, Centre-right): The duty of the Office for Students will be to ensure that it is monitoring effectively the overall financial health of the sector in such a way that it is able to inform the Secretary of State, so that the Government can take appropriate actions. It will not be the role of the Office for Students to bail out struggling institutions—if there are any such institutions. These are private and autonomous bodies, and it is important that the discipline of the marketplace acts on them. It will be the role of the OFS to assist them in transitioning towards viable business plans so that they can continue to provide high-quality education to their students in the medium and long term New clause 1 introduces a statutory duty for the OFS to monitor and report on the financial sustainability of all registered HE providers in England which are in receipt of or eligible for OFS funding or tuition fee loans.