argyrotsipi/train-dataset huggingface dataset:
Human Rights — House of Commons, 2017-11-21
Topic: International Affairs
Roderick James Nugent Stewart (Conservative, Centre-right): We continue to raise very strongly with the Egyptian Government our concerns about these issues. The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right to raise them. There are some very troubling issues in Egypt. We continue to study them and we raise them with our US and EU partners all the way—[Interruption.] As the Foreign Secretary says, he raised it directly with President Sisi at his last meeting.
Human Rights — House of Commons, 2017-11-21
Topic: International Affairs
Roderick James Nugent Stewart (Conservative, Centre-right): We absolutely agree that the Assad regime is horrifying in the way in which it treats civilians. It has an extraordinary record of brutality and murder. We will document very closely the abuses that it has committed. We continue to call on it through every single channel not to conduct these operations, and we will make sure that people are held accountable for their crimes.
Human Rights — House of Commons, 2017-11-21
Topic: International Affairs
Philip Thomas Hollobone (Conservative, Centre-right): Christian communities are under attack in a number of developing countries to which we give very large amounts of international aid, including Pakistan. What steps will the Government take to ensure that that aid is given on condition that these communities are protected?
Human Rights — House of Commons, 2017-11-21
Topic: International Affairs
Questions: This month, FIFA’s advisory board urged FIFA to press the Qatari Government on the impact of the kafala system on migrant workers building stadiums for the 2022 football World cup. Do Ministers support this call? Will they press the Qatari Government on this and other important human rights issues?
Roderick James Nugent Stewart (Conservative, Centre-right): We have a renewed dialogue with the Government of Sudan. As the hon. Gentleman will be aware, the US Government have now lifted sanctions in relation to Sudan. I met the Sudanese delegation in October as part of the renewed dialogue. We had a human rights workshop at the centre of that dialogue, and we continue to press with the special rapporteur on human rights for progress on exactly these issues.
Human Rights — House of Commons, 2017-11-21
Topic: International Affairs
Questions: This month, FIFA’s advisory board urged FIFA to press the Qatari Government on the impact of the kafala system on migrant workers building stadiums for the 2022 football World cup. Do Ministers support this call? Will they press the Qatari Government on this and other important human rights issues?
Roderick James Nugent Stewart (Conservative, Centre-right): We thank the shadow Minister very much for raising that issue. We agree very strongly that there are very disturbing signs in Egypt. That is why my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary raised this issue directly with President Sisi, and we will continue to do so on every occasion.
Antarctica — House of Commons, 2017-11-21
Topic: International Affairs
Alan James Carter Duncan (Conservative, Centre-right): Maintaining the integrity of the Antarctic treaty is fundamental to protecting Antarctica. The UK’s leading role within the Antarctic treaty system has allowed us to push consistently for increased levels of protection for the continent’s vulnerable environment, and we are committed to continuing to do so.
Antarctica — House of Commons, 2017-11-21
Topic: Environment
James Whiteside Gray (Conservative, Centre-right): "Blue Planet II", among other things, reminds us all of the very delicate and extremely vulnerable biodiversity of our deep oceans—particularly those around the Antarctic continent. Yet, when the nations of the world proposed there should be a marine protected area for the Weddell sea—an area seven times the size of Germany—that was resisted particularly by two nations, namely Russia and China. In the Secretary of State’s forthcoming visit to Russia, will he take the opportunity of pressing the Russians to support the rest of the international community in pressing for a marine protected area for the Weddell sea?
Antarctica — House of Commons, 2017-11-21
Topic: Environment
Alan James Carter Duncan (Conservative, Centre-right): I am very happy to put that on our agenda, but may I also reassure my hon. Friend that the UK is a co-proponent of the proposal to establish a marine protected area in the Weddell sea, and that is being developed by the European Union and its member states? British scientists are taking a leading role in preparing a final MPA proposal, which is to be presented to the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources in October next year.
Antarctica — House of Commons, 2017-11-21
Topic: Environment
Alan James Carter Duncan (Conservative, Centre-right): This issue has been championed very much by my right hon. Friend the Member for Newbury (Richard Benyon). Indeed, it is not just in the Antarctic that the UK is championing marine protection. The UK is on track to deliver our Blue Belt manifesto commitment around the overseas territories. We will have protected 4 million sq km of ocean by 2020, and the South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands were designated in 2012 as a sustainable use MPA covering 1 million sq km. The first formal review of that will take place next year.
Catalonia — House of Commons, 2017-11-21
Topic: International Affairs
Alan James Carter Duncan (Conservative, Centre-right): The Foreign Secretary met Spanish Foreign Minister Dastis, and I met Europe Minister Jorge Toledo, at the UK-Spain Tertulias conference in Bath on 3 November. The Prime Minister spoke to Spanish Prime Minister Rajoy by phone on 27 October. The Foreign Office is actively engaged with the Spanish Government through our embassy in Madrid and the Spanish ambassador in London, including when he and I met on 11 October.
Catalonia — House of Commons, 2017-11-21
Topic: International Affairs
John Robert Lamont (Conservative, Centre-right): I think the whole House is united in our concern about events in Catalonia and how this has been handled over recent weeks. Scotland is of course no stranger to independence referendums. Does the Minister share my belief that the success of our referendum in 2014 demonstrates the importance of having such referendums conducted according to the rule of law and subject to the rules that were agreed by both sides beforehand?
Catalonia — House of Commons, 2017-11-21
Topic: International Affairs
Alan James Carter Duncan (Conservative, Centre-right): I absolutely agree with my hon. Friend. Catalonia is a matter for Spain in the same way as Scotland was for the United Kingdom. The Scottish referendum was a legal referendum following the signature of the Edinburgh agreement between the Scottish Government and the Government of the UK. The referendum in Catalonia was not legal in that way. We fully support Spain in upholding the rule of law and its constitution.
Catalonia — House of Commons, 2017-11-21
Topic: International Affairs
Michael Louis David Fabricant (Conservative, Centre-right): Whatever the rights and wrongs of the action that the People’s party took, does my right hon. Friend agree that the heavy-handed action of the Spanish police exacerbated matters? Does he take heart from news breaking in Spain at the moment that it now intends to give fiscal powers to Catalonia similar to those of the Basque country—something that has not been offered before?
Catalonia — House of Commons, 2017-11-21
Topic: International Affairs
Alan James Carter Duncan (Conservative, Centre-right): Of course no one wants to see violent scenes such as we saw on our televisions, but if there is to be progress on this and it is what the Spanish Government legally and properly decide to do, of course we will support any such legal democratic action.
Leaving the EU: Foreign and Security Policy — House of Commons, 2017-11-21
Topic: International Affairs
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (Conservative, Centre-right): The Government published a paper on 12 September which sets out our vision for a future partnership with the EU on foreign policy, defence and development. I am pleased to say that in my discussions with our EU friends since then, that paper has had a very good reception.
Leaving the EU: Foreign and Security Policy — House of Commons, 2017-11-21
Topic: International Affairs
Wendy Morton (Conservative, Centre-right): Foreign and security policy will remain as vital as ever when we leave the EU. Can my right hon. Friend confirm categorically that we will remain as committed as ever to European security after we leave the EU?
Leaving the EU: Foreign and Security Policy — House of Commons, 2017-11-21
Topic: International Affairs
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (Conservative, Centre-right): We certainly shall. My hon. Friend asks an important question. The answer cannot be repeated too often, and it needs to be heard particularly in the countries that emerged from beneath the shadow of Soviet domination. They need to hear that we are there for the long term, as we are there on the borders of Estonia. We are committed, above all, to NATO, which is the guarantor of peace and stability in our continent. The UK, let the House never forget, is the second biggest contributor to the NATO alliance.
Leaving the EU: Foreign and Security Policy — House of Commons, 2017-11-21
Topic: International Affairs
Questions: EU funding has enabled an African Union peacekeeping force to play a vital role in helping to stabilise Somalia during its transition to democracy, but we cannot be complacent and it is essential for the Government to maintain some influence on EU policy in Somalia as we prepare to leave the European Union. What reassurances can the Foreign Secretary give us that this important issue will not be forgotten during the Brexit negotiations?
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Gentleman will recall that, earlier this year, in May, we held the Somalia conference, working with our European friends and partners particularly to make sure that the Somali central Government in Mogadishu collaborate more closely with the federal member states on a new national security architecture for Somalia, so that the fight against al-Shabaab can be prosecuted more successfully. That is the work we are doing with our European friends and partners, and that will continue under any circumstances.
Leaving the EU: Foreign and Security Policy — House of Commons, 2017-11-21
Topic: International Affairs
Questions: EU funding has enabled an African Union peacekeeping force to play a vital role in helping to stabilise Somalia during its transition to democracy, but we cannot be complacent and it is essential for the Government to maintain some influence on EU policy in Somalia as we prepare to leave the European Union. What reassurances can the Foreign Secretary give us that this important issue will not be forgotten during the Brexit negotiations?
Michael James Tomlinson-Mynors (Conservative, Centre-right): Is not that the point: we do not have to be inside the European Union to be concerned about and committed to European security, and we will remain as committed as ever even if we are outside the EU framework?
Leaving the EU: Foreign and Security Policy — House of Commons, 2017-11-21
Topic: International Affairs
Questions: EU funding has enabled an African Union peacekeeping force to play a vital role in helping to stabilise Somalia during its transition to democracy, but we cannot be complacent and it is essential for the Government to maintain some influence on EU policy in Somalia as we prepare to leave the European Union. What reassurances can the Foreign Secretary give us that this important issue will not be forgotten during the Brexit negotiations?
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend is exactly right. I have compared the support that we will offer in the future to a flying buttress, as it were, outside the main body of the cathedral but supportive of that cathedral. That is how the UK will continue to be, on an unconditional basis.
Leaving the EU: Foreign and Security Policy — House of Commons, 2017-11-21
Topic: International Affairs
Questions: EU funding has enabled an African Union peacekeeping force to play a vital role in helping to stabilise Somalia during its transition to democracy, but we cannot be complacent and it is essential for the Government to maintain some influence on EU policy in Somalia as we prepare to leave the European Union. What reassurances can the Foreign Secretary give us that this important issue will not be forgotten during the Brexit negotiations?
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (Conservative, Centre-right): I can tell the House—I am sure that all Members will be pleased to hear this—that we will be beefing up our representation in Europe. We will have 50 more posts, at least, in other EU capitals, and they will strengthen and intensify some bilateral relationships that, in my view, have been allowed slightly to ossify under the EU arrangements that we have pursued over the last 45 years.
Leaving the EU: Foreign and Security Policy — House of Commons, 2017-11-21
Topic: International Affairs
Questions: EU funding has enabled an African Union peacekeeping force to play a vital role in helping to stabilise Somalia during its transition to democracy, but we cannot be complacent and it is essential for the Government to maintain some influence on EU policy in Somalia as we prepare to leave the European Union. What reassurances can the Foreign Secretary give us that this important issue will not be forgotten during the Brexit negotiations?
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (Conservative, Centre-right): I do not think that the hon. Gentleman was listening to my last answer, because I said that the increased diplomatic representation that we would make in the rest of Europe would be dispersed not just in Brussels, but around the rest of the capitals. Of course, each and every one of those individuals will be working on our common foreign and security objectives, and making the case, which I made in an earlier answer, that our support for European defence and security is unconditional.
Leaving the EU: Foreign and Security Policy — House of Commons, 2017-11-21
Topic: International Affairs
Questions: EU funding has enabled an African Union peacekeeping force to play a vital role in helping to stabilise Somalia during its transition to democracy, but we cannot be complacent and it is essential for the Government to maintain some influence on EU policy in Somalia as we prepare to leave the European Union. What reassurances can the Foreign Secretary give us that this important issue will not be forgotten during the Brexit negotiations?
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (Conservative, Centre-right): I think, if I may say so, that the right hon. Lady is right to ask that question. I was recently in Dublin talking to all the political groups there, and there is no question but that the issue of the border is very live in Irish politics. I repeated exactly the pledge to which she refers: there can be no return to a hard border. There can be no hard border. That would be unthinkable, and it would be economic and political madness. I think everybody, on both sides of this House, understands the social, political and spiritual ramifications of allowing any such thing to happen. That is why it is so important that we get on to the second phase of the negotiations, that we get sufficient progress at the European Council in December and that we are able to debate these issues properly.
West Bank — House of Commons, 2017-11-21
Topic: International Affairs
Questions: What recent discussions he has had with the Government of Israel on the status of Palestinian communities in area C of the west bank threatened with demolition.; What recent discussions he has had with the Government of Israel on the status of Palestinian communities in area C of the west bank threatened with demolition.
Alistair James Hendrie Burt (Conservative, Centre-right): We are seriously concerned by the continued demolition of Palestinian property by the Israeli authorities, which causes unnecessary suffering and is harmful to peace. We regularly raise this issue, and our embassy in Tel Aviv most recently raised our concerns with Israel in a joint démarche with European partners on 2 November.
West Bank — House of Commons, 2017-11-21
Topic: International Affairs
Questions: What recent discussions he has had with the Government of Israel on the status of Palestinian communities in area C of the west bank threatened with demolition.; What recent discussions he has had with the Government of Israel on the status of Palestinian communities in area C of the west bank threatened with demolition.
Alistair James Hendrie Burt (Conservative, Centre-right): This is the subject of a continued conversation with the Israeli authorities in which we make it clear, as do others, that the threat to settlements is unacceptable. I have visited both places—Khan al-Ahmar some years ago, and Susiya quite recently—as have representatives from the embassy. We wait to see further developments. There is a lot of talk about further demolitions, but then the legal process holds them back. However, Israel can be in no doubt of our concerns about the demolition of Palestinian properties and the damage that that does for the prospects of a peaceful settlement.
West Bank — House of Commons, 2017-11-21
Topic: Foreign Trade
Questions: What recent discussions he has had with the Government of Israel on the status of Palestinian communities in area C of the west bank threatened with demolition.; What recent discussions he has had with the Government of Israel on the status of Palestinian communities in area C of the west bank threatened with demolition.
Alistair James Hendrie Burt (Conservative, Centre-right): We will keep our existing trade relationships, which allow customers to make their own decisions about where the goods they buy come from. We are making our position on settlements extremely clear, and we will continue to do so.
West Bank — House of Commons, 2017-11-21
Topic: International Affairs
Questions: What recent discussions he has had with the Government of Israel on the status of Palestinian communities in area C of the west bank threatened with demolition.; What recent discussions he has had with the Government of Israel on the status of Palestinian communities in area C of the west bank threatened with demolition.
Robert John Blackman (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank the Minister for his answers. When Prime Minister Netanyahu was in London recently, what discussions did my right hon. Friend have with him about face-to-face peace talks between the state of Israel and the Palestinians so that we can create a state of Palestine alongside a secure state of Israel?
West Bank — House of Commons, 2017-11-21
Topic: International Affairs
Questions: What recent discussions he has had with the Government of Israel on the status of Palestinian communities in area C of the west bank threatened with demolition.; What recent discussions he has had with the Government of Israel on the status of Palestinian communities in area C of the west bank threatened with demolition.
Alistair James Hendrie Burt (Conservative, Centre-right): When the Prime Minister met Prime Minister Netanyahu on 2 November, she reiterated our continued opposition to settlement activity, and also encouraged him to make the most of the likely opportunities that will come up when the Americans bring forward the proposals they have been discussing privately for some months about the prospects of peace. This chance should not be missed by either side.
West Bank — House of Commons, 2017-11-21
Topic: International Affairs
Questions: What recent discussions he has had with the Government of Israel on the status of Palestinian communities in area C of the west bank threatened with demolition.; What recent discussions he has had with the Government of Israel on the status of Palestinian communities in area C of the west bank threatened with demolition.
Ross Thomson (Conservative, Centre-right): This year marks 40 years since Egyptian President Sadat’s historic visit to Israel, which led to a lasting peace between Israel and Egypt. Peace has only lasted when Israel’s neighbours have reciprocated its goodwill gestures, with land swaps a key aspect of that. Does my right hon. Friend agree that there can be peace between Israel and Palestinians only following the resumption of direct peace talks in which issues including land borders can be resolved?
West Bank — House of Commons, 2017-11-21
Topic: International Affairs
Questions: What recent discussions he has had with the Government of Israel on the status of Palestinian communities in area C of the west bank threatened with demolition.; What recent discussions he has had with the Government of Israel on the status of Palestinian communities in area C of the west bank threatened with demolition.
Alistair James Hendrie Burt (Conservative, Centre-right): The short answer is yes, but I do not think we should miss the 40th anniversary of the extraordinary activity that took place between Israel and Egypt. What we would give now for a similar gesture of peace on all sides to bring this long-standing conflict to an end.
Foreign Online Activity — House of Commons, 2017-11-21
Topic: International Affairs
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (Conservative, Centre-right): We have seen no evidence of any country successfully interfering with our robust electoral system, but we know, of course, that Russia seeks to undermine our institutions by using disinformation to further its ends, including through social media. The best guarantee against that is a free, open press and an accessible media.
Freedom of Expression — House of Commons, 2017-11-21
Topic: International Affairs
Nigel Paul Huddleston (Conservative, Centre-right): I am very proud of the Government’s activity on freedom of expression around the world and warmly welcome the £1 million funding for areas of the world where press freedoms are curtailed. Will the Foreign Secretary confirm whether the £1 million funding is a one-off, or will it be reviewed and perhaps increased if it is deemed successful?
Freedom of Expression — House of Commons, 2017-11-21
Topic: International Affairs
Questions: In Hong Kong, press freedom and the freedom of expression and assembly are guaranteed by article 3.5 of the Sino-British joint declaration, yet last week Beijing basically said it would imprison people for up to three years for booing or disrespecting the Chinese national anthem. President Trump said nothing about that during his visit. What will the Foreign Secretary do to uphold the fundamental values that the United Kingdom is legally obliged to uphold?
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (Conservative, Centre-right): We have made it absolutely clear to our Chinese partners that the joint declaration is absolutely valid and operative, and that one country, two systems, enshrining all the values the hon. Gentleman rightly draws attention to, remains in force.
Bangladesh — House of Commons, 2017-11-21
Topic: International Affairs
Roderick James Nugent Stewart (Conservative, Centre-right): Ministers regularly visit Bangladesh, with which we have a very special relationship. I have had the pleasure of visiting, as have my right hon. Friends the Ministers for the Middle East, and for Asia and the Pacific, who visited Bangladesh on 27 and 28 September.
Bangladesh — House of Commons, 2017-11-21
Topic: International Affairs
Roderick James Nugent Stewart (Conservative, Centre-right): More support can always be provided for the Rohingya. The situation is horrifying: nearly 600,000 refugees—Burmese citizens, we should emphasise —driven out of their homes by horrific actions provoked largely by the Burmese military. We are providing £47 million of assistance, which makes the UK the largest bilateral donor, and we have just sent experts on preventing sexual violence in conflict to the camps in Bangladesh, but there is always more to be done.