argyrotsipi/train-dataset huggingface dataset:
Concessionary Television Licences — House of Lords, 2015-07-06
Topic: Transportation
James Stopford (Conservative, Centre-right): My Lords, my noble friend is well known for his interest in these matters. As I said before, providing a free licence to people over 75 was a manifesto commitment. The noble Lord made a number of other points and I am afraid I will have to write to him on those.
Concessionary Television Licences — House of Lords, 2015-07-06
Topic: Technology
James Stopford (Conservative, Centre-right): My Lords, the point the noble Lord makes will be under discussion over the 18 months of the charter renewal. The Government have said that they are committed to a thorough and open process where all aspects of the BBC will be up for discussion. As I said before, the debate with the public and the BBC will continue as planned and an announcement on how the charter review will be run will be made in due course.
Child Exploitation in Oxfordshire — House of Lords, 2015-03-03
Topic: Education
John Nash (Conservative, Centre-right): As I have already said, we will consult on widening the offence of wilful neglect. I am sure that, as a result of that consultation, we will look again at all possible legislation and offences that we could bring into the piece. As no doubt the noble Baroness heard me say, sex and relationship education must be taught in all maintained schools and is taught in virtually all academies. We welcome the supplementary advice, Sex and Relationships Education (SRE) For The 21st Century, issued by the PSHE Association, the Sex Education Forum and Brook. They produce some excellent resources, which are available to all schools.
Child Exploitation in Oxfordshire — House of Lords, 2015-03-03
Topic: Law and Crime
John Nash (Conservative, Centre-right): I am grateful to the noble Baroness for her comments. The Government do not think that simply extending this offence of wilful neglect will be effective in and of itself. It is obviously a high bar and, as a result of consultation, I am sure we will be taking advice on whether there is something else that we should do, in addition or instead. We have already committed to consult on the introduction of mandatory reporting.
Child Exploitation in Oxfordshire — House of Lords, 2015-03-03
Topic: Social Welfare
John Nash (Conservative, Centre-right): The noble Baroness makes some very good points, as one would expect from someone with her vast experience in this area. This Government are determined to try to raise the status of social workers and improve the practice of social work. We have had Sir Martin Narey’s report, as a result of which we introduced the knowledge and skills statement for social workers. We have an outstanding chief social worker in Isabelle Trowler and we are investing heavily in new training methods, such as Frontline, Step Up to Social Work and master’s qualifications for social work. I do not think we can do enough in this area.
Child Exploitation in Oxfordshire — House of Lords, 2015-03-03
Topic: Social Welfare
John Nash (Conservative, Centre-right): I will have to write to the noble and learned Baroness on vacancies. On resources, through the innovation fund, we have funded a number of new methods of social work experiment, and we are investing heavily in terms of money, but I will write on that point, too.
Yarl’s Wood Immigration Removal Centre — House of Lords, 2015-03-03
Topic: Law and Crime
Michael Bates (Conservative, Centre-right): The noble Baroness is right to be concerned and shocked about this. I watched that documentary on Channel 4, and quite frankly I was sickened. I think most decent people will have been sickened by the attitudes that were on display there. That is the reason why we have had that immediate reaction to this, and why there is the Stephen Shaw review into the entire detention estate I have to say that this is a story which is not going to go away. There are a number of things coming. The first is the Stephen Shaw inquiry, which is coming down the path. The independent monitoring board will be publishing its latest report, and Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons will be visiting again for an independent review. We have had the very thought-provoking report from the all-party group published just today by Sarah Teather, and there is also the work being done for women refugees, which raises a great deal of concern. So we are very conscious that there is a lot of evidence building, and pressure is mounting on Serco. We are very much on their case and watching them like a hawk. I have to say to the noble Baroness that we are following a process here. Evidence has been produced; we will be acting; and we expect Serco to act in the interim.
Yarl’s Wood Immigration Removal Centre — House of Lords, 2015-03-03
Topic: Government Operations
Rodney Elton (Conservative, Centre-right): My Lords, it has happened more than once in this and related fields that a monitoring body reports all is well, and shortly afterwards it is revealed that all is very far from well. Is it not an occasion for a rigorous examination and consideration of the methods used by the monitoring body itself? How often is that done?
Yarl’s Wood Immigration Removal Centre — House of Lords, 2015-03-03
Topic: Law and Crime
Michael Bates (Conservative, Centre-right): We need to look very carefully at that. We have had a report from HM Chief Inspector of Prisons and we have the independent monitoring board. I recognise that there are huge concerns, rightly so, in your Lordships’ House about the allegations which have been made and about what has been done up to this point. I also recognise that because of the limitations of time it is not possible for all noble Lords to get in. I am very happy to arrange an opportunity—perhaps in the next week—to meet with colleagues and to bring some Home Office officials so that we can hopefully provide some additional information about these very distressing concerns.
Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Bill — House of Lords, 2015-03-03
Topic: Government Operations
Lucy Neville-Rolfe (Conservative, Centre-right): My Lords, I shall be brief in speaking to these relatively minor but important amendments, and I shall start with Amendment 28. The Government are grateful to the Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee for its scrutiny of the Bill. In its report, the committee recommended that the power in Clause 39 should be changed from the negative to the affirmative procedure. The noble Lord, Lord Mendelsohn, also raised this in our debate in Committee, and so I am glad to be able to give effect to the recommendation. Amendments 32 and 33 are technical amendments to update references to procurement regulations in Clauses 39 and 40 in the light of the new regulations that came into force last week. I hope noble Lords will support the amendments, and I beg to move.
Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Bill — House of Lords, 2015-03-03
Topic: Government Operations
Patricia Morris (Conservative, Centre-right): My Lords, there is an error in the Marshalled List and the proposed amendment should read as follows: Page 36, line 10, leave out from first "authority"" to ", or" in line 12 and insert "has the same meaning as in regulation 2 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (S.I. 2015/102)".
Cities and Local Government Devolution Bill [HL] — House of Lords, 2015-06-16
Topic: Government Operations
Susan Williams (Conservative, Centre-right): That it be an instruction to the Committee of the Whole House to which the Cities and Local Government Devolution Bill [HL] has been committed that they consider the bill in the following order: Clause 1, Schedule 1, Clauses 2 and 3, Schedule 2, Clauses 4 to 7, Schedule 3, Clauses 8 to 11, Schedule 4, Clauses 12 to 14, Title.
Child Poverty — House of Lords, 2015-06-25
Topic: Social Welfare
Natalie Evans (Conservative, Centre-right): My Lords, I shall now repeat in the form of a Statement the Answer given by my right honourable friend the Secretary of State to an Urgent Question in another place. The Statement is as follows "The latest low-income statistics based on the Households Below Average Income report are published today, covering April 2013 to March 2014. They show that the percentage of individuals and children in relative low income is at its lowest level since the 1980s. The latest figures show that the proportion of people in both relative and absolute low income remained flat on the year for children, working-age adults and disabled people. For pensioners, the proportion both in relative and absolute low income increased, but it was not statistically significant The figures I have quoted are measured against RPI. In the publication, we have also shown the effects when measured against CPI—a much more widely accepted measure of inflation—and those figures are more positive I believe that today’s figures demonstrate that if you deal with the root causes of poverty, as this Government have done, then even under a measure of poverty that I have consistently described as flawed you can have an impact I remind the House of some of the important things we have done to help families on low incomes through tackling root causes, whether it is in education, where we have introduced the pupil premium and tackled failing schools with the free schools programme, our commitment to supporting families through the ground-breaking troubled families programme, our investment in early years support and childcare, or our unprecedented back to work programmes, which have helped support hundreds of thousands of people into work. Our fundamental belief is that the most powerful way to change lives is by creating a welfare system that makes work pay, writes no one off and supports people into work. This is what we have been doing, and what the left has failed to understand—that if you deal with the root causes of poverty, the symptoms will sort themselves. Today’s figures show how important it is both to balance the books and to continue reforming welfare".
Child Poverty — House of Lords, 2015-06-25
Topic: Social Welfare
Natalie Evans (Conservative, Centre-right): I reassure the noble Baroness that tackling child poverty is, and always will be, a priority for this Government. We have focused on tackling the root causes of poverty. That is how you really make an impact on people’s lives.
Child Poverty — House of Lords, 2015-06-25
Topic: Social Welfare
Natalie Evans (Conservative, Centre-right): I confirm that we fully intend to implement the Conservative manifesto pledge, which states: "We will work to eliminate child poverty and introduce better measures to drive real change in children’s lives, by recognising the root causes of poverty: entrenched worklessness, family breakdown, problem debt, and drug and alcohol dependency" This is something that we will certainly be tackling.
Child Poverty — House of Lords, 2015-06-25
Topic: Social Welfare
Natalie Evans (Conservative, Centre-right): The noble and learned Baroness is absolutely right. This is extremely important and I would be very happy to meet her and others to discuss it. However, we must remember that work is the single most important route out of poverty. That is why we are extremely proud that, since 2010, 2 million more people are in work. We are also helping people to get back to work through the Work Programme. We are focused on tackling the root causes of poverty.
Child Poverty — House of Lords, 2015-06-25
Topic: Social Welfare
Natalie Evans (Conservative, Centre-right): The noble Baroness speaks extremely passionately. I reassure her that this Government are absolutely committed to tackling child poverty. There are many facets to it, which is why we are looking at the root causes in trying to make sure that all children have the best start in life.
Child Poverty — House of Lords, 2015-06-25
Topic: Social Welfare
Natalie Evans (Conservative, Centre-right): The noble Lord will understand that I cannot comment on speculation in the press, but once again I assure him that tackling child poverty is a priority for this Government and that we are determined to help to improve and transform the lives of the poorest and most disadvantaged in our society.
Child Poverty — House of Lords, 2015-06-25
Topic: Social Welfare
Natalie Evans (Conservative, Centre-right): A lot. Large amounts. I am afraid that I do not have the figure directly to hand, but I can assure the noble Earl that we are focused on ensuring that people can get out of poverty. The best way to do that is to get people into work, which is why our focus has been on improving the economic situation as well as on helping to tackle the root causes of poverty.
Child Poverty — House of Lords, 2015-06-25
Topic: Social Welfare
Natalie Evans (Conservative, Centre-right): We are making sure that the welfare system rewards a willingness to work, and of course one of the key reforms of the Government is the implementation of universal credit, which will make sure that people are always better off by taking on more work. We also have our Work Programme, the largest programme to get people into work since the 1930s.
Judicial Pensions Regulations 2015 — House of Lords, 2015-02-04
Topic: Government Operations
Edward Faulks (Conservative, Centre-right): That the draft regulations and order laid before the House on 8, 11 and 17 December 2014 be approved Relevant document: 17th Report from the Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments. Considered in Grand Committee on 29 January
Independent Panel Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse — House of Lords, 2015-02-04
Topic: Law and Crime
Michael Bates (Conservative, Centre-right): I am grateful to the noble Baroness for her characteristic bipartisan approach on this. I know from my right honourable friend the Home Secretary that one of the most important things for survivors, particularly as we approach the end of this Parliament, is confidence that we are acting in a cross-party way so that there will not be disruption thereafter. That will be welcomed by them I shall deal with a number of the points that the noble Baroness raised. In relation to the missing files, as I have said, my right honourable friend has been very clear that we do not know whether there was a cover-up. That is one of the things that we need to get clear. We need to focus on it and get to the bottom of it. The Home Secretary and the Cabinet Secretary have written round, and we expect early and full compliance with that inquiry, as should have been the case with the earlier Wanless and Whittam review The noble Baroness asked about Ben Emmerson QC as the counsel. That was discussed with Justice Goddard and she is content with that approach. The noble Baroness also asked about the important issue of timing. We have been hearing evidence lately about the Chilcot review dragging on. That is not something that we want to do. The Home Secretary has said that she is considering—but will first discuss with the chairman of the panel, of course—whether there might be a target date. However, we would certainly expect to get regular updates and for survivors to be kept updated about the progress being made. Any evidence that comes to light must be passed immediately. That is the crucial role which Chief Constable Simon Bailey will play. He will be the link, the conduit, and the link with the Director of Public Prosecution’s office, so that we ensure that any prosecutions and information are dealt with immediately I think those were the principal points that the noble Baroness raised. If there are other points, I will come back to them later. I am grateful for her support.
Independent Panel Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse — House of Lords, 2015-02-04
Topic: Government Operations
Michael Bates (Conservative, Centre-right): The noble Lord, Lord Laming, speaks with great experience in these areas, and he is absolutely right that the terms of reference are critical. The Inquiries Act 2005 stipulates that the terms of reference must be drawn up with the chairman of the panel. I know that one of the first things that the Home Secretary will turn to is what the scope of the panel should be, so that we can ensure that we get to the truth as quickly and as expeditiously as possible.
Independent Panel Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse — House of Lords, 2015-02-04
Topic: Government Operations
Michael Bates (Conservative, Centre-right): My noble friend is absolutely right that we do need to get it right and the terms of reference are key. When we set up the initial independent panel, she will recall that we planned to have six-monthly statements. I thought that was a good arrangement, but one of the whole points of setting it up under the independent Inquiries Act is that the terms of reference have to be agreed with the new chairman. That will be very important, but the fact that we have a former High Court judge—a member of the judiciary with great experience of getting through complex and difficult situations and getting to the heart of the truth—should help us in that task.
Independent Panel Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse — House of Lords, 2015-02-04
Topic: Law and Crime
Michael Bates (Conservative, Centre-right): I welcome the noble Baroness’s support for Justice Goddard from her personal experience of her, and for Ben Emmerson QC. We have been very clear that the Official Secrets Act should be no bar to anyone coming forward with evidence. There are means under the Inquiries Act whereby, if need be, certain evidence can be supplied to the inquiry with restrictions around it, but the Official Secrets Act cannot be used as a screen to hide behind.
Independent Panel Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse — House of Lords, 2015-02-04
Topic: Law and Crime
Michael Bates (Conservative, Centre-right): That is perhaps why other inquiries are there. We have seen the incredible inquiry that has been taking place in Rotherham. There is no reason why action cannot take place. Justice Goddard will appear before the Home Affairs Select Committee on 11 February. We would not want to prejudge that, but assuming that she is cleared, thereafter the terms of reference and the appointment of the panel will be a key part of her initial objectives, and then to just get on with it as quickly as possible.
Independent Panel Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse — House of Lords, 2015-02-04
Topic: Law and Crime
Michael Bates (Conservative, Centre-right): The noble and learned Baroness is absolutely right, in the sense that we all learnt a huge amount through this process. The Home Secretary has apologised—she apologised in October because she felt that she had got it wrong and let down the victims. That was a key point. When it was initially set up, the model was the Hillsborough inquiry, which had been quick and effective, got to the heart of the issues, identified some issues for the police to follow up and managed to command the confidence of those people who had suffered because of those events. That was the model. It did not work on this occasion, so we now have a statutory inquiry. We are learning as we go, and the sadness is that sometimes you learn through not getting it right.
Independent Panel Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse — House of Lords, 2015-02-04
Topic: Law and Crime
Michael Bates (Conservative, Centre-right): I think there is some very deep expertise among those in the charitable sector who have been working on this. My right honourable friend the Home Secretary has had conversations with the Health Secretary about what mental support can be made available to victims and survivors of these crimes. We are learning about that process, but we will provide that additional support as well as the support that we have provided to the voluntary organisations which already do tremendous work in this area.
Independent Panel Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse — House of Lords, 2015-02-04
Topic: Government Operations
Michael Bates (Conservative, Centre-right): That will be very important, and of course your Lordships can routinely hold the Executive to account through the provision of reports. Given that this inquiry is independent of government, it will also be important that systems and processes are in place by which both Houses of Parliament can be regularly informed about progress.
Independent Panel Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse — House of Lords, 2015-02-04
Topic: Government Operations
Michael Bates (Conservative, Centre-right): The Statement made in the other place by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government was a damning critique, based on Louise Casey’s work. I understand that in fact the entire cabinet of Rotherham Borough Council today resigned en bloc, and commissioners are in the process of being appointed while the position is resolved. In doing so, cabinet members did the right thing in recognising their culpability and their failing of the children of Rotherham.
Independent Panel Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse — House of Lords, 2015-02-04
Topic: Law and Crime
Michael Bates (Conservative, Centre-right): Of course, a lot of the work which will be done by the inquiry will be in the public domain. That is one of the major differences that we will see between the two inquiries. However, it is very important that it does not drag on and that we get to the heart of the issue as quickly as possible, learn the lessons and ensure that those who are responsible for the failures and for the deeds that took place are actually brought to justice.
Independent Panel Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse — House of Lords, 2015-02-04
Topic: Government Operations
Michael Bates (Conservative, Centre-right): That was the point raised by the noble Baroness. In many ways, this highlights one of the difficulties that we have had to wrestle with. Because of the way in which the independent panel was set up before, the Home Secretary had a degree of control over it, but that was felt not to give confidence to the survivors. Then it was set up under the Inquiries Act 2005, and that degree of control was lost. There are no easy solutions to the problems that we are having. That is why the appointment of the chairman is so critical; she is somebody who is very focused on getting to the heart of the truth and doing so expeditiously.
Independent Panel Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse — House of Lords, 2015-02-04
Topic: Law and Crime
Michael Bates (Conservative, Centre-right): That natural justice element is there. Also we are very conscious that sometimes people have been wrongly accused and their lives have been destroyed as a result. So it is an onerous responsibility on all of us to make sure that we get this right and do so in a calm and focused but absolutely resolute way so that we learn the lessons of how we can protect our children in future.
Counter-Terrorism and Security Bill — House of Lords, 2015-02-04
Topic: Law and Crime
Peta Buscombe (Conservative, Centre-right): I am grateful to the noble Baroness for giving way. I never in the least bit insinuated that that was my point of view. I was just trying to explain why people out there have applied labels to the people who have carried out these atrocities. That is nothing to do with my point of view. I would never label that community as being one. I think that various noble Lords misunderstood me and I am sorry if they have misunderstood me. That was not what I was talking about. I was talking about the fact that this legislation does not actually mention any particular community—that is nowhere in the Bill—and therefore presumption should not be made in that regard.