text:
Oral Answers to Questions (11 Jun 2020)
Planning Process: Probity
(1 year, 7 months ago)
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The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office was asked—
Darren Henry (Broxtowe) (Con)
What steps he is taking to ensure that the transition period ends on 31 December 2020.
Christian Wakeford (Bury South) (Con)
What steps the Government are taking to ensure that the transition period ends on 31 December 2020.
The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office (Michael Gove)
The transition period ends on 31 December 2020. Under no circumstances will the Government accept an extension. Indeed, we have a domestic law obligation not to accept. Extending would simply delay the moment at which we achieve what we want and what the country voted for: our economic and political independence.
Darren Henry
I am keen to ensure that new arrangements following the end of the transition period work for small businesses in Broxtowe. Will my right hon. Friend outline what steps he is taking to support small businesses facing considerable uncertainty over their future because of the covid-19 pandemic and the end of the Brexit transition period?
My hon. Friend is right that small and medium-sized enterprises face particular challenges at this time, and that is one reason the Government are doing everything they can to ensure that customs intermediaries and others who can support small businesses to continue to export—indeed, to enlarge their export profile—are put in place.
Christian Wakeford
Does the Minister agree that businesses, not just in Bury South but right across the country, simply want to remove the uncertainty that comes with prolonging negotiations and feel safe in the knowledge that a firm mandate for the negotiations will allow businesses to prepare properly and prosper?
My hon. Friend is absolutely right. I know that the businesses for which he speaks up so effectively in Bury South and elsewhere want uncertainty removed. That is why we are clear that we will end the transition period on 31 December, which is a position I understand the CBI is now in favour of.
Paul Blomfield (Sheffield Central) (Lab)
The Minister talks about certainty, and he is right: businesses need certainty on the outcome of the talks. On Tuesday, the Paymaster General told the House:
"On… zero tariffs and zero quotas, our policy has not changed."—[Official Report, 9 June 2020; Vol. 677, c. 161.]
That was the pledge the Conservative party won the election on. But last week, the Government's chief negotiator wrote:
"we would be willing to discuss a relationship that was based on less than that".
Who is speaking for the Government—the Paymaster General or their chief negotiator?
The Paymaster General speaks eloquently and powerfully on behalf of the Government, and it is right that we seek what the political declaration also commits the European Union to, which is a zero-tariff, zero-quota arrangement.
Mrs Sheryll Murray (South East Cornwall) (Con)
What recent progress the Government have made on trade negotiations with the EU.
Michael Fabricant (Lichfield) (Con)
What recent assessment he has made of the state of trade negotiations between the UK and the EU; and if he will make a statement.
Anna McMorrin (Cardiff North) (Lab)
What recent assessment he has made of the progress of negotiations on the UK's future relationship with the EU.
Alison McGovern (Wirral South) (Lab)
Robert Courts (Witney) (Con)
Sir David Evennett (Bexleyheath and Crayford) (Con)
UK and EU negotiators held discussions last week via video conference and covered the full range of issues. Both sides engaged constructively, but sadly there was no movement on the most difficult areas where differences of principle are most acute—notably on fisheries, governance arrangements and the so-called level playing field.
Mrs Murray
Will my right hon. Friend confirm that he will not sacrifice access to our waters for any trade deal with the EU and will he make it clear to Mr Barnier that that is not negotiable?
Our excellent chief negotiator, David Frost, has made it clear to Michel Barnier that we will be an independent coastal state, that we will control who has access to our waters and on what terms, and that access to our waters will be subject to annual negotiations.
Mr Speaker
We now go to the shadow of Lichfield Cathedral.
Michael Fabricant [V]
Is not the real problem that Michel Barnier has absolutely no room for manoeuvre because he has to do what has been agreed with the other 27 countries? Is not that lack of agility and flexibility the very reason we have decided to leave the EU and why companies such as Nissan and Unilever, which has announced this today, are centring their operations here in the United Kingdom?
My hon. Friend puts it perfectly, and his question is its own answer. I do not think we have heard any sage of Lichfield since Dr Johnson who has put things quite so well.
Anna McMorrin
With such slow progress on the talks, the Government somehow believe they can hold the EU bloc to ransom, but all they are doing is taking the country perilously close to no deal. Will the Minister confirm that the Government will do everything in their power to reach an agreement and translate legally what is written in the political declaration? On one specific point, will he push for the ability of the devolved Governments of Wales and Scotland to participate in the Erasmus programme and other schemes, so that students do not to miss out, if he will not stand up and do that for England?
We all want an agreement, and I am grateful for the support and help that the devolved Administrations have given. I talk regularly to them, as does my right hon. Friend the Paymaster General. We know how important Erasmus is to many, and we will continue to seek membership of those programmes across the United Kingdom.
Alison McGovern
The British people were promised an oven-ready deal, but given the speculation in recent weeks, what they have is half-baked. Will the Secretary of State therefore commit to no unpicking of the political declaration or the withdrawal agreement—the work of the past three years?
Not only was an oven-ready deal secured, but we had that oven-ready deal delivered and agreed to by this House earlier this year, which is why we left the European Union on 31 January. Of course, we will always honour the withdrawal agreement and, as far as the political declaration goes, it commits the European Union to use its best endeavours to secure a zero-tariff, zero-quota arrangement, and we hope that the EU will do that.
Robert Courts
As my right hon. Friend knows, article 184 requires both parties, including the European Union, to use their best endeavours to reach that agreement. Will he update the House on the progress that has been made, and cite one significant thing that he thinks would help things further?
Progress has been made and, on a number of issues—on fisheries and on state aid—Michel Barnier has indicated that he is inclined to move. Some EU member states have been a little more reluctant. It would be in everyone's interest—EU member states, the Commission and, of course, the United Kingdom Government—if Michel Barnier were able to use the flexibility that he has deployed in the past to secure an arrangement that would work in everyone's interests.
Sir David Evennett [V]
I welcome my right hon. Friend's hard work in this area. He has been quite clear that we will have full control over our economic destiny in future. Does he agree that, now more than ever as we emerge from this pandemic, it is vital that we look to forming new trade relationships and partnerships around the world?
My right hon. Friend is absolutely right, and that is one of the reasons why the Secretary of State for International Trade opened new trade negotiations with Japan this week and why she is in trade negotiations with the United States. However, it is not just trade deals that matter; it is also export promotion. The Department for International Trade is doing a superb job in making sure that businesses are equipped to take advantage of the new markets, which I know that he, as a strong voice for business, is committed to supporting.
Rachel Reeves (Leeds West) (Lab)
The Government's approach to trade negotiations with the EU and with the US will have huge implications for all of us. The Government's election manifesto guaranteed that food imports would have to be produced at the same standards as in UK farming. The EU also says that a free trade deal depends on the UK maintaining those high standards. Does this remain Government policy in our approach to EU and other trade negotiations, and, if it does, why were such commitments not upheld in the Agriculture Bill?
It is absolutely our commitment to make sure that we uphold those very high standards. The Agriculture Bill will ensure not only that those high standards are upheld, but that public money is spent on public goods and that environmental enhancement is at the heart of how we manage our countryside alongside high-quality food production.
Rachel Reeves
I am afraid that that does not quite answer the question about why the amendment from the chair of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee was not accepted. Let me push the right hon. Gentleman a bit further. He said on "Countryfile" in October 2018 that
"there is no point in having high animal and high environmental standards if you then allow them to be undercut from outside."
When pressed on whether it would be a red line in any trade discussions, the Minister stated, "absolutely". Yet on Tuesday in this House, in an answer to a question about such standards, the Paymaster General said that
"we should trust the consumer."—[Official Report, 9 June 2020; Vol. 677, c. 162.]
Are we, or are we not, able to trust the Government to maintain such standards? Can the Minister guarantee absolutely that there will be no dilution of environmental or animal welfare standards, and that the Government will not risk our ability to secure what is supposed to be an oven-ready trade deal with the EU for the sake of getting any deal with the US that would hurt British farming and water down environmental and animal welfare standards?
Not only was our deal oven-ready, but anything that goes into UK ovens will always meet high quality standards. More to the point, the Paymaster General and I, and the whole of Government, are like peas in a pod. We are committed to making sure that high animal welfare and environmental standards continue to characterise British farming, which is the best in the world.
Hilary Benn (Leeds Central) (Lab)
We all know that the right hon. Gentleman is not very keen on economic forecasts, but given the growing warnings from business—the latest today has come from the CBI—he must be aware of the damage that would be inflicted on businesses by red tape, tariffs and loss of access if there is no agreement reached with the European Union in the next four months. We all want a deal, but, with British businesses already reeling from coronavirus, what does he propose to say to those businesses come January if the Government's gamble does not pay off?
The Government are not gambling. The Government are holding the European Union to account for its commitment to secure a zero-tariff, zero-quota deal and to use its best endeavours, and I have confidence that the European Union will do that.
Andrew Griffith (Arundel and South Downs) (Con)
What steps his Department is taking to enhance the Government's use of digital technology.
The Minister of State, Cabinet Office (Chloe Smith)
The Government have implemented the technology code of practice and service standard, which provides Departments with technical support and case studies to improve how they design, build and buy digital technology to give citizens the best services. The Government Digital Service is also building digital capacity through the Digital Academy and applying the innovation that we might find in the private sector at public sector scale through the GovTech Catalyst fund, to support the use of emerging technologies.
Andrew Griffith
I thank my hon. Friend for her reply, and I add my thanks to the amazing work that Jen Allum and her gov.uk team have done during this crisis. Does my hon. Friend agree that there is a huge opportunity in the fact that the UK has moved quickly to cashless transactions and digital government, and that as we move beyond this crisis, it is important that we do not regress and that we unleash the opportunity for economic growth?
Yes, I do, and there are two points to make here. First, the Government have taken unprecedented steps to support the economy through the immediate crisis, looking towards a strong and sustainable recovery. Secondly, I think we all recognise that digital payments have positively transformed the way that many people buy things and transact, and we are committed to supporting those payments while protecting access to cash for those who need it.
Elliot Colburn (Carshalton and Wallington) (Con)
What steps his Department is taking to support the procurement of personal protective equipment for frontline public sector workers.
Jason McCartney (Colne Valley) (Con)
What his Department's role is in the procurement of personal protective equipment for frontline public sector workers.
The Paymaster General (Penny Mordaunt)
We are supporting the Department of Health and Social Care to get personal protective equipment to those who need it. We have expanded both overseas supply and domestic manufacturing and scaled up our logistics network for delivering that PPE to the frontline.
Elliot Colburn
I have been proud to join Carshalton and Wallington residents who are volunteering to deliver PPE, and, thanks to the voluntary sector in my area, St Helier Hospital and GPs are well stocked. What assurances can my right hon. Friend give me that as lockdown measures are eased, PPE will continue to reach the frontline, particularly in care homes and on public transport?
We have 400 officials working on ensuring that we have robust PPE supply chains. I thank my hon. Friend and all those who have volunteered alongside him. That last-mile delivery has been critical in getting equipment to the many hundreds of organisations that have needed it in our constituencies, and volunteers have been critical to doing that.
Jason McCartney
Will my right hon. Friend join me in thanking all the wonderful volunteers on my patch who have been making scrubs and all the local textile companies that have switched production to help produce PPE, including McNair Shirts in Slaithwaite, which has been producing gowns for my local hospital? It needs help in getting specialist material, which is being bought up centrally by Government and is sitting in a warehouse. Can my right hon. Friend see whether we can get some of that material to McNair so that it can make gowns for the local hospital?
I thank all those people in my hon. Friend's constituency, no matter which sector, for the work they have been doing on PPE. It just shows what can be done when the private, public and third sectors work together and are facilitated in doing that. If he writes to me with the details of those organisations, I will see what we can do to get them those raw materials.
Bob Blackman (Harrow East) (Con)
What the Government's timetable is for the boundary review process.
Chris Clarkson (Heywood and Middleton) (Con)
What steps his Department is taking to ensure equal constituency boundaries for the next general election.
The Parliamentary Constituencies Bill received its Second Reading last week. It delivers our manifesto pledge of equal and updated parliamentary boundaries. The Bill determines that the next boundary review, due to start in 2021, will complete by 1 July 2023 at the latest, and after that boundary reviews will take place every eight years.
Bob Blackman [V]
I thank the Minister for that response. The building blocks for all the new constituency boundaries are local authority ward boundaries. In London, the vast majority of local authorities have recently had boundary reviews within their boroughs by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England, but they await orders in the House of Commons to implement them. When will my hon. Friend implement those orders, so that the new ward boundaries in London come into operation and the Boundary Commission can commence its review of them?
I thank my hon. Friend for that important question, which allows me to clarify that the laying of the orders is the Local Government Boundary Commission for England's responsibility. I understand that, following a pause because of coronavirus-related restrictions, the commission intends to resume laying the orders before Parliament this month. There are nine areas in which revised electoral arrangements are agreed but an order is not laid, all of which are in London, and the commission intends to lay those over the summer and autumn.
Chris Clarkson
My constituency is one of 27 in Greater Manchester, where electorates range from 63,000 to 95,000, and it is under-represented in this place. Does my hon. Friend agree that more up-to-date equal boundaries will give people fairer access to their elected representatives?
Yes, that is exactly what they will do. That range in constituency sizes is unacceptable, and the Parliamentary Constituencies Bill will achieve not only updated but equal constituencies and fair votes. A vote cast in any part of Manchester should be just as good as one cast anywhere else in that city or the UK.
Cat Smith (Lancaster and Fleetwood) (Lab)
As a result of the Bill, England looks set to increase its number of constituencies at the expense of Scotland and Wales. What action are the Government taking to prevent the weakening of Scottish and Welsh voices in this place and to both strengthen and defend the Union?
There is an awful lot of action on those scores. The boundaries Bill does an important thing first—paying equal respect to all nations of our United Kingdom—because we on the Government side believe in the Union. We believe it is incredibly important, and we believe that people's voices ought to be equal between and within the countries of our United Kingdom.
Cat Smith
It is interesting that the Minister talks about the importance of equality and ensuring that every vote counts equally when her Government is pushing a policy that could see some votes count more equally than others. In the light of the Windrush scandal, where we discovered that some communities find it harder to access proof of identification than others, in the days following the Black Lives Matter protests, and knowing that, for instance, 76% of the white population hold a driving licence compared with 52% of black people, if she really wants to ensure that every vote counts equally, will she ask herself: why continue with these discriminatory policies?
Because they are not discriminatory. The hon. Lady sees evils where they do not exist. Everyone on the Government side of the House, and I hope everyone in the House, agrees that black lives matter. She is wrong and has been wrong every time she has tried to run that argument about voter identification. It is a reasonable thing that many other countries do, and it will improve the security of our voting. The evidence shows there is no impact on any particular demographic group.
Sir Desmond Swayne (New Forest West) (Con)
What steps he is taking across Government to increase public confidence in the policy of easing the covid-19 lockdown.
We recognise the range of emotions that people are feeling about the lifting of restrictions. Tremendous sacrifices have been made to get the virus under control, and incredible patience shown. We published our recovery strategy on 11 May and each day our measures follow the approach it sets out. Protecting public health is, and must always be, our No. 1 priority.
Sir Desmond Swayne
To avoid a damaging second spike to our economy, is not a yard more than sufficient?
We are determined to get the UK economy—including the hospitality sector—up and running again and our schools reopened. Research published in The Lancet last week showed that a physical distance of at least 1 metre—or, if my right hon. Friend insists, 1.09 yards—
I thought he might. That was strongly associated with a lowered risk of transmission, but a distance of 2 metres was likely to be more effective. The advice therefore remains that wherever possible the public should keep two metres from one another, but the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies keeps that under review.
Pete Wishart (Perth and North Perthshire) (SNP)
Can the Minister think of one specific episode in the past few weeks that might have done more than anything else to undermine the Government's public messaging on covid? If she is struggling, let me give her a clue: Specsavers.
The hon. Gentleman raises a serious point, but if he thinks that that has undermined public health messages, I would strongly suggest he might like to stop banging on about it.
Pete Wishart
The failure of this Government to take the Cummings episode seriously has not just compromised the public messaging; it is worse than that for them—it has compromised their credibility and popularity, which have now taken the catastrophic nosedive they thoroughly deserve. The public anger over Dominic Cummings has not abated, as the right hon. Lady will see if she looks at her inbox. The whole battle against covid has been wrecked by the pathetic protection of this odd man. Is Dominic Cummings really worth all of this?
It is absolutely vital in every part of our United Kingdom that people follow the advice of our respective chief medical officers. They should do that not because I, the hon. Gentleman, any politician or any adviser asks them to, but because it is the right thing to do to protect our families, our communities and our NHS and to get the economy moving again. I know that the hon. Gentleman is angry, and many people are angry, but that is what we need to focus on and that is the message we need to deliver. I thank everyone in this country who has followed that advice, because they are beating the virus.
Margaret Ferrier (Rutherglen and Hamilton West) (SNP)
What recent assessment he has made of the compliance of Government special advisers with the code of conduct for special advisers.
Alan Brown (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (SNP)
Chris Stephens (Glasgow South West) (SNP)
Paragraph 9 of the code of conduct for special advisers states:
"The responsibility for the management and conduct of special advisers, including discipline, rests with the Minister who made the appointment."
It is therefore for each appointing Minister to ensure that their special advisers operate within the terms of the code of conduct.
Margaret Ferrier
I hope you had a pleasant birthday yesterday, Mr Speaker.
Public health experts have voiced concerns that Dominic Cummings did undermine public trust in lockdown rules, going against the principle of integrity that is in the code of conduct. Will the Cabinet Office conduct an investigation into potential breaches of the code of conduct by Mr Cummings, or have Ministers yet again decided that they have had enough of experts?
I am not sure whether the hon. Lady listened to the answer I gave, which was that the responsibility for those decisions rests with the appointing Minister. In this case, that is of course the Prime Minister, who has accepted Mr Cummings's explanations and has defended that at this Dispatch Box and elsewhere. There is little further to add to that. Of course, if it helps you, Mr Speaker, I can also add that Durham constabulary has said that there is nothing further to do, and the Cabinet Secretary has responded to Opposition Members, including the SNP party leader in this place, to say he is also satisfied.
The Minister referred to the code of conduct for special advisers in her earlier answer. Paragraph 14 states:
"advisers must not take public part in political controversy",
including speeches to the press. The Prime Minister says that, somehow, Cummings did not offer his resignation, and nor did the Prime Minister think about asking him. What does the Cabinet Minister think would be adequate sanctions for Dominic Cummings to face for breaking the code of conduct?
I have answered that question. It is extraordinary that we have heard four questions in a row from the Scottish nationalist party, who have little more to say on the subject of how, as a country, we should emerge from coronavirus and how we should continue, as my right hon. Friend the Paymaster General explained, leading people and asking them to follow the remaining stages of the plans, so that we can keep safe and move the country on. Have they nothing better to say?
We have another, with Chris Stephens.
Chris Stephens
Thank you, Mr Speaker. First, it is the Scottish National party—I would hope the Minister would at least get the political party correct. We know that Mr Cummings is in contempt of Parliament for refusing to appear before the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee. The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster also said previously that Mr David Frost should be able to appear before Committees, but he could not guarantee it. Is it okay for this country to be run by unelected, unaccountable bureaucrats?
Allow me to let the hon. Gentleman into a secret: the country is not run that way; the country is run by Ministers who are accountable at this Dispatch Box. I do, of course, accept that Scotland runs its affairs in respect of what is devolved to it, as does Wales and Northern Ireland. However, we have a huge opportunity here to be working together not only for the good of the Scottish people or people anywhere else in the country, but together as a United Kingdom. I am so sorry that we have not seen a better attempt to do that from the hon. Gentleman and his team this morning. They are focused on the past, not the future.
Steve Brine (Winchester) (Con)
What recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the extent to which covid-19 restrictions will apply to weddings taking place in (a) 2020 and (b) 2021.
In step 2 of our road map to recovery, we are committed to exploring how we can enable people to gather in slightly larger groups to better facilitate small weddings. My right hon. Friend the Justice Secretary is exploring with ministerial colleagues a range of measures to do that.
Steve Brine
Thousands of couples planning to tie the knot this year have had their plans postponed by the pandemic. The next few weeks, as we approach midsummer day, would of course have been peak season. Through no fault of their own, they will have none of the legal protections of marriage until next year—maybe longer—when they can reschedule. Will the Government consider creating a temporary declaration of intent for those couples, backed by the state, so that they are not prejudiced in law or taxation before they finally take the plunge?
May I thank my hon. Friend for the campaign he has been running? I have spoken at length with him on many Cabinet Office calls about the cases he has in his constituency. I know that some of his cases, and those of many hon. Members across the House, will involve older people who are taking greater risks. Many people will have gone back into work for the NHS and are deeply concerned, should they become infected, what that would mean for their fiancé/e. The Justice Secretary is apprised of the issue. I think there are some difficulties with the particular route my hon. Friend sets out, but I know that my right hon. Friend will be bringing forward measures very soon.
Afzal Khan (Manchester, Gorton) (Lab)
What recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the (a) development of the NHS test and trace app and (b) trial of that app on the Isle of Wight.
Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck (South Shields) (Lab)
The NHS test and trace service is already alerting the close recent contacts of everyone who tests positive for the virus, so that they can self-isolate to prevent the spread. The app is intended to complement that service and continues to be piloted on the Isle of Wight. Consideration is being given to next steps in light of the wider NHS test and trace programme.
Afzal Khan [V]
Given that we have known for months about the disproportionate impact of coronavirus on black, Asian and minority ethnic communities across the UK, I am confused as to why the Government chose to trial the NHS contact tracing app on the Isle of Wight, an island with an overwhelmingly white population. We know that BAME communities are less likely to trust the app due to their experiences of discriminatory policing and there is potential for existing biases to be amplified by algorithms. With that in mind, does the Minister still think that the Isle of Wight was the right place to trial the app?
The hon. Gentleman makes a series of very important points. The Isle of Wight was an appropriate place in which to trial the app, because by definition trialling it in a geographically secure, as it were, community was one way to make sure that we could conduct that trial in an effective way and in a way that allowed us to learn lessons rapidly. Trialling the app in other parts of the United Kingdom would have posed significant challenges, but he is absolutely right to remind us that the BAME community is more affected by covid-19, and that there are elements within the BAME community that have concerns about the exercise of state power in maintaining public order and in other areas. We are very sensitive to both of those issues. It is absolutely critical that we continue to work to identify more effectively those factors among the BAME community and others which predispose them towards either catching the virus or suffering more adversely. Of course, when it comes to our proud tradition of policing by consent and the protection of civil liberties, we need to maintain those traditions in order to command the confidence of all our citizens.
Mrs Lewell-Buck
It's been a shambles, hasn't it? Announced in May, hiring paused in mid-May, targets missed, tracers reporting that they have been paid to sit at home and watch television as there is no work for them—and now, changes to the app are being considered and it is not going to be working properly until the autumn. Does the Minister stand by his fulsome praise of the Health Secretary or agree with scientists who said only days ago that the Government's whole test-and-trace strategy is simply not fit for purpose?
Well, I think it is fit for purpose—not just that but it is an effective way of ensuring that we can work together in order to contain the virus. [Interruption.] The hon. Lady says from a sedentary position that the scientists are wrong. I disagree with her; I think the scientists are right.
James Wild (North West Norfolk) (Con)
What steps his Department is taking to enhance the resilience of critical national infrastructure.
Each Government Department is responsible for the resilience of critical national infrastructure in their sectors. They report to the Cabinet Office on their plans through annual sector security and resilience plans. The Cabinet Office co-ordinates the work of Departments where risks require a cross-sector response.
James Wild
While we welcome investment into the UK, our national security powers on the ownership and control of companies, including national infrastructure, urgently need strengthening. So when the Government bring forward measures, hopefully shortly, will they ensure that telecoms, nuclear and other critical national infrastructure, as well as our technology base, will be protected from hostile states and state-backed enterprises, including protecting assets such as intellectual property?
My hon. Friend raises an extremely important and relevant point. I would expect nothing less from him given his experience in working at the Ministry of Defence. He will know from that time why it is appropriate that we bring forward the national security and investment Bill.
Liz Twist (Blaydon) (Lab)
What assessment he has made of the (a) effectiveness and (b) value for money of Government contracts with private companies to provide public services in response to the covid-19 outbreak.
Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Slough) (Lab)
The private sector has been absolutely vital to the covid response and continues to be so. Despite the speed that procurement has had to run at, value for money and quality remains our top focus.
Liz Twist
Contact tracing is highly skilled and sensitive work. Does the Minister really believe that recruiting contact tracers to work for little more than the national living wage in call centres run by Serco, which in 2019 was investigated by the Serious Fraud Office, is the best way to deliver it?
If the hon. Lady has concerns about any aspect, whether related to a company or practices within a company, she should please raise it with the Cabinet Office. People have raised questions about Serco which I understand have been answered, and it has self-reported to the Information Commissioner's Office.
Mr Dhesi
Rather than relying on local authorities and public services, since the start of the covid crisis, well in excess of £1.7 billion of taxpayers' money has been spent by this Government on outsourcing directly related to coronavirus. Given that normal procurement rules have been suspended by the Government, there is no requirement for companies to go through the usual competitive bidding process to be awarded contracts. But lo and behold, major Tory party donors and prominent Members on the Government Benches—including Ministers, may I add—have major shareholdings in or are inextricably linked to many of these firms. So will the Minister commit to making public details of all negotiations pertaining to those companies?
First, procurement rules have not been suspended. One of the absolute key focuses is to ensure that the very many companies that have stepped forward to help this nation in this response are appropriate. We know that the quality of what they are offering to procure has been absolutely where it needs to be. A huge amount of work has gone into that. I pay tribute to the civil service, and particularly to the procurement team in the Cabinet Office, for the sterling work they have done.
With regard to any allegations the hon. Gentleman might make against Ministers— and if he is referring to my hon. Friend in the other place—the Cabinet Office has confirmed that there have been no breaches of rules, and I would urge caution that, having had those categorical responses, people are very careful about what they say in impugning the character of colleagues.
Lilian Greenwood (Nottingham South) (Lab)
What steps his Department has taken to remove potential conflicts of interest when awarding Government contracts in response to the covid-19 outbreak.
The Minister without Portfolio (Amanda Milling)
As we tackle the covid-19 outbreak, it is crucial that Government contracts are awarded efficiently and responsibly to business of all sizes. Paragraph 24 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 ensures this by requiring all contracting authorities to take appropriate measures to effectively prevent, identify and remedy conflicts of interest arising from the conduct of procurement procedures.
Further to the question from my hon. Friend the Member for Slough (Mr Dhesi), it was clear that transparency is absolutely vital to public trust in Government. Given that the Minister for the Cabinet Office, Lord Agnew, is responsible for the Government's policy on coronavirus procurement and is also a shareholder in Faculty, a company that has recently been contracted to provide coronavirus-related services to Government, should not the Government make public the details of the services that Faculty will be providing and Lord Agnew's involvement in any negotiations?
Amanda Milling
I refer the hon. Lady to the previous answer from my right hon. Friend the Paymaster General, which sets out the situation very clearly.
Mr Gagan Mohindra (South West Hertfordshire) (Con)
What steps he is taking to implement voter identification requirements for future elections.
The Government are, as I referred to, committed to introducing voter identification to strengthen the integrity of our electoral system and give the public confidence that our elections are secure and fit for the 21st century. As promised in the Queen's Speech and our manifesto, we will bring forward legislation to do that.
Mr Mohindra
Across this House we need to make sure that we trust the results of the ballot box to protect our democracy. What assurances can my hon. Friend give that every eligible voter, irrespective of their socio-economic background, is encouraged to vote?
I can absolutely give my hon. Friend that assurance. This touches on the answer I gave earlier, whereby the evidence of our pilots shows that there is no impact on any particular demographic group from this policy. Indeed, the experience of it in Northern Ireland shows that turnout and participation do not come down. Furthermore, I am doing work throughout this with various organisations that represent groups who may have anxieties on any of these scores, and I am extremely keen to make sure that we resolve those concerns and, as he says, encourage everybody to register to vote.
Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield) (Lab/Co-op)
What plans he has to change the size and strength of the negotiating team working on the future relationship between the UK and the EU.
We have no plans to change the size of the negotiating team working on the future relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union. As Eric Morecambe said of Ernie Wise, it is "small and perfectly formed".
I don't know that there is a link there—don't worry.
Mr Sheerman [V]
Some of us on the Committee on the Future Relationship with the European Union are very worried about the Secretary of State. He was very lacklustre when he gave evidence to the Committee recently, and we are very sympathetic. This is a tough job. In reality, we have only five months to get it right for the country. Is it not a fact that there is a rift between him and the Prime Minister? The Prime Minister is not good on detail. There is a rift between them—does he need more help to overcome that?
I am always grateful to the hon. Gentleman for offering to step in as a marriage counsellor. I have to say, notwithstanding my earlier reference to Morecambe and Wise, that the Prime Minister and I, when it comes to everything, are like the two Ronnies, so it's goodnight from me and it's goodnight from him.
Justin Madders (Ellesmere Port and Neston) (Lab)
What proportion of personal protective equipment procured by the Government during the covid-19 outbreak was manufactured by UK businesses.
The whole country is facing an unprecedented crisis, and British businesses have risen to the challenge with offers of help. Businesses across the UK have stepped up to provide PPE including aprons, face masks, visors and gowns. We have now signed contracts to manufacture over 2 billion items of PPE through UK-based manufacturers, and we have already taken delivery of products from new certified UK manufacturers.
Justin Madders
There is no doubt that the devastating consequences of covid-19 were exacerbated because the Government allowed stockpiles of PPE to be run down and were too slow to anticipate the level of need that there would be. Given that in a worldwide pandemic there will inevitably be worldwide demand for PPE, do the Government now accept that it was a mistake to place so much reliance on overseas investors?
The Government have been working around the clock to get frontline NHS and care workers the equipment that they need to do their jobs safely and to save lives. Since the start of the outbreak, we have delivered over 1.7 billion items of PPE across the health and social care system within England. Plus, tens of millions of items have been distributed to the devolved Administrations. We will continue to pursue every possible domestic and international option for PPE procurement.
Lucy Powell (Manchester Central) (Lab/Co-op)
If he will make a statement on his departmental responsibilities.
Tomorrow I will chair the UK delegation at the second meeting of the Joint Committee overseeing the withdrawal agreement, and I look forward to having productive discussions with Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič.
We now go to marvellous Manchester again. I call Lucy Powell.
Lucy Powell [V]
It is marvellous here, Mr Speaker. Given the Cabinet Office's unique role in co-ordinating across Government, will the Secretary of State commit to taking up the Leader of the Opposition's call for a national mission to get children active, social and ready for learning this summer by using charities, clubs, theatres, musicians, libraries and others, given the damage caused by his Government's mismanagement of school reopening?
I am grateful to the hon. Lady. She is very knowledgeable and committed when it comes to ensuring that our schools do better for all students. We will work not just with the Leader of the Opposition but with others across civil society and do everything possible to ensure that those children who have lost out as a result of not being able to be in school can benefit from appropriate learning in appropriate circumstances.
Mr William Wragg (Hazel Grove) (Con)
My right hon. Friend will know more than most that under the amended lockdown regulations, the Government must now review the need for those regulations periodically. Will he commit to publishing a statement at the end of each review period, explaining the reasoning for either amending the regulations or, indeed, keeping them as they are?
That is a characteristically good idea from the Chairman of the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee, and I will discuss it with my Cabinet colleagues.
Helen Hayes (Dulwich and West Norwood) (Lab)
The terms of reference for the Public Health England report on covid-19 disparities promised recommendations for further action to reduce disparities in risk and outcomes, yet the report did not include a single recommendation. The Government have since announced that the equality hub in the Cabinet Office will review existing actions, commission further data and undertake further engagement. I ask the Minister: where is the urgency? On what date will we see a clear, detailed action plan to stop further preventable deaths and address the appalling inequality of this pandemic? When will the Government demonstrate, with their actions, that black lives matter by putting in place the protections that black, Asian and minority ethnic workers and communities need to keep them safe from coronavirus?
The hon. Lady raises a very broad question. As the Secretary of State for Health has pointed out, many of those who have been in the frontline of the fight against coronavirus have come from BAME communities. We know that they have been disproportionately affected both by the spread of the virus and by its severity. It is vital that we not only develop a more sophisticated scientific and medical understanding of why, but also protect those communities and do everything to ensure that they are safe from the virus and supported if it affects them or their families. Every day, I and other Ministers are asking for more evidence and more action.
Laura Trott (Sevenoaks) (Con)
Does my right hon. Friend agree that getting children back to school is vital? Will he commit to marshalling all the resources of central Government to support the Education Secretary to do just that?
I know that my hon. Friend is a working mother as well as someone who is committed to improving social mobility. She is also an effective champion for the excellent schools in her constituency of Sevenoaks. She is right: we all need to do more to ensure that children can be in appropriate environments, learning, growing and developing. My right hon. Friend the Education Secretary is utterly committed to that. One or two people in the trade union movement have perhaps not been as constructive as they might be, but I hope that they heed the wise words of my hon. Friend and the hon. Member for Manchester Central (Lucy Powell).
Tommy Sheppard (Edinburgh East) (SNP) [V]
It is clear that, while sharing the same objective, the nations of the United Kingdom have taken differing approaches to dealing with the pandemic. To enable restart and recovery, the devolved national Administrations may require additional powers under the devolution settlement, particularly with regard to the economy. If the Scottish Parliament seeks such powers, will the UK facilitate that, or will it restrict its ability to act?
I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for his question and to Ministers and officials in the Scottish Government for their work in helping us to co-ordinate a response to the coronavirus. The hon. Gentleman is right that because of different situations, geographies and considerations, at different times the devolved Administrations have fine-tuned or tailored their policies as appropriate. However, when it comes to the economy, one thing is clear: the strength of the United Kingdom, the strength of the UK Exchequer and the strength of Her Majesty's Treasury has underpinned the economic resilience of the whole United Kingdom. We know that if Scotland were independent, as the hon. Gentleman fervently and honestly believes that it should be, Scotland would have the largest budget deficit of any country in Europe. It is only in the interests of the Scottish people to maintain our Union, and that is why we need to maintain the power of the Treasury to support Scottish, Welsh, Northern Irish and English citizens.
Peter Aldous (Waveney) (Con)
The exciting plans to revitalise the Lowestoft and East Anglian fishing industry are founded on the principle that my right hon. Friend set down with passion and skill when he was Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs that the UK would control who fishes in our waters. I would be most grateful if he confirmed that that principle remains non-negotiable.
It absolutely does. I know that my hon. Friend has spoken up passionately for fishermen in Lowestoft and indeed for inshore fishermen across the United Kingdom. I look forward to continuing to work with him to ensure that they can benefit from the sea of opportunity that leaving the EU provides.
Peter Grant (Glenrothes) (SNP) [V]
This morning, the Confederation of British Industry told the BBC that the resilience of British business to a no-deal Brexit in December is absolutely on the floor. The director general warned that if the Government insist on a political timescale that takes us to the last minute to get a deal in December, it will be catastrophic for British business. He finished by saying that just because the house is on fire, it does not mean that we should set fire to the garden shed as well. What economic analysis have the Government done on the likely impact of a no-deal Brexit in the middle of a covid crisis?
We cannot have a no-deal Brexit because we had a Brexit deal that was agreed and voted on in the House of Commons, which is why we left the European Union on 31 January.
Alexander Stafford (Rother Valley) (Con)
Will my right hon. Friend reaffirm that as we come out of the lockdown due to coronavirus and rebuild our economy, the Government will do so in a way that levels up and works for all parts of our country and society, especially those in Rother Valley, as we pledged to do in the general election campaign?
My hon. Friend is absolutely right. One of the sad phenomena of last two or three decades is the way in which divisions in our society have grown deeper. It is vital that we heal, unify and level up, never more so than after the coronavirus pandemic. The communities of Rother Valley and others in South Yorkshire are at the heart of the Government's commitment to making sure that opportunity is more equal. That is why my hon. Friend is such an effective voice for those communities that have been neglected in the past.
Kate Green (Stretford and Urmston) (Lab)
The right hon. Gentleman will have read yesterday's damning report from the Social Mobility Commission, which highlights a failure of coherence and effort across Government to address this important agenda. Will he put his personal authority and the weight of his Department behind developing and supporting a cross-Government strategy to ensure that we narrow inequalities and injustices?
The hon. Lady is absolutely right. I know that even before she was in this House she had a very distinguished career in speaking up for the disadvantaged, particularly children and young people, who need the helping hand of Government as well as the support of civil society in order to achieve everything they can. She is absolutely right: there is much more that we need to do. We have touched on schools, but there are many other areas where we need to improve what we do—from child and adolescent mental health services to making sure that those in care are better supported. She is absolutely right.
Dr James Davies (Vale of Clwyd) (Con)
Would my right hon. Friend outline progress in setting up the joint biosecurity centre, and how can we ensure that its work in controlling localised covid-19 outbreaks extends across the United Kingdom?
The joint biosecurity centre is a very welcome addition to the armoury of weapons that the UK Government have in fighting this infection. It is the case that, for the JBC to work effectively, it needs to work across the whole United Kingdom. I can confirm that devolved Administration chief medical officers and Health Ministers have been working very successfully with the Secretary of State for Health in order to ensure that information can be shared in a way that benefits us all.
Meg Hillier (Hackney South and Shoreditch) (Lab/Co-op)
We know that test, track and trace has been slow to get to where it is, but we are glad it has started. However, the key thing, whatever happens centrally, is local tracking and tracing. Hackney Council is a pioneer borough, and we are really pleased that that is the case, but what is critical is that we are not getting the data that will help us track people. For example—forgive the long question, Mr Speaker—if an individual is tracked as having been close to someone who has tested positive, all Hackney gets is the information that they live in the borough of Hackney. That is not enough to act on. When will boroughs get that detailed localised information from central track and trace so that they can act and help attack this virus?
I am very grateful to the hon. Lady for raising that point. I will be talking to the team who are operating the JBC later today, and I will raise that specific point with them. I am really grateful to her for raising it with me.
Simon Baynes (Clwyd South) (Con)
Would my right hon. Friend agree that the work of the UK Government during the coronavirus crisis has been hugely assisted by the excellent performance of local authorities across the UK, including, in my constituency, Wrexham County Borough Council and Denbighshire County Council, and all the town and community councils across Clwyd South?
I know that in both Wrexham and Denbighshire there have been recent incidences of the spread of infection that have been concerning, and I know that my hon. Friend, along with colleagues in local government, has been highly effective in making sure that we deal with those in the most appropriate way. He is absolutely right: it is joint working with effective local councils and energetic Members of Parliament like himself that is critical to making sure that we deal with this infection.
Dame Cheryl Gillan (Chesham and Amersham) (Con) [V]
In order to save lives, the covid crisis has actually seen the Government take, I think, the most difficult decision—to deprive people of their freedom—since the second world war. Now, as central Government take a strategic lead to set out the road to recovery, would my right hon. Friend agree with me that the real heroes of the piece are local people, charities and public services, such as the new Buckinghamshire Council and the Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, and should they not be recognised for their amazing work, which has brought out the best in our society and helped everyone?
My right hon. Friend is absolutely right. I know that people in Chesham and Amersham, and elsewhere in Buckinghamshire, have benefited from her advocacy and from the energetic work of the local authority. She is right that we will, in appropriate time, need to recognise the commitment of those in civil society and elsewhere. I know that her championing of their cause has been heard in other parts of Government, and more will follow later in order to recognise exactly the validity of the argument she makes.
Michael Fabricant (Lichfield) (Con) [V]
It is lovely to follow my great friend, my right hon. Friend the Member for Chesham and Amersham (Dame Cheryl Gillan).What more can the Government do to encourage people from the private sector to become involved in the management of civil services and agencies such as Public Health England in order to give good management expertise to deliver services to the public?
My hon. Friend is absolutely right. Attracting people from a wide range of backgrounds into Government and into public service is essential for making sure that we have cognitive diversity, as well as entrepreneurial skills. When we look at how the Government use data, it is vital that we get people in from organisations such as Amazon who have experience in this area. When we think about how we communicate our intent to the broader public, it is also vital to have people who have extensive experience in local radio as entrepreneurs. They can often be some of the most effective communicators, managing to combine authoritative communication with a lightness of touch.
In order to allow the safe exit of vulnerable Members participating in this item of business and the safe arrival of those participating in the next, I am suspending the House for three minutes.
Sitting suspended.


Mindblowing. A pretty apt word for Interlaken.
How we're getting involved for EUFED'S European Tourism Day, and how you can too.
We show you where to carve up the best terrain for this snowy season.
Check out our pick of boutique hostels – purely plush, affordable luxury.


text:
Terry Extends Point Streak To 9 As Ducks Blank Devils 4-0
By JOE REEDY
Jae C. Hong, ASSOCIATED PRESS
New Jersey Devils goaltender Jonathan Bernier (45) guards his net as Anaheim Ducks' Troy Terry (19) shoots under pressure by Devils' Yegor Sharangovich (17) and Jonas Siegenthaler (71) during the first period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2021, in Anaheim , Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Troy Terry had two goals and an assist to extend his point streak to nine games, John Gibson made 28 saves and the Anaheim Ducks beat the New Jersey Devils 4-0 Tuesday night.
Terry's three-point night gave him the NHL's longest active and overall point streak with seven goals and five assists during the nine-game span. It is the longest point streak by an Anaheim player since Getzlaf had an 11-game run during the 2015-16 season.
"He put in the time in the offseason and now he's just going out there, having fun and playing with confidence," Gibson said. "You can see it in his game because he has confidence with the puck and is making plays. I think he has found his game."
Gibson recorded his 23rd career shutout in his 330th appearance. It is also his fifth win in seven games against the Devils.
Ryan Getzlaf had a power-play goal and two assists while Isac Lundestrom added a short-handed score for the Ducks, who have earned a point in four straight games and have won two straight in regulation for the first time this season.
The Ducks were 2 for 7 on the power play and took advantage of a Devils' team that has the sixth-worst, penalty-killing unit in the league.
Anaheim coach Dallas Eakins was not pleased with his team's performance in even-strength situations, but was happy to see other units pick up the slack.
"Our special teams stepped up, we killed penalties, we scored on the power plays, we get an extra one on the penalty kill, and our goalie's excellent," he said. "Some nights you're gonna win ugly, and tonight's win was a little bit of that."
Jonathan Bernier stopped 23 shots for New Jersey, which was blanked for the first time this season. The Devils might have suffered a bigger loss as defenseman Dougie Hamilton suffered a lower-body injury during the first period and did not return. Coach Lindy Ruff did not have an update on Hamilton's status after the game.
"I think obviously you don't want to see a guy like that getting hurt and not playing, but at the end of the day we have to step it up and play our game," forward Nico Hirschier said.
Terry scored on a one-timer while the Ducks had a two-man advantage off Getzlaf's pass to give the Ducks a 2-0 lead at 3:48 of the second period. He tallied his seventh goal 3:31 into the third period on a 2-on-1 with a wrist shot past Bernier's short side.
Getzlaf, who became the Ducks' career leader in points on Sunday, has a goal and five assists in his last four games. The Ducks' captain scored his first goal of the season at 12:05 of the first period with a slap shot from the top of the right faceoff circle. Getzlaf was also able to take advantage of Bernier being screened by Sonny Milano.
Lundestrom, who has a point in five straight games, took advantage of a turnover deep in the Devils' defensive zone and put a backhander into the net for his second goal of the season at 7:19 of the third period.
"We got off to a great start in the game. We came out with a lot of energy, skated well and had the first two or three chances in the game to take the lead. But Gibson made a couple really good saves," Ruff said. "I thought as the game went on, we didn't skate very well. I thought maybe the travel caught up to us."
POWERING UP
Anaheim has 10 power-play goals, which is tied for second in the league. It is quite a turnaround for a team that scored only 11 during last season's shortened 56-game schedule.
Devils: Remain in Southern California to face the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday.
Ducks: Host the Arizona Coyotes on Friday.
Sonny Milano
Dougie Hamilton
Troy Terry
Dallas Eakins

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Tugueb.com > Blog > General > Premier League Jersey Sponsors
Premier League Jersey Sponsors
Posted by Tugueb May 31, 2017 October 29, 2019
Keeping Our Lawn Ready For Summer
Premier League soccer kicked off a new season with a few interesting changes to the jersey sponsors. The kits worn by the 20 Premier League teams sport some of the trademark sponsorships, plus a few new names have jumped onto some jerseys for the new season. Since the sale of promotional jerseys is vital to the league's financial stability, the introduction of some new styles and sponsors has caught the eye of soccer enthusiasts.
Adidas Still the Leader
Most teams continue to carry the reputation of their dedicated sponsorships onto the field. Adidas continues as the most visible sponsor in Premier League soccer, adorning nearly a quarter of the team jerseys. Puma and Umbro split an even 15% share of exposure, with the rest of the kit sponsorship evenly divided among the remaining seven primary marketers.
Sports Brands Maintain Presence
Ten different sports brands will provide kit sponsorship for the 20 Premier League teams. While many of the household names such as Nike, Adidas and Puma continue, seven new sponsors are set for the new season. New Balance, Umbro, Dryworld, Joma, Macron, JD and Under Armor, will sponsor Premier League kits for 2016.
Over the last couple of seasons, the gaming industry has stepped into the jersey sponsorship mix. The most prominent sponsorship is Dafabet, which blends three kit designs for the defending champion Burnley squad with designer Puma.
About half the teams sport sponsorship logos from the betting industry. Bet365 and Betway team up with two of the new sports brand sponsors – Macron and Umbro to label the jerseys for Stoke City and West Ham United. Sunderland will also have their team jersey sponsored by Dafabet.
One big change that Premier League fans may notice is a parting of ways between longtime sponsorship partners Chelsea and Adidas. Chelsea has chosen to buy out their deal for an estimated ÂŁ54m 6 years before the deal was to officially end in 2023. Yokohama Tires will remain the brand sponsor, but Chelsea has chosen to pursue a different course from what was once the largest sponsorship deal in Premier League history.
Longtime Sponsor Steps Away
One sponsor is notably missing from the 2016-17-kit overview. Barclays has not only stepped away from jersey marketing, but also the league will no longer bear the sponsorship name of the British Bank.
Another ironic twist to this year's jersey lineup is Southampton being required to generate a third Under Armor kit with sponsor Virgin Media. Seems the original third kit was a yellow too similar to their home jersey. The retired uniform may be somewhat of a collectible since it is reportedly not going to be available for sale.
It's an exciting new year for jersey sponsorship in the Premier League. Fans will have seven new sponsors and still have access to many of the household jersey names. It's a new year with new colors and new jerseys, the most important one being the last one waving as champion.
Tugueb May 31, 2017
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Advanced seam , this year ,we make the big progress , about the seam , all is smooth , not any placec have the outside seam , below is the compare.
1, can be bear more heavy weight .
3, it's more beautiful and smooth , use wonderful .


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Q: Sentiment is looking at only 1 character at a time I am working on a sentiment analysis problem in twitter. My goal is to collect data in a csv file, in three columns based on the sentiment. It seems like the sentiment is looking at only 1 character at a time when it is supposed to look 1 tweet at a time.
Any help will be appreciated
    pos1, neg1, neu1 = 0, 0, 0
    header=['Positive','Negative','Neutral']

    #Create an empty csv file which has three headers: 'Positive','Negative','Neutral'
    with open('List.csv','w') as file:
        write=csv.DictWriter(file,fieldnames=header)
        write.writeheader()

  #doc for Stream Listener to tweepy: http://docs.tweepy.org/en/latest/streaming_how_to.html

    class Listener(StreamListener):

        def on_data(self, data):
            raw_t=json.loads(data)

            data=raw_t['text']
            #four lines below will clear the tweets by removing: metions, has tag etc.
            data = re.sub('@[A-Za-z0–9]+', '',data) #Removing @mentions
            data = re.sub('#', '', data) # Removing '#' hash tag
            data = re.sub('RT[\s]+', '', data) # Removing RT
            data = re.sub('https?:\/\/\S+', '', data) # Removing hyperlink

            global pos1
            global neg1
            global neu1
            pos, neg, neu = 0, 0, 0

            for tweet in data:
                print(tweet)
                analysis = TextBlob(tweet)
                #print(analysis.sentiment)

                #the below if statement will count the number of tweets based on their sentiment('Positive','Negative','Neutral')
                if analysis.sentiment[0]>0:
                    pos+=1

                elif analysis.sentiment[0]<0:
                    neg+=1

                else:
                    neu+=1

            pos1=pos1+pos
            neg1=neg1+neg
            neu1=neu1+neu

            #write the result from counting to the csv file "List.csv"
            with open('List.csv', 'a') as file:
                writer = csv.DictWriter(file, fieldnames=header)
                info={
                    'Positive':pos1,
                    'Negative':neg1,
                    'Neutral':neu1
                      }
                writer.writerow(info)

            print(data)
            return True

        def on_error(self, status):
            print(status)

    l = Listener()
    stream = Stream(auth, l)
    stream.filter(track=['trump'])

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Charles V (1500-1558)
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (1519-58) and, as Charles I, King of Spain (1516-56), was the son of Philip I and Joanna of Castile, and grandson of Emperor Maximilian I and Mary of Burgundy. Charles was the greatest of all Habsburg emperors. He inherited a vast empire in Europe: the Spanish kingdoms, Naples, Sicily, the Low Countries, and the hereditary Habsburg lands. The chief problems he faced were the Protestant Reformation in Germany, Switzerland and England; the dynastic conflict with Francis I of France, particularly for supremacy in Italy; and the Ottoman Turks, then at the height of their power. He also had difficulties with his Spanish subjects, who at initially regarded him as a foreign interloper. He was at first successful against the Protestant princes in Germany, but eventually he was forced to compromise with them and to accept (1555) the Peace of Augsburg. He was more successful in promoting the Catholic Reformation. The imperialist struggle with France was a Pyrrhic victory for Spain. His efforts to halt the advance of the Ottomans under Sulayman I resulted in at best a standoff. As king of Spain, he was triumphant. The conquest of Mexico and Peru represented the high point of the Spanish empire. In 1556 Charles abdicated all his titles and possesions and retired to a monastery.
istenhez spanyolul, a nőkhöz olaszul, a férfiakhoz franciául, a kutyámhoz pedig németül beszélek


text:
Former ARC quarterback tries to make the jump to Division I
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ARC football player has eyes on the next level
By Luis Gael Jimenez & Ashley Hayes-Stone As he waits for the kick return, Arthur Jackson III blocks out the noise from the roaring crowd….
ARC student arrested for allegedly flying drone over NFL game
[UPDATED] An American River College student was arrested on Sunday after allegedly dropping anti-media leaflets from a drone over Levi's Stadium and Oakland-Alameda Stadium during…
San Mateo steals NorCal Championship after Beavers miss game-tying field goal
American River College's football team's hopes of playing in a second straight State Championship game were dashed after missing a game-tying field goal with 20…
ARC holds off Laney comeback attempt, advances to NorCal Championship
American River College's football team held off a late comeback attempt by Laney College to win its semifinal game 41-35 on Saturday, securing another shot…
ARC football ends season on top of its division
The American River College (9-1) football team ended its season with a blowout of local rival Sierra College (4-6), a win which left the Beavers…
Photo of the Day: Nov. 1, 2017
High school football star hits the stage as Gaston
The former high school offensive lineman has a slow but determined gait as he walks through the hallways of American River College. Chris Sharpe, the…
Sacramento gets its own version of a late night talkshow
Sacramento is home to its own late night talk show. The Latest Night Show is a monthly live variety show which features local musicians, comedians…
Kneeling during the anthem hasn't found its way to ARC
Over the past year, and more specifically the past few weeks, the sports world has been prevalent with athletes protesting during the anthem. Colin Kaepernick…
ARC athletic department kicks off fall season with preview event
By Luis Gael Jimenez American River College's athletic department held a season preview where it honored student athletes with 4.0 GPAs, congratulated the reigning Northern…
« 1 2 3 4 … 7 »


State affiliate of PPA serving the professional photographers of Alabama. On-line directory of photographers.
Profile and examples of this photographer's work.
Local professional photographers group dedicated elevating the standards of the profession.
Wedding photographer's profile and photo galleries.
Deer, turkey and boar hunting on over 9,000 privately owned acres. Includes contact information, prices, services, photographs, and areas hunted. Based in Union Springs.
Provides Bible, cemetery, court, deed and vital records, obituaries, biographies, and photographs. Includes information about lookup volunteers and resource links.
Features the Yellow Jackets. Includes history, records, and coaches. With photographs.
Adoption policies, hours of operation, contact information, and photographs of dogs and cats in need of homes.
Non-profit stray rescue. Photographs of available animals, adoption contract, and contact information.
Hours of operation, contact information, and photographs of animals in need of a home.
Find a photograph of the waterfall.
Includes information about flowers, their common name, Latin name, seasonal index, slide show, searchable database, links and photographs.
Motown, soul and oldies from the fifties thru the eighties; offers booking information, biographies, and photographs.
A photograph of the Alabama Medical College in Mobile, taken sometime between 1900 and 1906. From the American Memory collection of the Library of Congress.
A photograph of the main building of Spring Hill College in Mobile, Alabama taken sometime between 1900 and 1915.
Local photographs taken from a trip. Includes large picture downloads accessible by clicking thumbnails.


The Loebner Prize contest is the premier competition for natural language chatbots. Based on the Turing Test, the Loebner contest is the longest-running and most visible competition in the world of chatbot technology. The ALICE bot won the bronze Loebner medal in 2000, 2001 and 2004. The AIML bot Mitsuku won the bronze medal in 2013. Beginning in 2010, Pandorabots made its program available to a small number of AIML botmasters from our community so that they too could enter the contest. In 2011, two pandorabots (Zoe and Tutor) tied for first place in the "Junior" Loebner contest held that year. The Pandorabots program handles all of the details of setup and installation, as well as the contest communications protocol. We can now basically submit any pandorabot to the contest(*).
For the past few years we've hand-picked a few of the most well known pandorabots to enter the contest. For the last few years we've tried something different by running our own Pre-Loebner contest to select the best pandorabots for entry. It was such as success, that we are doing the same this year.
1. Your bot must be an AIML bot published on a Pandorabots server.
2. Only pandorabots that have original content will be selected. No pandorabot will be selected if it is a clone of ALICE or any other AIML personality. Your bot must consist of mostly original content written by you. We will specifically test your entry to rule out ALICE clones.
3. Only one pandorabot per botmaster may be submitted.
4. Selection of your bot for entry into the Loebner contest by Pandorabots does not guarantee that it will be included in the contest. Once we submit the Pandorabots entries, the selection of the entries for the actual Loebner contest is entirely in the hands of the Loebner contest organizers. We defer to their judgment and choices for selecting qualifying entries and finalists.
5. Should your bot win a prize in the Loebner contest, you can keep any award monies, medals or any other prizes awarded.
6. Pandorabots reserves the right to use any entry chosen as a Loebner prize contestant in our own marketing efforts.
7. Your pandorabot should contain only content appropriate for all ages. Bots with adult, offensive, hate-speech, racist, violent or any other inappropriate content will be disqualified.
8. Your bot's AIML responses should return plain text only (see Content Limitations below).
9. Pandorabots reserves the right to disqualify any entry at any time for any reason.
10. The Pre-contest judging will consist of an interview of your bot by one or more Pandorabots staff.
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text:
Wave of Mutilation
by Pixies
Album: Doolittle (1989)
songfacts ®
Cease to resist, giving my goodbye
Drive my car into the ocean
You'll think I'm dead, but I sail away
On a wave of mutilation
A wave of mutilation
I've kissed mermaids, rode the El Nino
Walked the sand with the crustaceans
Could find my way to Mariana
Wave Writer/s: Charles Thompson
Publisher: Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind
More songs from Pixies
More songs about the dangers of materialism
Wave of Mutilation Songfacts
Pixies Artistfacts
Rl from NycMariana is a reference to the Mariana Islands in the Western Pacific ocean.
El Niño is the warm phase of the Pacific Ocean that increases rainfall and warm weather.
Ryan from Anahola, HiI'm the first to comment. This song was featured in the music video game, Rock Band.
We're An American BandGrand Funk
"We're An American Band" by Grand Funk describes real events on their 1972 tour, including an encounter with a legendary groupie called "Sweet Connie."
Police Dog BluesHugh Laurie
Hugh Laurie, star of the TV show House, had a minor hit in 2011 with "Police Dog Blues," an old Blues song from 1929.
Everything ZenBush
After Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale hooked up in 1996, Rossdale's Bush bandmates referred to their hit song as "Everything Gwen."
The songwriting team Leiber and Stoller wrote "Hound Dog" for a blues singer named Big Mama Thronton, who first recorded the song in 1953. Elvis covered it in 1956, and it became his biggest hit.
"Light My Fire" was the first song Doors guitarist Robby Krieger wrote. Looking for a universal theme, he decided to write about one of the four elements (air, earth, water, fire).
Suck It and SeeArctic Monkeys
The Arctic Monkeys 2011 song "Suck It and See" is titled after a British saying meaning you should try something to see if you like it.
Alan Merrill of The ArrowsSongwriter Interviews
In her days with The Runaways, Joan Jett saw The Arrows perform "I Love Rock And Roll," which Alan Merrill co-wrote - that story and much more from this glam rock pioneer.
Dr. JohnSongwriter Interviews
The good doctor shares some candid insights on recording with Phil Spector and The Black Keys.
How "A Rolling Stone Gathers No Moss" Became Rock's Top ProverbSong Writing
How a country weeper and a blues number made "rolling stone" the most popular phrase in rock.
Susanna Hoffs - "Eternal Flame"They're Playing My Song
The Prince-penned "Manic Monday" was the first song The Bangles heard coming from a car radio, but "Eternal Flame" is closest to Susanna's heart, perhaps because she sang it in "various states of undress."
Terry Jacks ("Seasons in the Sun")Songwriter Interviews
Inspired by his dear friend, "Seasons in the Sun" paid for Terry's boat, which led him away from music and into a battle with Canadian paper mills.
When Rock Belonged To MichelobSong Writing
Michelob commercials generated hits for Eric Clapton, Genesis and Steve Winwood in the '80s, even as some of these rockers were fighting alcoholism.


text:
Q: What is the memory size of an AR world map when saving it with ARKit? I am not a professional using ARKit for IOS.
ARKit supports saving the AR world model and reloading it to use.
I want to check the memory size of the AR world model for an area with a specific size (e.g., 10m x 10m).


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text:
The BSPI Notes for Authors can be consulted online on this page or they can be downloaded in pdf format using the dedicated button below.
Download the Notes for Authors
Authors are invited to check the current version of the Notes for Authors before submitting their manuscripts.
Notes for Authors – December 2022
The Bollettino della Società Paleontologica Italiana (BSPI) is an international peer-reviewed journal that accepts original articles concerning all aspects of paleontology that have a broad scientific interest. Manuscripts are considered for publication on the understanding that they have not been submitted or published elsewhere and that all co-authors consent to the submission. Any materials submitted should be original to the authors, who declare that any required license, copyright, or permission has been obtained prior to submission. The copyright of articles published in the BSPI remains with the authors, who are entitled to disseminate them through personal or institutional repositories and websites.
The BSPI is committed to upholding scientific integrity and may use software to screen for plagiarism.
The Notes for Authors must be strictly followed. Prior to submission, authors should check articles recently published in the BSPI before submitting a manuscript. Disregard of the Notes for Authors may delay or prevent review and publication. All changes requested by the editors or the Editorial Board of the BSPI at various stages of manuscript processing (pre-review, review, proofs) should be carried out timely by the corresponding author on behalf and with the approval of all co-authors.
There is no publication fee for articles accepted in the BSPI, unless an article is over 30 printed pages or color printing is requested.
Authors may opt to publish their work under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license, thus making their articles freely available on the BSPI website (https://www.paleoitalia.it/bollettino-spi/) as Gold Open Access. There is a fee for Gold Open Access CC BY articles (currently, for articles up to 30 pages, 300 € for members of the Società Paleontologica Italiana, and 500 € for non-members).
Submissions may be in the form of Articles or Review Articles (i.e., invited articles). Short Notes are not accepted anymore. From January 2023, manuscripts must be submitted in digital form only through the Scholastica website (https://bollettinospi.scholasticahq.com).
The text of the manuscript must be submitted as a .doc, .docx or .rtf file, using a 12-point type font with double spacing and margins of at least 2 cm on each side. Captions of tables, figures and plates must be placed at the end of the manuscript file. On no account must figures, plates, and tables be inserted directly within the text. Lines should be numbered continuously.
Manuscripts that are returned to the authors after review should be sent back as soon as possible, within a maximum of four weeks, otherwise they will be considered withdrawn.
Articles are usually published in order of acceptance.
Only manuscripts using consistently either American English or British English are accepted. Authors for whom English is a second language should have their manuscript professionally edited before submission. Submitted manuscripts containing numerous typographical, punctuation, grammar and language issues may lead to rejection at pre-review stage.
Please note that author affiliations, as well as museum or institutional names referred to in the text, must be kept in their original designation (i.e., not translated into English), but should be transliterated in case of non-Latin names.
ARTICLE STRUCTURE
The manuscript should be organized as follows:
a) title, as short and informative as possible; it should contain references to the taxonomic group, age and geographical area investigated;
b) abbreviated title (up to 60 characters, including spaces);
c) the complete names (without abbreviations) of all the authors of the article; a corresponding author must be indicated;
d) complete postal addresses of all authors, followed by their e-mail addresses;
e) a list of key words (as a rule, no more than six; if any new taxa are proposed, one of the key words should be 'new taxa'; the key words should not be a mere repetition of words contained in the manuscript title);
f) an abstract, not exceeding 350 words within one paragraph, reporting concisely the results of the work, without bibliographic references, including all new systematic or stratigraphic names proposed in the manuscript.
The text must be clearly organized in chapters or sections preceded by a title (e.g., Introduction, Materials and Methods, Systematics, etc.). Use a maximum of three kinds of headings, hierarchically arranged in the following way:
FIRST ORDER HEADINGS: capital letters, centered. The first sentence after the heading begins after a blank line.
Second order headings: Italic, left margin. The first sentence after the heading begins on the following line.
Third Order Headings - (to be used as little as possible) small capitals, left margin. Text following on the same line.
In a list of items within the text, each should be preceded by an Arabic numeral followed by a right round bracket, i.e., 1), or by an Arabic numeral followed by a full-stop, if each item starts at a new line.
Footnotes are not allowed.
All abbreviations and acronyms used in the text must be clearly explained the first time they appear.
For nomenclatural matters, manuscripts must conform to the relevant international nomenclatural codes. Authors are encouraged to include registration numbers from the Official Register of Zoological Nomenclature (https://www.zoobank.org/) for new zoological names and nomenclatural acts introduced in their manuscripts.
The BSPI does not usually publish descriptions of known species. Synonyms (synonymic lists) should be reduced to the essentials and organized as in the following examples:
Conilithes antidiluvianus (Bruguière, 1792)
1792 Conus antidiluvianus Bruguière, p. 637, Pl. 347, fig. 6.
1997 Conus antidiluvianus Bruguière - Davoli, p. 75, Pl. 3, figs 1-5 (cum syn.).
2014 Conilithes antidiluvianus (Bruguière) - Janssen et al., Fig. 15.
Miscellanea miscella (d'Archiac & Haime, 1853)
1853 Nummulites miscella d'Archiac & Haime, p. 345, Pl. 35, figs 4a-c.
1916 Siderolites miscella d'Archiac (sic) - Douvillé, p. 38, Pl. 15, figs 4, 5.
All works cited in the synonymic lists must be included in the References section. Species- and genus-group names must be in italics in the text. Suprageneric taxa must be written in small capitals in the Systematics section. Small capitals must also be used for the authors of each entry in the synonymic list.
In the text, author names and publication year are required after the first use of a species-group name (with citations included in the References section). This applies also to taxa mentioned in the main text even if not included in the Systematics section. Exceptions to this rule apply for tables with extensive species lists and in Supplementary Online Materials. New taxa must be indicated by the abbreviations n. sp., n. gen., n. subfam., n. fam., etc.
Italics is used only for genera and species, not for Latinisms or other purposes. Thus, wordings such as et al., sensu, etc. are not italicized in the text.
Lithostratigraphy and lithostratigraphic nomenclature must follow the International Stratigraphic Guide, 2nd Edition (Salvador, 1994), or national or international guidelines and rules.
Geochronologic, chronostratigraphic and biostratigraphic terms and their subdivisions must be capitalized only when they indicate formal units (e.g., Upper Cretaceous, Late Miocene, Lower Ordovician); lowercase must be used when referring to informal units (e.g., late Burdigalian, middle Eocene, basal Triassic). Chronostratigraphic (time-rocks) and geochronologic (time) units and their qualifiers should not be confused, e.g., "the lower Cenomanian limestone" vs. "the species originated in the early Cenomanian". Authors should take care that Lower/lower and Upper/upper refer to the stratigraphic position (chronostratigraphy), whereas Early/early and Late/late refer to time (geochronology).
The reference for formal chronostratigraphic and geochronologic units is the International Chronostratigraphic Chart, published by the International Commission on Stratigraphy (https://www.stratigraphy.org).
Biozones are named with an uppercase initial letter (e.g., P. siluricus Zone, G. margaritae Zone). The name of chronozones must be typed in the way they are not confused with biozones. The nomenclature suggested by either the 1st or the 2nd edition of the International Stratigraphic Guide (Hedberg, 1976; Salvador, 1994) is accepted (e.g., Siluricus Zone or Polygnathoides siluricus Chronozone).
The field location of the studied material has to be shown on informative location maps, when possible, adding the GPS coordinates.
SPECIMEN REPOSITORIES
Illustrated and type specimens must be deposited in a museum or other institutional collection. Museum acronyms should be given in the text, e.g., in the Materials and Methods section. Museum/Institution catalogue accession numbers should be given in figure captions and/or in the text.
Acknowledgements should be placed in a separate section before the reference list. The names of funding organizations or project grants should be written in full.
REFERENCES AND QUOTATIONS IN THE TEXT
References should only include works that are cited in the text and have been published or accepted for publication. Each scientific name cited in the text must be accompanied by its author(s) and publication date the first time it is cited, and the work in which the scientific name is established must be included in the References section. The references must be written according to the rules and the style of the BSPI, with authors in alphabetical order with year of publication. Each author's surname must be followed by the initial of his/her name; when there are multiple initials, no blank spaces are to be left in between. The reference title must be followed by the unabbreviated name of the journal, given in full in italics, the volume number, and the numbers of the first and last pages of the article. Issue number should be indicated (in brackets) after the volume number only in case of separate pagination for each issue of a volume. Do not indicate plates, tables and figures in the references.
Journal article:
Owens R.M. (2004). Late Ordovician and early Silurian Proetida (Trilobita) from north-western and central Europe. Palaeontology, 47: 557-578.
Pittau P., Cotza F. & Del Rio M. (2003). Early Silurian siliceous sponge spicule assemblages from the Sardinia Hercynian Chain (Italy). Bollettino della Società Paleontologica Italiana, 42: 225-239.
Serra-Kiel J., Hottinger L., Caus E., Drobne K., Ferràndez C., Jauhri A.K., Less G., Pavlovec R., Pignatti J., Samsó J.M., Schaub H., Sirel E., Strougo A., Tambareau Y., Tosquella J. & Zakrevskaya E. (1998). Larger foraminiferal biostratigraphy of the Tethyan Paleocene and Eocene. Bulletin de la Société géologique de France, 169: 281-299.
Journal article when the actual publication date differs from the date appearing on the title page of the serial:
Luperto Sinni E. (1999). Nummofallotia cenomana, nuova specie di foraminifero del Cenomaniano delle Murge (Puglia - Italia meridionale). Geologica Romana, 34 [1998]: 1-7.
Journal article using a non-Roman script:
Barsukov V.V. (1989). The Upper Miocene rock fishes (Scorpaenidae, Sebastinae) from California. Trudy Zoologicheskogo Instituta Akademii Nauk SSSR, 201: 73-109. [in Russian]
Chapter of volume:
Serpagli E. & Ferretti A. (1999). L'Europa durante il Paleozoico. In Pinna G. (ed.), Alle radici della Storia Naturale d'Europa - Seicento milioni di anni attraverso i grandi giacimenti paleontologici, Jaca Book: 17-20.
Article in volume:
Aiello G. & Szczechura J. (2004). Middle Miocene ostracods of the Fore-Carpathian Depression (Central Paratethys, southwestern Poland). In Gliozzi E. & Russo A. (eds), Proceedings of the 1st Meeting of the Italian Ostracodologists "In memory of Giuliano Ruggieri" Rimini, February 12-14, 2003. Bollettino della Società Paleontologica Italiana, 43: 11-70.
Volume (complete):
ICZN (1999). International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, 4th edition. xxix + 306 pp. The International Trust for Zoological Nomenclature, London.
Reading H.G., ed. (1986). Sedimentary Environments and Facies. 615 pp. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford.
Martin R.E. (1999). Taphonomy - A Process Approach. Cambridge Paleobiology Series, 4. 508 pp. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Electronic reference (URL):
Fricke R., Eschmeyer W.N. & Van der Laan R. (eds) (2020). Eschmeyer's catalog of fishes: genera, species, references. http://researcharchive.calacademy.org/research/ichthyology/catalog/fishcatmain.asp (accessed 14.12.2022).
Citations within the text must indicate the name of the author(s), followed by a comma, the year of publication and, when necessary, the page referred to (e.g., Stanley, 1979, p. 169). In the quotations, as in the References, the last author's name is preceded by an "&". Within the text (not in the References), works by more than two authors are quoted with the name of the first author followed by "et al." (not in italics). Multiple citations should be in order of publication date.
Examples of citations in the text:
(James & Wind, 1965)
(Steiner et al., 1993)
Gooday (1994) considered …
… elaborated by Berggren et al. (1995) …
(Hottinger, 1960, 1974, 1997; Hottinger & Drobne, 1988)
Reference list entries should be ordered by the surname of the first author of each work as follows:
- single author: order by surname of author and then chronologically;
- two authors: order by surname of first author, then surname of co-author, and then chronologically;
- three or more authors: order by surname of first author and then chronologically (do not consider the surname of the second author) as shown here:
Rage J.-C., Prasad G.V.R. & Bajpai S. (2004). Additional snakes from the uppermost Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) of India. Cretaceous Research, 25: 425-434.
Rage J.-C., Pickford M. & Senut B. (2013). Amphibians and squamates from the middle Eocene of Namibia, with comments on pre-Miocene anurans from Africa. Annales de Paléontologie, 99: 217-242.
Rage J.-C., Métais G., Bartolini A., Imdad A., Brohi I.A., Lashari R.A., Marivaux L., Merle D. & Solangi S.H. (2014). First report of the giant snake Gigantophis (Madtsoiidae) from the Paleocene of Pakistan: paleobiogeographic implications. Geobios, 47: 147-153.
Tables may be submitted as .xls, .xlsx, .doc, or .docx files, taking care that the final width fits with a single column or double column size. Tables in the text should be 81 mm wide (single column) or 171 mm (double column). Separation of decimal numbers is by dots, not commas. Captions of tables must be given in a separate section of the manuscript, after the References.
Figures and plates must be provided as greyscale or color images in .jpg, .tif, and .png formats with a resolution of 300 ppi at least. Color figures on the final .pdf are free of charge, but color figures on the printed version of the journal will be charged to the author(s). Illustrations must be of excellent quality. In all kinds of illustrations, no large empty spaces must be left, in order to use the space available as economically as possible.
All images must be provided with the exact size for printing: plates must be 171 x 245 mm, whilst figures in the text should be 81 mm wide (single column) or 171 mm (double column). Mid-width figures (126 mm wide) may be exceptionally accepted.
Figures in the manuscript text are to be quoted as Fig. or Figs, plates and figures in plates as Pl. (Pls) and Pl., fig. (Pls, figs), tables as Tab. (Tabs). References to plates and figures from other publications are lowercase (e.g., Schallreuter & Hinz-Schallreuter, 2011, pl. 3, figs 1-7).
In all plates, single photograms are indicated with Arabic numbers (1, 2, 3, ...) and different views of the same specimen with Arabic numbers and lowercase letters (1a, 1b, 1c, …), while in the figures in the text, any details must be indicated using lowercase letters (a, b, c, ...).
In all illustrations and figures, the labels of the photograms (for figures) or specimens (for plates) must be written uniformly in Arial Font, lowercase, point 12, regular.
Other writings and captions in figures/plates should have a size equal or smaller than 7 points.
The value of the scale bars should be reported in the figure/plate caption, and not on the figure itself.
Any corrections necessary due to disregard of the above rules must be made by the corresponding author.
Captions of plates and figures must be given at the end of the manuscript, after the References section. A brief title for each plate, describing the main content of the illustrations, must be provided (see published articles). The approximate position of each illustration may be indicated on the margin of the text.
The BSPI welcomes proposals for Thematic Issues, e.g., issues that may arise from meetings and congresses which focus on a specific area of paleontological research that has broad appeal and falls within the aims and scope of the journal. Publication fees may apply. Thematic Issue proposals by potential guest editors should be addressed to the Editorial Board of the BSPI at redbollspi@unimore.it and include a provisional title of the issue, the Thematic Issue's scope and a sound justification for dedicating an entire issue of the BSPI to the suggested topic. The research articles of a Thematic Issue must follow the Notes for Authors guidelines. Individual papers are peer-reviewed and published as soon as the complete issue of the journal becomes available.
BSPI INVITED PAPERS
BSPI Invited Papers are specifically requested contributions from recognized specialists in various aspects of paleontology. The full content of these papers will be available online in open access also to non-members of the Società Paleontologica Italiana.
SUPPLEMENTARY ONLINE MATERIAL
Authors are welcome to submit any additional information (including data sets, tables, figures, animations and CT-scans) for online publication to support and enhance their articles. Within the text, supplementary material should be cited as Fig. S1, Tabs S1-S3, References S4, CT-scan S1, Supplementary Online Material 1 (SOM 1), etc. Electronic supplementary material should be submitted at the same time as the manuscript. Please supply for each item a concise caption describing the content of the file; all captions and references for supplementary material should be numbered and submitted in one text file. References that are only cited within the supplementary files must not be included in the main References section of the manuscript.
The corresponding author will receive a proof as a .pdf file, to be returned after correction to the Technical Editor within three days. Any delay in returning the corrections may imply that the article will be printed only with the Editor's corrections. Corresponding authors should check in particular whether:
a) illustrations and tables are in the correct order and with their relative captions;
b) enlargements indicated in the captions correspond to the real enlargement of the figures;
c) references to works cited as in press are up to date.
PRINT EXPENSES AND OFFPRINTS
No contribution is required from the authors for articles up to a length of 30 printed pages. For articles of more than 30 pages, the contribution must be agreed with the Editorial Board.
For all published articles, the BSPI provides the corresponding author with a high definition .pdf file. For offprints and covers the corresponding author must contact the printing house directly, which will supply copies at cost price. Requests for offprints/reprints should be made by the corresponding author when the corrected proofs are returned.
Starting from January 2023, manuscripts must be submitted online to the Editorial Board of the BSPI through the Scholastica website (https://bollettinospi.scholasticahq.com).
Questions as to submission should be addressed to the following e-mail address: redbollspi@unimore.it
The manuscript text file must be named with the name of the corresponding author (e.g., Owens_txt.doc). Similarly, the names of the illustration files must contain the name of the corresponding author, followed by the number of figures/plates/tables (e.g., OwensFig1.jpg; Owens_Fig_01.jpg; OwensPl1.tif, etc.).
In a cover letter, authors are required to suggest four qualified reviewers, along with an explanation of the scientific significance, novelty and research background of the submitted work. They may as well request the exclusion of specific reviewers; this option should be limited to serious issues of conflict of interest.
The copyright of articles published in the BSPI remains with the Authors, who are entitled to disseminate them through personal or institutional repositories and websites