argyrotsipi/train-dataset huggingface dataset:
English Channel Small Boats Incident — House of Commons, 2021-11-25
Topic: Housing
Priti Sushil Patel (Conservative, Centre-right): I would like to put on record my thanks to the London Borough of Hillingdon and to many other local authorities across the country, although they are predominantly in London. London is feeling the pressure in terms of accommodation, hotels and housing. My hon. Friend is right in his suggestions for solutions and working together. This is exactly why we are looking to reform the system through the Nationality and Borders Bill. We have to have that differentiation.
English Channel Small Boats Incident — House of Commons, 2021-11-25
Topic: Immigration
Richard John Holden (Conservative, Centre-right): Lives are tragically being lost in the channel, and the British people want the gangs to be smashed, the crossings to be stopped and people to be processed in the nearest country. Again and again, the Opposition have voted against our measures in the Nationality and Borders Bill to cut down on human trafficking via small boats, and the shadow Home Secretary has called our proposals "unconscionable". In my area, the local Labour party and the Lib Dems—none of whom I see here today—are even campaigning against an immigration removal centre for foreign criminals and failed asylum seekers. Does the Home Secretary agree that Labour’s failure to support the necessary legislation shows that, when the chips are down, they are not only failing to understand the views of the British people but, tragically, failing to protect those being exploited by criminal gangs whose callous and criminal behaviour means that people are being left to die in the channel?
English Channel Small Boats Incident — House of Commons, 2021-11-25
Topic: Immigration
Priti Sushil Patel (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend makes some important points. We have removal centres for very good and strong reasons. They are for people with no legal right to remain in our country, and we have to put them in the removal centres as part of the process to move them on. The fundamental point here is the reforms that we are trying to bring in, which are being thwarted by the Opposition. By preventing these changes and reforms, they are playing into the hands of the people smugglers and those who are being put into the hands of the traffickers.
English Channel Small Boats Incident — House of Commons, 2021-11-25
Topic: Immigration
Duncan Charles Baker (Conservative, Centre-right): Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. That will teach me to be last in The situation yesterday was an absolute tragedy, but the Home Secretary has made it absolutely clear that there is no single silver bullet to fix the problem. Does she agree that there are, broadly, three huge areas to cover? The first is international co-operation, which has to be there if we are to work with other countries. Secondly, domestic legislation has to be put in place, which is what we are doing through the Nationality and Borders Bill, to fix our borders and the broken asylum system. Lastly, we need the toughest possible measures and surveillance to crack down on the criminality of those gangs that are aiding and abetting the situation every day.
Tidal Energy Generation: Ringfenced Funding — House of Commons, 2021-11-25
Topic: Mixed Topics
Gregory William Hands (Conservative, Centre-right): The right hon. Gentleman is mixing up funding with the process of an auction. It is a contract for difference auction. The idea of £20 million being available is that it allows us to have a competitive process between all of the different parties that may be interested, and then to make sure that at least £20 million goes towards these projects. It is not the same as granting funding, which is what I think he is looking for, of £71 million. It is a competitive auction process. The purpose of the CFD scheme is to support and push for—
Copyright (Rights and Remuneration of Musicians, Etc.) Bill — House of Commons, 2021-12-03
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Andrew John Carter (Conservative, Centre-right): As the hon. Gentleman probably knows, I worked in commercial radio for more than 20 years and spent much of my time negotiating with record labels as part of a working group. I think that UK musicians are being devalued, and I do not think that there are fair earnings, but I think that ad-funded streaming services are not paying fairly for the music that drives them. That is the issue that we really should tackle.
Copyright (Rights and Remuneration of Musicians, Etc.) Bill — House of Commons, 2021-12-03
Topic: Mixed Topics
Robert Alexander Stewart (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Gentleman talks of equitable remuneration, and he mentions Dame Vera Lynn and the sad fact that she is no longer with us. Does equitable remuneration still apply to the heirs of her music estate?
Copyright (Rights and Remuneration of Musicians, Etc.) Bill — House of Commons, 2021-12-03
Topic: Other
John Flasby Lawrance Whittingdale (Conservative, Centre-right): Let me start by congratulating the hon. Member for Cardiff West (Kevin Brennan) on introducing the Bill, which raises serious issues. Every time we speak in the Chamber, he points out that we do not just share a birthday but we were actually born on the same day.
Copyright (Rights and Remuneration of Musicians, Etc.) Bill — House of Commons, 2021-12-03
Topic: Mixed Topics
Joy Inboden Morrissey (Conservative, Centre-right): On that point, who wrote a song is important to where the remuneration goes—it is not just about who is performing it live or not. The Bill provides a benefit in that, but for bands who we traditionally think of as performers, we must look at who wrote the music. Original writers and songwriters, as well as those who create original soundtracks for motion pictures, keep all the content and it is much easier for them to transfer their earnings and gains from their musical production. However, there is a difference between collectively packaged items and those that are not.
Copyright (Rights and Remuneration of Musicians, Etc.) Bill — House of Commons, 2021-12-03
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Joy Inboden Morrissey (Conservative, Centre-right): On the issue of copyright and content, I agree with both points that have been made. However, in the nuanced sense, the issue is that the copyright can be adjusted or transferred over to the artist, where they have a pre-existing record label, so that online content, such as that streamed on YouTube, TikTok and Insta, can be made available. An artist now, in the modern day, has the ability to create a direct link between content being shared and direct remuneration, and that is separate from the labels. However, oftentimes, if artists are already linked into a contract, they cannot use that third mechanism, so it would be—
Copyright (Rights and Remuneration of Musicians, Etc.) Bill — House of Commons, 2021-12-03
Topic: Mixed Topics
John Flasby Lawrance Whittingdale (Conservative, Centre-right): In defence of my hon. Friend, this is, as she was illustrating, an incredibly complicated area in which there are many different types of contractual agreement between the label and the artist. Again, the hon. Gentleman’s Bill does not necessarily reflect the number of different permutations that now exist. For instance, some artists want to take a lot of money up front and almost sign away their rights to future income streams from royalty payments. In some cases, that is because they are elderly; I do not want to pick out any particularly artists, but ones who are perhaps of a certain age or above might not think that enjoying the revenue from future streaming will last them very long, so they would rather take a substantial advance payment and give over the future royalty payments.
Copyright (Rights and Remuneration of Musicians, Etc.) Bill — House of Commons, 2021-12-03
Topic: Mixed Topics
John Flasby Lawrance Whittingdale (Conservative, Centre-right): Oh, goodness, there were a number of points there. I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for recognising that we should be very wary about stepping in to interfere with voluntarily agreed contracts. Yes, if there is evidence of exploitation and abuse of a dominant position, that may be a circumstance where we should. Actually, that is one of the areas where I think the hon. Member for Cardiff West has done us a service in allowing us to look at this issue. Action does need to be taken, and I know that my hon. Friend the Minister, in his response, will talk about what the Government are doing to address some of these concerns Before I finish, I want to continue to talk about what the hon. Member for Cardiff West is proposing. I have talked about the revocation and adjustment of contracts, and he is also keen for greater transparency. I think the labels are doing quite a lot to release information and make sure their artists can see the way in which the economics is working and how they are being remunerated. However, the hon. Gentleman is going further even than many of the provisions advanced by the European Union. Some of the information he wants is simply not available and, for instance, the involvement of the tribunal in all these cases would lead to a huge increase in administrative costs I pay tribute to some of the more far-sighted labels that are already addressing some of the concerns; they are not all doing so. The Select Committee, in its report, particularly talked about the initiative by Sony. It is by Sony; I do not say this just because my son happens to work for Sony. It has brought in a programme called Artists Forward in which it has essentially written off unrecouped balances for artists signed before the year 2000. That has been followed by some of the smaller labels, and the Select Committee rightly paid tribute to Sony and called on the other major labels to follow suit, which I think would be a good thing I do think that, even though the labels are not perhaps the villains of the piece that some have suggested, they could do more to try to ensure that there is fairer distribution and that their artists receive more money. In that respect, I think the Government response to the Select Committee report was right in saying that we need both to have working parties to bring together the Government, the IPO and representatives of the industry to look at these initiatives, and at the same time to invite in the CMA to carry out a market study. I am unhappy about what the hon. Gentleman is proposing, but even if I was not, I think I would say that it is premature to start legislating when that work is ongoing and we do not know what the outcome is going to be. It is sensible that we wait for that work, which is taking place now, before we reach any final conclusions.
Copyright (Rights and Remuneration of Musicians, Etc.) Bill — House of Commons, 2021-12-03
Topic: Mixed Topics
Ben Spencer (Conservative, Centre-right): On the point about markets, I was reflecting on the comments my right hon. Friend made about this being a statutory measure to allow a review of contracts. Is there a danger that that could create a market distortion that would actually diminish the number of new contracts being set up, because the music industry would see, in 20 years’ time, artists who are successful going to a different provider?
Copyright (Rights and Remuneration of Musicians, Etc.) Bill — House of Commons, 2021-12-03
Topic: Domestic Commerce
John Flasby Lawrance Whittingdale (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend is entirely right, and the labels are very anxious about that. When they reach agreement with an artist at the moment, they have, written in a legally binding contract, a certainty that would be removed if we suddenly gave the right to one party to say that, after a certain period, they could essentially just tear up the contract. It would create uncertainty, which is bound to be a disincentive to signing new artists, so I think my hon. Friend is absolutely right Where I think there is more work to be done, and I hope the CMA market study may bring this out, is in an area that is not covered in the hon. Gentleman’s Bill, which is the power of the digital service providers. They are very dominant, and the industry has been complaining for a long time about what it terms the value gap, which is the amount of money retained by the platforms and not given over to the industry. I have to say that YouTube is a particular offender in this. It takes advantage of this thing called safe harbour under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and as a result gives over to the rights holders only a fraction of the revenue it receives, particularly compared with Spotify, which has a better record in this area.
Health and Social Care — House of Commons, 2021-12-03
Topic: Mixed Topics
Edward John Comport Argar (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend is a doughty champion for Birmingham and his local trust. It is always a pleasure to announce more money going into his trust, and he is right to highlight the Labour party’s record on PFI.
Health and Social Care — House of Commons, 2021-12-03
Topic: Mixed Topics
Edward John Comport Argar (Conservative, Centre-right): The right hon. Gentleman is absolutely right that ambulance trusts across the country are under pressure, which is why they have already been given an additional £55 million, well in advance of this winter, to help them prepare for and manage the pressures they are experiencing. This money is on top of that, but they already have additional funding to help support them through what will be a very challenging winter.
Health and Social Care — House of Commons, 2021-12-03
Topic: Other
Edward John Comport Argar (Conservative, Centre-right): It looks as if I might be going on tour again; the same thing happened when I last did one of these statements. I am happy to go to "Bluecar"—or Redcar, to call it by its proper name—to see my hon. Friend in his constituency, and to make such a visit when it can be arranged.
Copyright (Rights and Remuneration of Musicians, etc.) Bill — House of Commons, 2021-12-03
Topic: Mixed Topics
Michael Jon Wood (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Gentleman spoke about his own illustrious music recording career earlier. Does he recognise that someone who sold 1 million copies of a single in the 1990s typically saw their single reach the top 25 singles of the year, whereas about 1,700 different artists had more than 1 million streams last year? He is right that there is a lot of streaming, but it is being shared so much more widely, so is it not inevitable that many people will receive less?
Copyright (Rights and Remuneration of Musicians, etc.) Bill — House of Commons, 2021-12-03
Topic: Other
Gregory Knight (Conservative, Centre-right): I declare an interest similar to the hon. Gentleman’s, but on a much more modest scale. Does he agree that, whatever one’s view of the Bill, there are issues that need to be addressed and that the best way of doing that is to put the Bill in Committee, where it can be scrutinised in detail and, if necessary, amended?
Copyright (Rights and Remuneration of Musicians, etc.) Bill — House of Commons, 2021-12-03
Topic: Other
Angela Joy Richardson (Conservative, Centre-right): Our right hon. Friend the Member for Maldon (Mr Whittingdale) talked about the blank tape levy, and as my hon. Friend is talking about lyrics, did he ever, like me, have blank tape recordings of songs from the radio and go back through them over and over again to try to find out the lyrics because they were not available?
Copyright (Rights and Remuneration of Musicians, etc.) Bill — House of Commons, 2021-12-03
Topic: Other
Andrew John Carter (Conservative, Centre-right): One of the great pleasures of coming into this House was meeting the hon. Member for Perth and North Perthshire (Pete Wishart). I remember, having worked in radio, hearing his songs on the radio, including "Loch Lomond" from his days in Runrig. I was able to go away and listen to his songs, and in fact I have some of them on my phone now, so having listened to him speak, I can listen to him sing as well.
Copyright (Rights and Remuneration of Musicians, etc.) Bill — House of Commons, 2021-12-03
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Gareth Mark Davies (Conservative, Centre-right): I completely agree with my hon. Friend that streaming has expanded the opportunity to become well known for artists who otherwise may not be that well known, whether they write music for films or television or write their own songs. Does he agree that streaming has also helped to reduce the prevalence of piracy, and that it should be welcomed as an innovation in the music industry?
Copyright (Rights and Remuneration of Musicians, etc.) Bill — House of Commons, 2021-12-03
Topic: Mixed Topics
Graham Charles Stuart (Conservative, Centre-right): We might expect the major corporations and music labels to say that the Bill would affect their ability to invest, but that does not necessarily mean that it is not true. Having already seen the market share of UK artists reduce over recent years, we really need to get the balance right, understand the dynamics of the system and proceed. We are all grateful to the hon. Member for Cardiff West (Kevin Brennan) for giving us the opportunity to discuss the matter and look at it very carefully.
Copyright (Rights and Remuneration of Musicians, etc.) Bill — House of Commons, 2021-12-03
Topic: Other
Michael Jon Wood (Conservative, Centre-right): The promoter of this Bill has suggested that the best way forward would be to pursue these issue in Committee, which would take some time. Clearly, the passage of the Bill would conclude within the current Session. Is it my hon. Friend’s understanding that the timetable for the engagement exercise that the Government have announced is a 12-month process—well beyond the timetable for the Bill?
Copyright (Rights and Remuneration of Musicians, etc.) Bill — House of Commons, 2021-12-03
Topic: Mixed Topics
Andrew John Carter (Conservative, Centre-right): Could the hon. Lady explain to me a practical point on this? If one particular artist were to give notice, that would then mean that the piece of music could not be broadcast or used in streaming. What would that mean for all the other artists performing on that track?
Copyright (Rights and Remuneration of Musicians, etc.) Bill — House of Commons, 2021-12-03
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Esther Louise McVey (Conservative, Centre-right): I do not have everyone’s company accounts, but I have been looking at those of Warner Music Group, and in particular at the amount that it is spending on what are described as "Artist Repertoire costs as a proportion of recorded income"— the money that it is investing in going out to find those new artists. I note that in 2017 the figure was 31.92%, and I am sure my hon. Friend will be surprised to learn that it went down in 2018, 2019 and 2020, to 30.13%. The amount that Warner Music Group says it is investing has gone down. As I said earlier, should these companies wish to identify an artist who could flourish, it is much easier to do so than it was 10, 20 or 30 years ago: they can see what an artist’s following is online. I end with a couple of questions for the Minister. Will he update the House on what is happening with the Competition and Markets Authority? When will we know the decisions and conclusions? Could he refer the legal contracts and this conflict of interest to the Law Society for investigation? It is time the record companies recognised the unjustifiable imbalances between the revenue they receive and the revenue received by artists, and adjusted their models to better account for the growing popularity of streaming services. For that reason I will be supporting the Bill today.
Copyright (Rights and Remuneration of Musicians, etc.) Bill — House of Commons, 2021-12-03
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Gareth Mark Davies (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend is making an extremely powerful speech outlining the importance of the music industry to our economy. Will he acknowledge that it is also a vital part of our tourism attraction, bringing in about £4.7 billion in tourism revenue for this country every year?
Copyright (Rights and Remuneration of Musicians, etc.) Bill — House of Commons, 2021-12-03
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Andrew John Carter (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank my hon. Friend for that, as he pre-empted exactly what I was going to say next. We are talking about £4.7 billion of spending in the UK economy, which was an increase of 6% of the prior year. UK music tourism is crucial, and it is so important that we have live performances back in concert venues, pubs and locations across the UK. Our music industry is a critical national asset. It makes us feel good. It enriches our lives with tunes that get into our head and make us tap our feet, and it really does set the mood for the nation. What we do in legislation in this space could have profound implications.
Copyright (Rights and Remuneration of Musicians, etc.) Bill — House of Commons, 2021-12-03
Topic: Other
Graham Charles Stuart (Conservative, Centre-right): There is huge interest and real concern across the House about getting this right. Often the House comes together like this on an issue, but then somehow in the Government it goes into the sidings. Can the Minister reassure all colleagues across the House who want to see action that he and the Government are committed to taking it forward energetically?
Copyright (Rights and Remuneration of Musicians, etc.) Bill — House of Commons, 2021-12-03
Topic: Other
George William Freeman (Conservative, Centre-right): I am grateful to my hon. Friend, a distinguished Back Bencher and former Minister, for raising that point. I myself have had private Members’ Bills, including ten-minute rule Bills, adopted by the Government; I have withdrawn them on the basis of an undertaking from the Minister. I have spoken to the hon. Member for Cardiff West, and obviously I understand that he wants to make his point, but I ask politely at the Dispatch Box, for the record, whether he might be prepared to withdraw the Bill today, work with me on tackling the measures in it, and bring it back in due course if he feels that the measures that I have put in place are inappropriate.
Copyright (Rights and Remuneration of Musicians, etc.) Bill — House of Commons, 2021-12-03
Topic: Domestic Commerce
George William Freeman (Conservative, Centre-right): I totally understand that the House will want to have a chance to express its opinion. The hon. Gentleman knows well that the private Member’s Bill process is not an ideal process for us to do the work we need to do in government. We have launched the Competition and Markets Authority work and we have a series of workstreams that I will describe in a moment. I would like to think that over the next few months—
Copyright (Rights and Remuneration of Musicians, etc.) Bill — House of Commons, 2021-12-03
Topic: Domestic Commerce
George William Freeman (Conservative, Centre-right): As I think the record will show, I was not actually suggesting that that in itself is always enough; I was just making the point that Spotify and other streaming services have provided a platform for many artists who would not otherwise have had a chance to acquire any following. The hon. Gentleman is right that we need to ensure that revenues are flowing fairly, which is why we have launched the Competition and Markets Authority work. The Intellectual Property Office in my Department is looking at other countries and we have set up a number of taskforces, which I will describe Before the House decides whether to force the question whether the Bill will proceed, I want to answer the point about our commitment.