argyrotsipi/train-dataset huggingface dataset:
Higher Education and Research Bill — House of Commons, 2016-07-19
Topic: Immigration
Hugo Swire (Conservative, Centre-right): The right hon. Gentleman will have heard what my hon. Friend the Member for Cannock Chase (Amanda Milling) said, citing Sir Steve Smith, the vice-chancellor of Exeter University. He will also be aware of the huge number of overseas students at Exeter University, which make it one of the leading universities in the country, if not in the world. I know that the Minister shares my view about visas, but does he not recognise that in this period of uncertainty—not just because of Brexit, but because of visa restrictions—many universities are living in a state of fear? They are worried about European funding for various projects, as well as uncertainty about the visa regime.
Delegated Legislation — House of Commons, 2016-07-19
Topic: Other
John Simon Bercow (Conservative, Centre-right): Order. I appeal to Members who are leaving the Chamber to do so quickly and quietly, in the manner of the hon. Member for Kensington (Victoria Borwick), who is giving a fine example of seemly conduct to colleagues.
Prayers — House of Commons, 2016-07-18
Topic: Civil Rights
John Simon Bercow (Conservative, Centre-right): Order. I am sure that the whole House will join me in expressing sympathy and solidarity with the French people following Thursday’s horrific events in Nice. A short silence was held at 11 o’clock across the parliamentary estate to remember those involved. I have written to my counterpart, Claude Bartolone, this morning expressing condolences. I should also like to inform the House that I have received a letter from the President of the Chamber of Deputies of Italy telling me that her Chamber has established a cross-party committee on intolerance, xenophobia, racism and hate crime and has decided to name it the Cox Committee after our colleague, Jo Cox. In the President’s words: "Through this act, we will contribute to keeping the memory of Jo Cox, and of what she stood for, alive".
Business Rates — House of Commons, 2016-07-18
Topic: Mixed Topics
Lucy Allan (Conservative, Centre-right): I congratulate the Minister on his new appointment and I really look forward to working with him. Businesses want to move to Telford all the time, and for that reason the move to 100% business rate retention will mean welcome extra revenue for our council. Are there any plans to top-slice business rate income from councils with higher levels of business rate income to subsidise those with lower levels?
Business Rates — House of Commons, 2016-07-18
Topic: Mixed Topics
Sajid Javid (Conservative, Centre-right): I warmly welcome investment in our local communities—including in Cambridgeshire—wherever it comes from. I have not had a conversation with the Business Secretary, given that this news was announced only recently, but I know that the Chancellor has already issued a statement.
Business Rates — House of Commons, 2016-07-18
Topic: Housing
Michael Mark Prisk (Conservative, Centre-right): At present, the way in which business rates work imposes rates on empty properties. This is holding back many urban regeneration schemes. Will the new Secretary of State therefore reform the way in which those rules work before the whole scheme is transferred to local authorities? That would make a crucial difference to the modernisation of our housing estates in particular.
Business Rates — House of Commons, 2016-07-18
Topic: Mixed Topics
Sajid Javid (Conservative, Centre-right): I warmly welcome the hon. Gentleman’s words. As I have said, as we approach the policy of 100% business rates retention, there will of course be some redistribution to ensure that no council loses out if it has a low business rate funding base. The fair funding review will look at just that—fair funding—to ensure that every local area gets the funding it deserves.
Coastal Regeneration — House of Commons, 2016-07-18
Topic: Mixed Topics
Sajid Javid (Conservative, Centre-right): The Government recognise that coastal communities face particular challenges but have huge economic potential. We have already invested £120 million in 211 coastal communities fund projects and have provided £10,000 to each of the 118 coastal community teams.
Coastal Regeneration — House of Commons, 2016-07-18
Topic: Mixed Topics
Peter James Guy Aldous (Conservative, Centre-right): I welcome the Secretary of State to his place. While a great deal is taking place to regenerate coastal towns such as Lowestoft, there is a concern, as highlighted by the British Hospitality Association last week, that such initiatives are not co-ordinated. In the first full week of the new Government, I urge the Secretary of State to appoint a Minister to work across Departments to address that concern.
Coastal Regeneration — House of Commons, 2016-07-18
Topic: Mixed Topics
Sajid Javid (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend works hard on his constituents’ behalf and has already helped to secure almost £2 million from the coastal communities fund for his area, but he makes an excellent point about cross-Government co-operation. I am pleased to announce that my hon. Friend the Member for Brigg and Goole (Andrew Percy) is the Minister who will take responsibility for this area, so we can all be assured that it is in very safe hands. I also want to thank my right hon. Friend the Member for Rayleigh and Wickford (Mr Francois) for all his excellent work.
Coastal Regeneration — House of Commons, 2016-07-18
Topic: Mixed Topics
Sajid Javid (Conservative, Centre-right): If the hon. Gentleman will forgive me, at this point I have not had any discussions with my colleagues in Northern Ireland, but I can reassure him that they will be a priority, because it is good to talk and to co-ordinate even where policies are devolved.
Homelessness — House of Commons, 2016-07-18
Topic: Housing
Marcus Charles Jones (Conservative, Centre-right): We are committed to putting prevention at the heart of our approach to homelessness. We have committed £315 million to local authority homelessness prevention funding and will work with local authorities, charities and Departments to consider further reforms, including legislation.
Homelessness — House of Commons, 2016-07-18
Topic: Housing
Marcus Charles Jones (Conservative, Centre-right): Homelessness acceptances remain less than half what they were under the peak of the Labour Government in 2003-04. That said, one person without a home is one too many. Last year, we provided Bristol with £1 million of homelessness prevention funding, which will be maintained each year across this Parliament. I know that Bristol is starting to do some innovative things in homelessness prevention, and I would very much like to meet the Mayor of Bristol to discuss both the work that is being done on rough sleeping and the task and finish group, which I know has been set up.
Homelessness — House of Commons, 2016-07-18
Topic: Housing
Richard Michael Bacon (Conservative, Centre-right): Given the provisions of the Self-Build and Custom Housebuilding Act 2015, a piece of legislation for which I have a certain affection, will the Secretary of State look at the work of the Community Self Build Agency, which is allowing vulnerable groups, such as the unemployed, the disabled and others, including homeless veterans, to obtain a place of their own and to stop being homeless?
Homelessness — House of Commons, 2016-07-18
Topic: Housing
Marcus Charles Jones (Conservative, Centre-right): I had great enjoyment on the Housing and Planning Bill Committee, where my hon. Friend made considerable representation on behalf of people involved in self-build. It is certainly an important area, and one in which the new Minister for Housing and Planning, my hon. Friend the Member for Croydon Central (Gavin Barwell), is interested, and he would certainly be keen to meet my hon. Friend to discuss that further.
Homelessness — House of Commons, 2016-07-18
Topic: Housing
Marcus Charles Jones (Conservative, Centre-right): We are certainly keen to listen to what is going on in other parts of the Union, but we do need to acknowledge that the housing market in Scotland is different from that in England, and particularly from that in London. I am always keen to hear what we are doing in other parts of the UK so that we can improve the way in which we deal with homelessness prevention.
Homelessness — House of Commons, 2016-07-18
Topic: Housing
Marcus Charles Jones (Conservative, Centre-right): We are certainly looking at what has happened in Wales and at the way in which the legislation has been changed. It is extremely important that we assess the effectiveness of those changes. Those changes have only just been introduced, and we are looking carefully at their impact, but we need to look at not just one or two quarters of figures but a longer term picture to ensure that the changes in Wales would correlate to and work with the English system. I hear what the hon. Lady says on the right to buy, but people should have the opportunity to own their own home, and this Government are absolutely committed to that.
Council Services — House of Commons, 2016-07-18
Topic: Housing
Miriam Jane Alice Davies (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank the Minister for his response. Proper local plans for good front-line planning departments are labour intensive and require meticulous work by local authority officers. Does the Minister agree that creating a poor plan, which then fails due to a lack of evidence, is an example of the shocking waste of hard-earned council taxpayers’ money?
Council Services — House of Commons, 2016-07-18
Topic: Housing
Sajid Javid (Conservative, Centre-right): I find myself agreeing with my hon. Friend. Planning should be at the heart of what local councils do. Local councils should be setting a vision for the area, and using that as a framework for development. It should be a top priority for all councils. Where it does not happen, we should expect them to resource it properly.
Social Housing — House of Commons, 2016-07-18
Topic: Housing
Questions: What assessment he has made of the potential effect of the UK leaving the EU on the level of funding available for social housing.
Gavin Barwell (Conservative, Centre-right): Housing is a devolved matter. In England we have committed £8 billion to deliver 400,000 much-needed affordable homes—the largest affordable housing programme for nearly 40 years. The result of the EU referendum does not change that commitment.
Social Housing — House of Commons, 2016-07-18
Topic: Housing
Questions: What assessment he has made of the potential effect of the UK leaving the EU on the level of funding available for social housing.
Gavin Barwell (Conservative, Centre-right): That obviously makes some contribution towards our delivery of affordable housing but, as I said, the Government have committed £8 billion. That will deliver starter homes, shared ownership homes and more affordable and intermediate rent housing. This is the largest programme that we have seen in more than 40 years and it will make a big contribution to tackling the housing issues that we see in our country.
Social Housing — House of Commons, 2016-07-18
Topic: Housing
Questions: What assessment he has made of the potential effect of the UK leaving the EU on the level of funding available for social housing.
Kevin Paul Hollinrake (Conservative, Centre-right): I welcome the Minister to his new post, and I welcome the Government focus on affordable homes to buy through the starter homes programme, but we also need affordable homes to rent. Does the Minister agree that as we have made the decision to leave the EU, now is the right time to consider more investment in social rented homes to meet local needs and local affordability?
Social Housing — House of Commons, 2016-07-18
Topic: Housing
Questions: What assessment he has made of the potential effect of the UK leaving the EU on the level of funding available for social housing.
Gavin Barwell (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend is right to say that we need a mix of tenures—a mix of offers. That is what the programme provides. He tempts me into decisions that will ultimately be for the Government and for the Chancellor at the next Budget, but he makes a powerful case for further investment in affordable housing.
Social Housing — House of Commons, 2016-07-18
Topic: Housing
Questions: What assessment he has made of the potential effect of the UK leaving the EU on the level of funding available for social housing.
Gavin Barwell (Conservative, Centre-right): The simple answer to the Select Committee Chairman’s first question is yes, we are still committed to building a million new homes. Across this House, I hope, there is a consensus that we need to increase the level of house building. As I said to my hon. Friend the Member for Thirsk and Malton (Kevin Hollinrake), we are looking at a mixed programme, including investment in affordable and intermediate rent, as well as shared ownership and helping people to own their own homes. I point the hon. Gentleman to the research that shows that 86% of our constituents want to own their own home. One of the critical things that we should all be trying to do is help people enjoy the opportunity that nearly all of us as Members of Parliament enjoy.
High Street Retailers — House of Commons, 2016-07-18
Topic: Housing
Marcus Charles Jones (Conservative, Centre-right): This Government are supporting our high streets to thrive. We have introduced the biggest-ever cut in business rates, worth £6.7 billion, launched the high street pledge and the digital high street pilots, and introduced a fairer parking regime and sensible planning changes, and we are celebrating our high streets through the hugely successful annual Great British High Street competition.
High Street Retailers — House of Commons, 2016-07-18
Topic: Mixed Topics
Luke Anthony Hall (Conservative, Centre-right): Chipping Sodbury has entered the Great British High Street competition. It has been the home of markets since the middle ages. It hosts mock fairs, Victorian evenings and the annual Sheep Search classic car runs. It is home to the Fabulous Baker Brothers. It has seven pubs on the high street alone. Will the Minister therefore welcome Chipping Sodbury’s application and perhaps visit one of the most beautiful high streets in the United Kingdom?
High Street Retailers — House of Commons, 2016-07-18
Topic: Housing
Marcus Charles Jones (Conservative, Centre-right): I am absolutely delighted to hear that Chipping Sodbury has entered the competition; it sounds as though it will put in a very competitive bid. The competition has been a wonderful initiative, which has shone a light on high streets around the country, where local people are working hard to make sure their high street remains at the heart of their local community. Last year we received nearly 200,000 votes from members of the public for the finalist, showing how much high streets mean to local people. I wish Chipping Sodbury well and hope to visit it, but I would also encourage other towns in my hon. Friend’s constituency to enter, such as Thornbury, where my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State’s dad used to run a ladies’ fashion shop.
High Street Retailers — House of Commons, 2016-07-18
Topic: Housing
Andrew Bingham (Conservative, Centre-right): The high streets in my constituency—in places such as Buxton and Glossop—are very much the hub of the town, so anything my hon. Friend can do to ensure we do not sit on our laurels and think, "We’ve done it" would be welcome. Will he tell me that we will continue to look to help the high street? As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will confirm following his visit to Glossop last year, it has a vibrant, happening high street that is crucial to the community.
High Street Retailers — House of Commons, 2016-07-18
Topic: Mixed Topics
Marcus Charles Jones (Conservative, Centre-right): The Government are absolutely taking action to protect our much-loved high streets. We have introduced the biggest-ever cut in business rates, which will mean that 600,000 of the smallest businesses will not have to pay business rates again. Just last week, I also announced the high street pledge, under which 40 of our country’s largest multiple retailers have signed up to local managers taking part in local initiatives to support the high street. I know my hon. Friend’s area and towns such as Glossop, and they are fantastic places for people to live, work, shop and socialise. I would encourage him to encourage his local areas to put some of those towns forward for the Great British High Street competition 2016.
High Street Retailers — House of Commons, 2016-07-18
Topic: Mixed Topics
Marcus Charles Jones (Conservative, Centre-right): I am not going to bash businesses that create jobs and growth for our economy, but what I would say to the hon. Lady is that the Great British High Street competition identified some excellent practice, where things were going well and people were working extremely hard, and we have a good practice guide. I suggest that she pop down to Pitshanger Lane in Ealing, which has a fantastic high street and which is the proud recipient of the Great British High Street competition award 2015.
High Street Retailers — House of Commons, 2016-07-18
Topic: Housing
Marcus Charles Jones (Conservative, Centre-right): We have to realise that there is a significant structural shift taking place in retailing, with many people now choosing to buy their goods online and in out-of-town shopping centres, rather than on the high street. We need to make sure, though, that the high street is fit for the 21st century. The Future High Streets Forum, which I jointly chair, is looking at how we restructure our high streets to bring in new investment, and particularly at how we bring more starter homes into our town centres so that we can start to really rejuvenate and regenerate places that offer something that out-of-town shopping and shopping on the internet just cannot compete with.
Rough Sleeping/Homelessness — House of Commons, 2016-07-18
Topic: Housing
Marcus Charles Jones (Conservative, Centre-right): One person without a home is one too many. That is why we have increased central funding for homelessness to £139 million over this Parliament and protected council homelessness prevention funding totalling £315 million by 2020.
Rough Sleeping/Homelessness — House of Commons, 2016-07-18
Topic: Housing
Edward Julian Egerton Leigh (Conservative, Centre-right): Supporting homeless people will require real resources given to real people, such as the £115 million promised to the homeless charity Caritas Anchor House. May I encourage the Minister—and, indeed, the Secretary of State—to avoid, as he comes into his new responsibilities, just changing the deckchairs in different parts of Whitehall? In this context, will he please ditch his policy, or that of his predecessor, to impose an elected mayor on Lincolnshire?
Rough Sleeping/Homelessness — House of Commons, 2016-07-18
Topic: Housing
Marcus Charles Jones (Conservative, Centre-right): I am sure that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has heard my hon. Friend’s question about the potential, or not, elected mayor in Lincolnshire. With regard to homelessness, it is always good to hear about how charities such as the one that he mentioned are using innovative ways to tackle old problems. Providing support to help people to recover from homelessness is extremely important. It is absolutely key that we help people in that position to start to rebuild their lives. That is why we are investing £20 million in tackling rough sleeping and £100 million in move-on accommodation from hostels and refuges.
Rough Sleeping/Homelessness — House of Commons, 2016-07-18
Topic: Mixed Topics
Marcus Charles Jones (Conservative, Centre-right): We are absolutely supportive of the approach taken by No Second Night Out, which my Department rolled out nationally in the previous Parliament. I absolutely want to build on the success of this initiative. Our new £10 million rough sleeping fund will scale up ways in which we can prevent and reduce rough sleeping. It will also go further, building on the successful approaches of No Second Night Out—and indeed "no first night out", because it is best if we can prevent people from being on the streets at all. Details of this programme and the bidding round will be announced shortly.
Rough Sleeping/Homelessness — House of Commons, 2016-07-18
Topic: Housing
Marcus Charles Jones (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend makes a good point. Charities play an extremely valuable part in the fight against homelessness. I know that he has taken part in a sleep-out to raise money for Beacon House, which this Department has also supported financially. I chair a round table with chief executives of a number of these vital homelessness charities to discuss what more can be done. The information that we have gathered at these meetings feeds directly into the ministerial working group, which I also chair.
Rough Sleeping/Homelessness — House of Commons, 2016-07-18
Topic: Housing
Marcus Charles Jones (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Gentleman makes extremely fair points. That is why we are investing £1.6 billion over this Parliament to deliver an additional 100,000 homes for affordable rent. His point about mental health is extremely well made. I chair a ministerial working group and am working with other Departments, and Ministers in other Departments, to ensure that the links between things such as mental health issues and drink and drug dependency are dealt with across Government, because this is not just a housing issue.
Rough Sleeping/Homelessness — House of Commons, 2016-07-18
Topic: Housing
Marcus Charles Jones (Conservative, Centre-right): As I said in my answer to the previous question, this is not just a housing issue and therefore we are working across Government to try to resolve it. We are putting a significant amount of money— £139 million—into this important issue during this spending review period. That includes £10 million to scale up initiatives to prevent and reduce rough sleeping, which is extremely important, and £10 million for an upgraded social impact bond, which had a significant amount of success during the last Parliament.
Rough Sleeping/Homelessness — House of Commons, 2016-07-18
Topic: Housing
Questions: Following the examination by the Communities and Local Government Committee, of which I am a member, of homelessness policy, and the private Member’s Bill promoted by my hon. Friend the Member for Harrow East (Bob Blackman), will the Minister look into an approach whereby local authorities in England are specifically measured on their responsibility for homelessness?
Marcus Charles Jones (Conservative, Centre-right): We are aware that the Select Committee is due to publish its report shortly. Although we have not yet had sight of the report, I am keen to see the Committee’s recommendations and how it can help shape our programme of work. We want to ensure that local authorities have the tools that they need to put prevention absolutely at the heart of tackling homelessness. Good data and measurement are vital for that prevention, and that is why we are currently looking at how the data are collected and used to support prevention, so that we can find those at risk of becoming homeless far earlier than we do at present.
House Building — House of Commons, 2016-07-18
Topic: Housing
Gavin Barwell (Conservative, Centre-right): The need for new homes continues, as does our commitment to delivering 1 million of them by 2020. We are keeping markets under review, and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and I will meet the major house builders this week.