argyrotsipi/train-dataset huggingface dataset:
Adult Social Care Funding — House of Commons, 2017-07-06
Topic: Social Welfare
Peter William Bone (Conservative, Centre-right): I gently say to the Minister that the only reason the Labour party was able to mention the "dementia tax" was that the Conservative party had put something stupid in its manifesto. This matter is far too important for party politics. Does the Minister agree that the social care system is broken and that we need a cross-party agreement on how to move forward?
Adult Social Care Funding — House of Commons, 2017-07-06
Topic: Social Welfare
Stephen Charles Brine (Conservative, Centre-right): I do think we need a cross-party, cross-country solution to the long-term funding of adult social care, which is why we started a debate during the recent election campaign, and why we need a proper consultation, which will be coming online later this year. My hon. Friend is absolutely right: this is far too important for the knockabout of party politics.
Adult Social Care Funding — House of Commons, 2017-07-06
Topic: Social Welfare
Stephen Charles Brine (Conservative, Centre-right): I will look into that. The hon. Gentleman makes an important point. I am sure that Members across the House take part in carers week events every year. I certainly do that in my constituency. It is at those events that we meet not only the staff who work in the system but the people who, day in and day out, do not have the life that they would like to have because they have caring responsibilities. We also meet young carers who do incredible work. The hon. Gentleman is right, and we should all say a clear thank you to those people for the work that they do.
Adult Social Care Funding — House of Commons, 2017-07-06
Topic: Social Welfare
Helen Olivia Bicknell Whately (Conservative, Centre-right): The extra money in the last Budget for social care is helping Kent County Council to provide more people with access to care, particularly at home, but the cost of social care is going to keep rising. Does my hon. Friend agree that we as a society need to have an honest conversation about how we fund those growing costs fairly across the generations?
Adult Social Care Funding — House of Commons, 2017-07-06
Topic: Macroeconomics
Stephen Charles Brine (Conservative, Centre-right): Yes. This is no different from the conversation that we are having about the funding of every other public service. It is very easy to take to the streets with placards saying "Spend more!" Indeed, I think the Leader of the Opposition spent the national debt several times over just in his response to the Queen’s Speech. This is why we need a proper debate and a consultation on long-term funding. Ultimately, it could come out of general taxation, but we have to have a debate as a country on how much we can afford to do while funding all the other public services. I have not noticed us being short of requests to increase funding in other areas as well. We have to have that honest debate as a country.
Adult Social Care Funding — House of Commons, 2017-07-06
Topic: Social Welfare
Stephen Charles Brine (Conservative, Centre-right): Of course Governments of all colours have delivered us to the place where we are at this very moment, but have this Government put more money into the social care system? Yes. Did we provide more money in the Budget this year? Yes. Are we allowing councils to raise more money? Yes. As I said earlier, we spend more on long-term care as a share of GDP than other industrialised countries, including Germany and Canada and the massive economy of the United States.
Adult Social Care Funding — House of Commons, 2017-07-06
Topic: Social Welfare
Wendy Morton (Conservative, Centre-right): As the Minister knows, about 2.8 million adults over the age of 65 are currently in receipt of formal or informal social care. Can he confirm that a recent Care Quality Commission report showed that, despite the pressures, the proportion of care services rated good or outstanding is actually increasing?
Adult Social Care Funding — House of Commons, 2017-07-06
Topic: Labor
Stephen Charles Brine (Conservative, Centre-right): They have not all been sensible, but yours was marginally more sensible As I said earlier, this is a rapidly growing sector and it is imperative that we get the right people into the right jobs. That is why it is so important to work with organisations such as Skills for Care to improve the level of skills, and people in this sector are expected to benefit from the national living wage.
Adult Social Care Funding — House of Commons, 2017-07-06
Topic: Social Welfare
Miriam Jane Alice Davies (Conservative, Centre-right): Adult social care funding has been raised with me across Eastleigh. Delayed discharge is also being prioritised by the clinical commissioning group, but Eastleigh’s Lib Dems on Hampshire County Council chose back in February not to support a further £27 million for the county’s social care budget. Will the Minister highlight the fact that some parties talk about action but simply fail to make a difference locally?
Jobcentre Plus: Closures — House of Commons, 2017-07-06
Topic: Labor
David Michael Gauke (Conservative, Centre-right): Yesterday’s announcement confirmed the proposals that were published in January. These changes will mean that the DWP will be able to offer a more efficient service, while delivering good value for the taxpayer, saving more than £140 million a year for the next 10 years. Eight out of 10 claims for jobseeker’s allowance and 99% of applications for universal credit full service are now made online, which means that DWP buildings are used much less, with 20% of the estate currently underutilised. Our estate plans must reflect the way customers interact with DWP now and in the future, not how they behaved in the past. I can assure the House that these changes will not lead to a reduction in the number of frontline jobcentre staff; in fact, to continue improving the service provided to customers, jobcentres are actively recruiting in many areas These changes are being made in consultation with DWP employees and their trade unions, which will ensure that the important connections that jobcentre staff have with the local community are preserved and customer services can be maintained The DWP’s private finance initiative contract with Telereal Trillium expires next March, which gives us an opportunity to review how we deliver our services. We have sought to rationalise our estate in a way that delivers value for the taxpayer and makes best use of the space available, while continuing to deliver vital support to our claimants and enabling the delivery of our reform agenda.
Jobcentre Plus: Closures — House of Commons, 2017-07-06
Topic: Labor
David Michael Gauke (Conservative, Centre-right): I shall begin with the hon. Lady’s first point about Jobcentre Plus staff. The reality is that in every nation and region there will be an increase in the number of jobcentre staff, from the beginning of the process to its end. Job numbers are going up, particularly as we roll out universal credit. She talks about 750 job losses, but only a small minority of them are likely to be redundancies among frontline jobcentre staff. She asked how many; we are probably looking at a range of 80 to 100 or so—I do not want to be too precise about that, but that is the maximum we are looking at, and we hope to be able to bring it down The fact is that the reforms take account of the changes in the welfare system resulting from the rolling out of the universal credit full service. It is absolutely right that we make use of the fact that it is the end of a contract and take the opportunity to find savings. We are talking about taxpayers’ money. We can find savings in the DWP’s estate and, at the same time, provide modern, up-to-date jobcentres that provide the service that is needed. That is the right thing to do. I am disappointed that the Labour party is going to stand against the careful and sensible use of public money, which is exactly what the Government are delivering.
Jobcentre Plus: Closures — House of Commons, 2017-07-06
Topic: Labor
Robert Henry Halfon (Conservative, Centre-right): In these difficult times, will my right hon. Friend praise Harlow jobcentre, which does a huge amount not only to support my jobs fairs but to encourage apprenticeships? Will he ensure that jobcentres throughout the country do everything possible to employ apprentices and to encourage employers themselves to have apprenticeships?
Jobcentre Plus: Closures — House of Commons, 2017-07-06
Topic: Labor
David Michael Gauke (Conservative, Centre-right): My right hon. Friend makes a good point, and he is a great champion of apprentices and apprenticeships. We do want to encourage them as much as possible, and the DWP and jobcentres are doing so throughout the country.
Jobcentre Plus: Closures — House of Commons, 2017-07-06
Topic: Labor
David Michael Gauke (Conservative, Centre-right): I make the point to the hon. Gentleman that when it comes to jobcentres—this was touched on by the hon. Member for Wirral West (Margaret Greenwood) in her remarks about Glasgow—after these reforms have been completed there will be a reduction in the number of jobcentres there, but Glasgow will still have more jobcentres per head of population than any other city in the United Kingdom. Also, a number of the Glasgow jobcentres were particularly under-utilised. It is sensible that we rationalise the estate and can deliver modern services. In some cases, we need much improved jobcentres, with improved facilities and greater capability to do more things. That is exactly what the strategy involves On the equality impact assessment, the Government have, as always, fulfilled their obligations in terms of the assessment they have made. I make the point again: I hope that the Scottish National party is not going to stand against the sensible use of Government estates to deliver public services in the most efficient and cost-effective way.
Jobcentre Plus: Closures — House of Commons, 2017-07-06
Topic: Social Welfare
Richard Michael John Ogilvie Graham (Conservative, Centre-right): Rationalising the use of the DWP’s property assets has to be a good thing, for the reasons that the Secretary of State has outlined. That is also true in city constituencies like mine where there is no danger of the JCP closing, but an opportunity perhaps to co-locate it alongside other services. Does my right hon. Friend agree that the more serious issue ahead is making sure that we have the right resources in the JCPs for the expanded roll-out of universal credit that is starting early next year?
Jobcentre Plus: Closures — House of Commons, 2017-07-06
Topic: Labor
David Michael Gauke (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend hits the nail on the head. That is exactly right. It is very important that we have jobcentres that are able to deal with the new and important role of providing the support that claimants need. I am talking about having the work coaches and the facilities in place. In some cases, that requires new, improved estates, and we should not be stuck just on the footprint that we happened to have a few years ago, particularly as there is now an opportunity to make those changes, given that the contract is coming to an end.
Jobcentre Plus: Closures — House of Commons, 2017-07-06
Topic: Labor
David Michael Gauke (Conservative, Centre-right): It is the case that there are sites in Chesterfield and Mansfield, which are within half an hour by car from the site that the hon. Lady mentions. It is anticipated that at least 75% of the staff—probably more—can be redeployed to other sites and will not be in a position in which redundancy is relevant, and of course the DWP is seeking to ensure that that number can be maximised.
Jobcentre Plus: Closures — House of Commons, 2017-07-06
Topic: Social Welfare
Nigel John Mills (Conservative, Centre-right): Does the Secretary of State agree on the importance of getting jobcentre staff to work outside jobcentres, in places such as food banks, to ensure that we are getting the right welfare claims in the right way?
Jobcentre Plus: Closures — House of Commons, 2017-07-06
Topic: Labor
David Michael Gauke (Conservative, Centre-right): There is an important outreach role that jobcentre staff can and will perform. It is simply not the case that all work is done within jobcentres themselves. Staff can provide outreach services in other sites as well, as indeed they will increasingly do.
Jobcentre Plus: Closures — House of Commons, 2017-07-06
Topic: Labor
David Michael Gauke (Conservative, Centre-right): As I have said, 99% register for universal credit online. Also, those who are seeking work are expected to spend up to 35 hours a week searching for work, and that includes the time taken to get to jobcentres, for example. In very particular cases, if there are those who are not able to make it to jobcentres, other arrangements can be made.
Jobcentre Plus: Closures — House of Commons, 2017-07-06
Topic: Labor
Philip Andrew Davies (Conservative, Centre-right): The Secretary of State is aware that I am unhappy about the closure of Shipley jobcentre. I have many questions for him that you would not allow me to go through now, Mr Speaker. Perhaps my right hon. Friend will meet me so that I can go through some of them with him. Just for now, will he confirm that some of that outreach work will continue to be delivered within the Shipley constituency, and will he also guarantee that the staff there can choose which other office to work at, which may be much closer to their home, so that they do not all have to move to Bradford?
Jobcentre Plus: Closures — House of Commons, 2017-07-06
Topic: Labor
David Michael Gauke (Conservative, Centre-right): I can give my hon. Friend an assurance that outreach work will continue in Shipley. Not just in Shipley but more generally, DWP will look to work with staff as much as possible to accommodate their preferences. I know that my hon. Friend has already met the Minister for Employment to discuss this matter, but I dare say that he and I will have further conversations on this point in the near future. Given previous experience, we will probably have many such conversations.
Jobcentre Plus: Closures — House of Commons, 2017-07-06
Topic: Labor
David Michael Gauke (Conservative, Centre-right): Let us be clear about the employment record over the past seven years. We have nearly 3 million people in work, youth unemployment has fallen by 375,000, the employment rate is at a record high and unemployment is at the lowest level since 1975. Some of the credit has to go to what jobcentres are delivering and the policies that the Government have pursued—those things have assisted. It is right that we continue to seek good value for money for the taxpayer, and I do not foresee any move towards further devolution in this area.
Jobcentre Plus: Closures — House of Commons, 2017-07-06
Topic: Labor
David Michael Gauke (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend raises an important point. There are steps that we take to assist more vulnerable claimants, such as being able to make visits, where necessary, in particular circumstances. That will continue, but it is absolutely right that we require those who are able to visit a jobcentre to do so.
Jobcentre Plus: Closures — House of Commons, 2017-07-06
Topic: Labor
David Michael Gauke (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank the hon. Gentleman for his recognition of the work that has been done to help those who were working miners. I think I am fairly confident in saying that employment numbers and unemployment numbers have moved in the right direction in his constituency over the past seven years, which may reflect the changing political nature of his constituency. The staff at the Bolsover site are moving to Staveley. Jobcentres do have a valuable role to play, as I have outlined, but it is right that we should have modern facilities and that is what these plans involve delivering.
Jobcentre Plus: Closures — House of Commons, 2017-07-06
Topic: Labor
Michael Alex Burghart (Conservative, Centre-right): Obviously, we are having this debate in the context of record employment. On both sides of the House, we should be welcoming the fact that fewer people are unemployed now than ever before. That has brought with it enormous social benefits—[Interruption.] If the hon. Member for Garston and Halewood (Maria Eagle) is patient for a moment, she will hear the question. In Wirral West, for example—
Jobcentre Plus: Closures — House of Commons, 2017-07-06
Topic: Labor
David Michael Gauke (Conservative, Centre-right): I agree with my hon. Friend. That is the right point, and the support that people need can often be better provided in well-equipped, modern—sometimes larger—jobcentres than by using the estate that may have served us well 10 or 15 years ago but is now out of date.
Jobcentre Plus: Closures — House of Commons, 2017-07-06
Topic: Labor
David Michael Gauke (Conservative, Centre-right): On the hon. Gentleman’s point about Sheffield Eastern Avenue centre closing, let me reassure him that outreach will be put in place in the local community, so there will continue to be a service in his area. The number of jobcentres in Sheffield is being reduced from seven to six, but in the context of that city that is the right move so that we have got six properly functioning, fully utilised centres rather than more.
Jobcentre Plus: Closures — House of Commons, 2017-07-06
Topic: Labor
Christopher Robert Chope (Conservative, Centre-right): May I say to my right hon. Friend that when the Labour Government closed down the Christchurch jobcentre the sky did not fall in. Would it not be sensible now, with fewer jobcentres, to ensure that they are open at weekends so that they are more accessible?
Jobcentre Plus: Closures — House of Commons, 2017-07-06
Topic: Labor
David Michael Gauke (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend makes a good point. Other Governments have also changed the estate system for jobcentres, and I do not think that was by any means disastrous. His point about opening at weekends is interesting. We would have the facility to do that, and we will keep it under review, considering value for money and so on. If there was a good case for that, it is certainly something we could do.
Jobcentre Plus: Closures — House of Commons, 2017-07-06
Topic: Labor
David Michael Gauke (Conservative, Centre-right): We do not expect people to miss appointments. As I said earlier, people looking for jobs are expected to spend 35 hours a week doing so, which should enable them to travel from Batley to Dewsbury in the time available. We would expect people to make appointments, but we would look at the individual circumstances if somebody has missed an appointment, to take into account whether there might be any mitigating factors.
Jobcentre Plus: Closures — House of Commons, 2017-07-06
Topic: Labor
David Michael Gauke (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend is right—it is outcomes that matter. In some circumstances co-location in itself may have benefits and in others having a jobcentre that is modern, properly designed and of sufficient scale to provide a range of services to claimants helps to improve outcomes. It is improved outcomes that we want.
Jobcentre Plus: Closures — House of Commons, 2017-07-06
Topic: Labor
David Michael Gauke (Conservative, Centre-right): Let us put this in context: 97% of JSA claimants are not sanctioned every month. Given the number of hours we expect people to spend looking for work, I think travelling to a jobcentre, just as people travel to work, is the way life operates for most people. If there are particular circumstances that result in someone being late for an assessment or meeting, they can be taken into account.
Jobcentre Plus: Closures — House of Commons, 2017-07-06
Topic: Labor
Matthew James Offord (Conservative, Centre-right): Does the Minister not realise that jobcentres are always needed under a Labour Government, whereas under this Government, with unemployment falling and 2.9 million more people in work, we should be spending money on getting more people into work and not on empty office space?
Jobcentre Plus: Closures — House of Commons, 2017-07-06
Topic: Labor
David Michael Gauke (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend makes a good point. One could be drawn into a comparison of the records on employment of Governments of different sorts. I am proud of this Government’s record. We have an important role in supporting people in getting into work, staying in work and improving their position. I would prefer to spend the resources we have on doing that as efficiently and effectively as possible, and we would not be doing that if we were wasting £140 million a year on an estate that is no longer fit for purpose.
Jobcentre Plus: Closures — House of Commons, 2017-07-06
Topic: Labor
David Michael Gauke (Conservative, Centre-right): Those who have been out of work for 13 weeks or more have access to a jobcentre discount card, which reduces their travel costs by half. A lot of people in their daily lives have to travel distances and be somewhere on time. We expect people to spend 35 hours a week searching for work, and that can include allowing good time to travel from home to a jobcentre. I think that is perfectly reasonable, but I repeat that if there are particular circumstances that result in someone missing an appointment, there is discretion regarding sanctions.
Jobcentre Plus: Closures — House of Commons, 2017-07-06
Topic: Government Operations
Stephen Charles Kerr (Conservative, Centre-right): Does my right hon. Friend agree that "the purpose of the estates review is to make sure that the estate is effective and reflects demands on the…service" Those are not my words but those of the Scottish National party Government Cabinet Secretary for Justice, Michael Matheson MSP, in relation to Police Scotland. They show that the SNP argue for rationalising the public services estate when it suits them.
Jobcentre Plus: Closures — House of Commons, 2017-07-06
Topic: Labor
David Michael Gauke (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend makes an excellent point. Governments have to ensure that public money is spent sensibly, and one of the ways of doing that is by rationalising the estate. Keeping open under-utilised jobcentres is simply not a good use of taxpayers’ money, and it does not do claimants any good either.
Jobcentre Plus: Closures — House of Commons, 2017-07-06
Topic: Labor
David Michael Gauke (Conservative, Centre-right): I make the point to the hon. Gentleman that there are many more appointments for which claimants are late than there are sanctions. It is simply not the case that being late automatically means a sanction; a judgment is made. I think we also have to recognise that many people in work have to catch three buses to get to work and are expected to be there on time, so I do not think it is unreasonable to expect people to travel to a jobcentre if they are able to do so. Glasgow continues to be the most generously provided for, in terms of the number of jobcentres, of any city in the United Kingdom.
Jobcentre Plus: Closures — House of Commons, 2017-07-06
Topic: Social Welfare
Ross Thomson (Conservative, Centre-right): In Aberdeen, Greyfriars House will close and staff will move to the front-facing jobcentre at Ebury House. Can the Secretary of State reassure my constituents that the level and quality of service and support they receive will not diminish following the decision, and what improvements can they expect to see in the level of service?
Jobcentre Plus: Closures — House of Commons, 2017-07-06
Topic: Labor
Miriam Jane Alice Davies (Conservative, Centre-right): There has been a 70% reduction in the number of jobseekers and unemployed people in my constituency since 2010. One of the best ways to reach vulnerable claimants who have not managed to get into work is outreach based at local colleges, where educational support could be tailored at the same time. Can the Secretary of State confirm that innovation is at the heart of these changes?