argyrotsipi/train-dataset huggingface dataset:
Budget Changes — House of Commons, 2016-03-21
Topic: Macroeconomics
Barry Strachan Gardiner (Labour, Centre-left): Does the Minister agree that it would have taken real courage for the Chancellor to come here today, and that in failing to show that courage he has shown he is not fit to lead his party? His failure of courage is not only that, however. It is a discourtesy to this House that renders us incapable of properly examining the Budget, because we do not know how the Chancellor proposes to meet his fiscal targets.
Budget Changes — House of Commons, 2016-03-21
Topic: Social Welfare
Deborah Angela Elspeth Marie Abrahams (Labour, Centre-left): Is it fair to make £4.4 billion of cuts to disabled people through the personal independence payment when they are twice as likely to live in poverty, and at the same time give tax breaks in corporation and capital gains tax?
Budget Changes — House of Commons, 2016-03-21
Topic: Social Welfare
Stephen John Doughty (Labour, Centre-left): Nearly 7,000 people with disabilities across Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan would have been hit by the cut to PIP. The Minister has not answered these questions, so I will ask them. Where is the Chancellor and why he is not here to apologise? Secondly, how will the £4.4 billion black hole be filled?
European Council — House of Commons, 2016-03-21
Topic: International Affairs
Patrick Bosco McFadden (Labour, Centre-left): Since the Bloomberg speech, the Prime Minister’s whole European strategy has been governed by trying to manage the divisions in his own party on that issue. Given the events of recent days, will he update the House on how that effort is going?
European Council — House of Commons, 2016-03-21
Topic: Macroeconomics
Paula Michelle Sherriff (Labour, Centre-left): I would like to thank the Prime Minister for what he said about the so-called tampon tax. This is a great victory for all who have campaigned on this issue, and I am sure that the whole House will congratulate Laura Coryton, whose petition did so much to raise awareness. Will the Prime Minister confirm that he will accept our cross-party amendment tomorrow to provide for a zero rate of VAT in this year’s Finance Bill, and that the Bill will pass through this House before the referendum in June? Will he pledge that this vital funding for women’s services that was provided from the receipts of this VAT will continue? I hope that today is the day on which we can consign the vagina-added tax to history.
European Council — House of Commons, 2016-03-21
Topic: International Affairs
Stephen Twigg (Labour, Centre-left): Last week, a cross-party group of MPs heard powerful testimony from an 18-year-old Yazidi girl who had been kidnapped by Daesh and subsequently escaped. John Kerry has now described Daesh’s action against the Yazidis and other minorities as genocide. Does the Prime Minister agree that we need to do more to help the Yazidis, and will he raise this matter with the Governments of Iraq and Turkey?
European Council — House of Commons, 2016-03-21
Topic: Macroeconomics
Dennis Edward Skinner (Labour, Centre-left): Will the Prime Minister give us an assurance that, in view of the financial mess that has been created with this Budget, this will be the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s last Budget? He has had eight already; only cats have nine lives.
European Council — House of Commons, 2016-03-21
Topic: Macroeconomics
Stella Judith Creasy (Labour, Centre-left): In his statement the Prime Minister mentioned the work of both his former Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and his current Chancellor, so is he ruling out, as he suggested to the right hon. Member for Hitchin and Harpenden (Mr Lilley), further negotiation with the EU on benefits and spending? How does he intend to fix the big hole in his Budget that appeared this weekend?
European Council — House of Commons, 2016-03-21
Topic: International Affairs
Nicklaus Thomas-Symonds (Labour, Centre-left): The Prime Minister’s tagging on of the events of recent days to a statement on international affairs reminds me of when one of his predecessors, Harold Macmillan, unsuccessfully tried to explain chaos in his own Treasury as "a little local difficulty". Does the Prime Minister accept that, with the revelation that the Chancellor does not care about vulnerable people because there are not enough Tory voters among them, his own little local difficulty means that compassionate conservatism is completely dead?
European Council — House of Commons, 2016-03-21
Topic: Social Welfare
John Eugene Joseph Dromey (Labour, Centre-left): Angela Maher, the proud mother of two disabled sons, rang me to say, "I could cry," and then she did, saying, "Why is it always people like us?" Can the Prime Minister rule out, as Robert Meadowcroft, the chief executive of Muscular Dystrophy UK, has said today, any further cuts to support for disabled people during this Parliament?
European Council — House of Commons, 2016-03-21
Topic: International Affairs
Barry John Sheerman (Labour, Centre-left): Does the Prime Minister agree that world populations are moving and changing in a way that we will not wish away? Does he agree that we need a strong and united European Union to manage those great challenges and that, without it, we will be alone and unable to help those people?
European Council — House of Commons, 2016-03-21
Topic: International Affairs
Geraint Richard Davies (Labour, Centre-left): Despite the Prime Minister’s best efforts to forge ever closer union within his own party, there is a real risk that the UK will become decoupled from its biggest market and most strategic ally. What impact does he think Russian bombing on Syria and tactical resignation by his Cabinet have had on the appetite for Brexit in Britain?
Welfare — House of Commons, 2016-03-21
Topic: Social Welfare
Yvette Cooper (Labour, Centre-left): The Secretary of State says that there will be no further savings beyond those legislated for. Will he confirm whether that means no alternative welfare cuts to meet the PIP cuts hole? Does it also mean not going ahead with the further £3 billion a year in cuts to meet the welfare cap on page 26 of the Red Book ? Given that he was part of the Cabinet that agreed to the Red Book, published last Wednesday, will he tell the House whether he thinks the entire Cabinet got it spectacularly wrong or just the Chancellor?
Welfare — House of Commons, 2016-03-21
Topic: Social Welfare
Stephen John Doughty (Labour, Centre-left): The Secretary of State may strike a different tone but in the end he is going to be judged by his actions. My constituents would like to know the following: will he scrap the bedroom tax? Will he scrap the cuts to ESA? And will he deal with the shameful treatment of older women and their pensions?
Welfare — House of Commons, 2016-03-21
Topic: Social Welfare
Barbara Mary Keeley (Labour, Centre-left): The new Secretary of State talked about being a one nation Conservative, but what does that mean to the UK’s 6.5 million carers, 52,000 of whom will have been worried about losing their carer’s allowance, with the link to the PIP changes? Those worries come on top of those of 60,000 unpaid family carers hit by the bedroom tax. Will this new Secretary of State start to consider the very people who provide the bulk of care in this country?
Welfare — House of Commons, 2016-03-21
Topic: Social Welfare
Christian John Patrick Matheson (Labour, Centre-left): The Secretary of State, whom I congratulate, talked about a decent society. Let me assure him that he is not in a position to lecture the House on a decent society, given that Conservative Members voted to cut ESA, cut tax credits and introduce the bedroom tax, and just five days ago were cheering the very cuts that they are now decrying. He spoke about providing support for the "most vulnerable" and those in the greatest need to make sure that they are "supported the most". The problem is that that excuse only works once. If someone has a disability, the chances are that they will not be cured. Will he therefore guarantee to the House today that those who are in receipt of PIP will not have to reapply for it, because their disability is so severe?
Welfare — House of Commons, 2016-03-21
Topic: Social Welfare
Angela Christine Smith (Labour, Centre-left): I congratulate the Secretary of State on his appointment. I hope his commitment to a more inclusive listening approach will deliver a more positive set of outcomes for disabled people, unlike the missionary zeal of his predecessor. Given that we now have a £4.4 billion gap—a big hole in the Red Book—will he say, as a member of the Cabinet, where the Government will find that money from? If it is from the welfare budget, which part of the welfare budget will be targeted?
Welfare — House of Commons, 2016-03-21
Topic: Macroeconomics
Daniel Stephen Zeichner (Labour, Centre-left): For almost three hours now, we have been addressed by a Treasury Minister, the Prime Minister and now the new Secretary of State, and yet we still have not had an answer to Labour’s very direct question of where the £4 billion is coming from. There are two possibilities: either the Government do not know, or they do know but will not tell us. Which is it?
Welfare — House of Commons, 2016-03-21
Topic: Social Welfare
Catherine Jane Smith (Labour, Centre-left): The Secretary of State is doing an excellent job of avoiding answering the question from the Opposition Benches. Where will the £4.4 billion be found? If it is not from the welfare bill, where will these savings be found?
Welfare — House of Commons, 2016-03-21
Topic: Social Welfare
Helen Catherine Goodman (Labour, Centre-left): We were all pleased to hear the Secretary of State say, "We have no further plans to make welfare savings beyond the very substantial savings legislated for". Can he therefore guarantee that there will be no reductions in rates or eligibility criteria for any social security benefits in this Parliament?
Welfare — House of Commons, 2016-03-21
Topic: Social Welfare
Peter John Kyle (Labour, Centre-left): I welcome the Secretary of State to his post. As my right hon. Friend the Member for Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford (Yvette Cooper) pointed out, page 26 of the Red Book commits the Government to £3 billion of cuts to meet the welfare cap. Is this not what his predecessor described over the weekend as "too focused on narrowly getting the deficit down" at the expense of the poorest? Is the £3 billion going to be honoured, and how he is going to deliver that?
Welfare — House of Commons, 2016-03-21
Topic: Social Welfare
Christopher Michael Leslie (Labour, Centre-left): The Secretary of State would do well, though, to recognise that there are a lot of very upset and unsettled disabled people who, having heard the Chancellor on Wednesday, were very concerned indeed. The new Secretary of State says that he wants to "reset the conversation". Does he not think he would do well to apologise for this appalling upset that people have felt over recent days? Will he use the word "sorry"?
Welfare — House of Commons, 2016-03-21
Topic: Social Welfare
Karen Patricia Buck (Labour, Centre-left): When the Secretary of State says, "Read my lips—no more cuts to welfare," he does not of course include the huge cuts in social security spending that have already been agreed and are still to be implemented. The Government website says: "If you’re ill or disabled, Employment and Support Allowance…offers you…financial support if you’re unable to work" Only last week, he, as a Government Minister, was telling people on his Facebook page that people on employment and support allowance were able to work. Will he correct that, please?
Welfare — House of Commons, 2016-03-21
Topic: Social Welfare
Gordon Marsden (Labour, Centre-left): The Secretary of State was keen to say that behind every statistic there is a human being, and in my constituency 1,586 human beings are in receipt of PIP and hundreds are on DLA and Motability. Some 13,000 people with disabilities lost their Motability claim last year. How will the Secretary of State ensure that Motability, which has had such a huge impact on the lives of disabled people, does not disappear down the plughole?
Welfare — House of Commons, 2016-03-21
Topic: Macroeconomics
Liam Dominic Byrne (Labour, Centre-left): Last year, the Government tried to cut tax credits and that plan failed. This year, they tried to cut disability benefits and that plan failed. The House wants to know who is next. Let us be clear: has the Chancellor of the Exchequer told the right hon. Gentleman that his budget is now set to rise by £4.2 billion? It is a simple question—yes or no?
Welfare — House of Commons, 2016-03-21
Topic: Macroeconomics
Tristram Hunt (Labour, Centre-left): The Budget’s cuts to capital gains tax and support for the wealthiest in the country were paid for by spending cuts for the most disadvantaged in our society, which was immoral. The right hon. Member for Chingford and Woodford Green (Mr Duncan Smith) said that he could not "watch passively" while such divisive policies targeted non-Tory voters. Why is the Secretary of State so craven and so keen to introduce such unfair policies?
Points of Order — House of Commons, 2016-03-21
Topic: Social Welfare
Owen Smith (Labour, Centre-left): On a point of order, Mr Speaker. Before the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions leaves the Chamber, may I point out that he said in his statement that the Government will not be seeking future savings from the welfare budget? However, Treasury sources were apparently briefing to The Sun newspaper during his statement that that is not what he means, and that he means that there are no "planned" increases in the cuts to the welfare budget in this Parliament. Can he tell us which it is?
Points of Order — House of Commons, 2016-03-21
Topic: Social Welfare
Rachel Jane Reeves (Labour, Centre-left): On a point of order, Mr Speaker. The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions says that he wants to listen to disabled people. There is a case in the Supreme Court at the moment. Paul and Sue Rutherford, who are constituents of the Secretary of State, won an exemption from the bedroom tax in the High Court, and that case is now in the Supreme Court. If the Secretary of State wants to listen to disabled people, perhaps he could listen to his own constituents and stop fighting tooth and nail against that exemption.
Budget Resolutions and Economic Situation — House of Commons, 2016-03-21
Topic: Macroeconomics
Clive James Charles Betts (Labour, Centre-left): On a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker. The Secretary of State gave me a direct answer about where in the Red Book the cost of the compensation for local authorities will come from is specified. He referred to page 84, line 15. However, that deals with the cost of the loss for small business rate relief, and does not deal with the grant that will replace it. Whereabouts is the section 31 grant covered in the Red Book?
Budget Resolutions and Economic Situation — House of Commons, 2016-03-21
Topic: Macroeconomics
Jon Hedley Trickett (Labour, Centre-left): How time flies. It was only late last year that the Secretary of State was buoyed up by the Chancellor’s announcement that he had found a few extra billion quid down the back of his settee. The Secretary of State came to the House and offered no less than a guaranteed budget for every council. Sadly, as the Financial Times put it recently, the good times lasted only about a month. By February, the Chancellor was thousands of miles away in Shanghai. From there, he announced to the British people that there would have to be more cuts. Did no one remind him of the ancient Chinese curse, "May you live in interesting times"? Yes, it is a curse. As we now know, the Budget is a mega-shambles, but in China the Chancellor was blaming foreigners for his problems. He said that the EU was flatlining, the Chinese economy was failing to grow and petrol prices were collapsing everywhere Today’s retreat means that there is a financial hole of a further £4 billion in the Government’s accounts. No explanation has been given as to how that hole will be filled. More importantly, we have been reminded this weekend by the resigning Secretary of State for Work and Pensions that there is an ethical hole, a moral vacuum, at the Government’s core.
Budget Resolutions and Economic Situation — House of Commons, 2016-03-21
Topic: Macroeconomics
Jon Hedley Trickett (Labour, Centre-left): The hon. Gentleman will not get away with that. The truth is that this Chancellor has been in charge of the nation’s finances for six years and he now wants to wash his hands of the mess he is making of the economy. I was talking about an ethical hole at the Government’s core. We still remember Conservative Members cheering last Wednesday. They thought it was okay to rob the benefits of the most vulnerable for the purpose of cutting taxes for the better-off. It is not only the cuts to the welfare budget that illustrate the Government’s willingness to attack the poor; it is also the cuts to local government. Furthermore, the way in which the cuts are being distributed across local government equally illustrates the ethical hole that I have described. Those councils that face the greatest social needs are now suffering the greatest grant reductions.
Budget Resolutions and Economic Situation — House of Commons, 2016-03-21
Topic: Social Welfare
Barbara Mary Keeley (Labour, Centre-left): The Secretary of State would not give way to answer questions on social care, and that is unfair because it is a key responsibility. He keeps trotting out the usual figure of £3.5 billion, but that is a false premise because the Local Government Association wanted £700 million to cover the two years that will not be covered by the better care fund. My local authority can bring in £1.6 million from the 2% social care precept but it is going to cost £2.7 million to pay for the national living wage in the care sector. That is the sort of gap that we are faced with.
Budget Resolutions and Economic Situation — House of Commons, 2016-03-21
Topic: Government Operations
Jon Hedley Trickett (Labour, Centre-left): I shall make a little progress, if I may, as a lot of people want to speak in the debate I was talking about the unfair distribution of cuts. The three most affluent areas in the country have had the lowest amount of cuts to their Government support since 2010, yet lo and behold, the same three affluent councils then received an extra £33.5 million from the Secretary of State’s transitional grant. That £33.5 million was 10% of the entire amount of transitional grant that was given to the whole country, just focused on the three most affluent councils I will give way to my hon. Friend the Member for Worsley and Eccles South (Barbara Keeley) if she wishes. It seems she does not. I evidently made such a devastating point that she is still reflecting on it Let me draw a comparison between the three most affluent councils and the most deprived councils in the country. [Interruption.] This is an important point. I hope Government Members are not scoffing. Liverpool, Knowsley, Hackney and Manchester not only had the most severe cuts to their budgets since 2010, but they did not receive a single penny in transitional grant. There is no rational explanation for such a distribution of Government largesse. Perhaps the Secretary of State will consider publishing the criteria by which the civil service distributed that £300 million. We have had no luck so far in finding out how he managed to produce a distribution that favoured the richest councils and penalised the most deprived.
Budget Resolutions and Economic Situation — House of Commons, 2016-03-21
Topic: Government Operations
Jon Hedley Trickett (Labour, Centre-left): I believe the hon. Gentleman said North Yorkshire. If I remember correctly, North Yorkshire got £10 million in transitional funds. West Yorkshire and south Yorkshire got not a single penny. Not a single council in the whole of west and south Yorkshire got a single penny, yet the cuts that west Yorkshire councils faced were much more acute than those that North Yorkshire had faced.
Budget Resolutions and Economic Situation — House of Commons, 2016-03-21
Topic: Government Operations
Liam Dominic Byrne (Labour, Centre-left): My hon. Friend is making his case well. Is there not worse to come? We heard last week that another £3.5 billion worth of efficiency savings are to be made in the final year of the forecast, yet this Secretary of State is asking many councils to agree four-year funding deals. Has my hon. Friend heard whether those that agree four-year funding deals will be spared that £3.5 billion extra efficiency savings, or will they just have the money taken off them?
Budget Resolutions and Economic Situation — House of Commons, 2016-03-21
Topic: Government Operations
Jon Hedley Trickett (Labour, Centre-left): Not a peep from the Secretary of State so far. Unfairness and inequality run through the DNA of this Government in every Department. Local government provides services that make the lives of the most vulnerable in our society bearable, yet it is suffering the most draconian cuts.
Budget Resolutions and Economic Situation — House of Commons, 2016-03-21
Topic: Government Operations
Jon Hedley Trickett (Labour, Centre-left): Of course. The Tories are not interested in looking after ordinary people and small businesses. They are interested in directing money at the privileged few Let me turn briefly to the subject of devolution, which the Secretary of State mentioned. In his Budget statement the Chancellor announced a number of devolution deals, about which concern has been expressed in all parts of the House. The Minister cannot say we did not warn him that there would be trouble on that from the Labour Benches. The whole process is far too top-down. The insistence on a single mayoral model has caused much resentment, especially in cities where the idea was recently voted down by local people in referendums It is not councils’ fault that there are these tensions—our councillors are under enormous pressure to get whatever they can for local residents. The fault lies entirely with the process imposed, not by the Secretary of State, but by the Chancellor, who is stubbornly refusing to allow ordinary citizens to have a say in how their areas should be governed.
Budget Resolutions and Economic Situation — House of Commons, 2016-03-21
Topic: Macroeconomics
Matthew Toby Perkins (Labour, Centre-left): Like other Conservative Members, the hon. Gentleman seems to be celebrating the fact that, under a Government that have seen the rich get much, much richer and the poor get much, much poorer, the rich are actually starting to pay more tax. Would it not be better not only if the top 20% paid more tax, but if the bottom 20% actually got wealthier rather than poorer?
Budget Resolutions and Economic Situation — House of Commons, 2016-03-21
Topic: Government Operations
Barbara Mary Keeley (Labour, Centre-left): Does the hon. Gentleman agree with the Chancellor, who, as part of devolution, has forced an elected mayor on Greater Manchester? Does he think we should have devolution without forcing elected mayors on areas that do not want them and never voted for them?