argyrotsipi/train-dataset huggingface dataset:
Finance Bill — House of Commons, 2017-10-31
Topic: Labor
Anneliese Jane Dodds (Labour, Centre-left): I am grateful to the hon. Lady for her comments, but I must tell her that the consultation on the measure did not reveal widespread evidence of such manipulation of the rules. It was quite clear in that regard. Indeed, when advice was sought about appropriate measures in this area in the future, a range of different views came from stakeholders and consultees about the way forward. She is right to say that we are not talking about these changes affecting everyone who is made redundant. They apply to a minority of people, but it could be people who have had a very difficult time and who really rely on that redundancy payment for sustaining some kind of quality of life into the future. It is absolutely important that we have a proper debate about, and parliamentary scrutiny of, any changes, which is exactly what our amendments are intended to do I was talking about the new plans for injury to feelings payments as part of termination payments. I noted that there were many claims from the Government on this topic on First and Second Readings of the Bill, not least that payments allotted via tribunals would not be affected by these measures, but it is not the case that employment tribunals can decide whether payments are subject to tax or otherwise. That is not within their power. Yes, in some cases, some types of employment tribunal award are "grossed up" to take account of the tax that will be due, but that is very different from deciding whether an award is in and of itself taxable, which seemed to be implied in some of the previous debates on this issue In addition, the measures proposed in the Bill would cover the far more common payments made directly by an employer to settle discrimination complaints as part of a redundancy or other dismissal.
Finance Bill — House of Commons, 2017-10-31
Topic: Labor
Eleanor Claire Reeves (Labour, Centre-left): I am grateful for the opportunity to speak once again in the debate about the taxation of termination payments Before entering this place, I was an employment rights lawyer for more than decade, so this issue is very important to me. I have represented employees who had been dismissed and discriminated against day in, day out. Very often, this would involve negotiating termination packages or settlement agreements for them. The Bill seems to make it harder for people to get proper compensation for their ill treatment. Having seen at first hand the devastating effect that dismissal and discrimination can have on someone’s life, I am deeply concerned that the Bill seeks to narrow the scope of termination payments An employee can currently receive up to £30,000 in tax-free compensation as part of a settlement package. The figure already excludes from the tax-free amount things that would generally be considered as pay, such as accrued but untaken holiday pay, any unpaid wages or bonuses due, and pay in lieu of notice that is provided for in the contract of employment. However, sums for future loss of earnings or for injury to feelings are generally not subject to tax, provided they do not exceed £30,000 Far from this being about tax avoidance, it is about properly compensating people who have been wrongly treated rather than treating them as a means to top up the coffers. Despite this, the Government wants to give themselves the power to decrease the tax-free amount that can be paid to an employee upon termination. Under the proposals, the threshold could be reduced using secondary legislation, without the full and proper scrutiny of parliament. The Minister says that the Government have no intention to reduce the threshold.
Finance Bill — House of Commons, 2017-10-31
Topic: Labor
Eleanor Claire Reeves (Labour, Centre-left): We know that redundancy payments and the way in which they are capped means that they often do not adequately compensate people after they have been dismissed from work. The fact that the Government want to give themselves the power to decrease the threshold prompts a question: why do they want to do it if they do not want to exercise that power? It seems that they would treat those who have suffered wrong treatment in the workplace as a source of revenue rather than as victims worthy of support. This is all the more important when taking into account the fact that the tax-free threshold has not increased since 1988.
Finance Bill — House of Commons, 2017-10-31
Topic: Labor
Eleanor Claire Reeves (Labour, Centre-left): The amount should reflect someone’s loss of earnings, their ability to get back on their feet and the injury they have suffered after redundancy, so it is not good enough to tell 15% of these people, "We don’t care about you." If the threshold had risen in line with prices, it would be £71,000 today. Surely the Government should be going after the billions hidden in tax havens and the corporations that avoid paying tax, as well as properly resourcing HMRC, rather than going after those who have been treated badly at work. Being dismissed or discriminated against at work can have a catastrophic effect on someone’s life, so the Government should not be attacking those who might be at their most vulnerable.
Finance Bill — House of Commons, 2017-10-31
Topic: Macroeconomics
Jonathan Neil Reynolds (Labour, Centre-left): I rise to speak to amendments 7 to 11, which relate to the Government’s Making Tax Digital proposals. I do not think I will be able to get in any references to ancient Rome or Greece, unlike my colleagues, because of the subject matter Given that the debate on this package of measures has been ongoing since the first version of the Finance Bill, Labour’s many concerns have been well rehearsed at every stage of the discussions. However, they are not our concerns alone. They echo the worries of businesses, service providers and the trade associations that represent them, including the Institute of Chartered Accountants, the Chartered Institute of Taxation and the Federation of Small Businesses We recognise that Labour’s repetition of and emphasis on the potential damage that the measures might have had has led to a number of concessions over the summer. The Government had to concede that the timeline for implementation was not feasible and undertook a U-turn to delay the implementation of digital reporting for VAT until 2019. The Federation of Small Businesses described that change to the timetable as a "lifeline for small firms". Labour has also ensured that there is an exemption for small businesses operating under the VAT threshold of £85,000 However, we do not believe that those changes are enough. That is why Labour proposes this package of amendments today. To be clear, we support the principle of digitising tax returns, as we would any measure that purported to simplify the compliance and reporting burden on UK businesses and that might help HMRC efficiently and accurately to collect the amount of tax it is owed. That does not change the fact that the Government have made a chaotic mess of implementing Making Tax Digital. This significant and important change to the system needs to be approached with due care and attention If the Government’s measures are carried out as currently proposed, there is a risk that added costs and unintended consequences will be passed on to small and medium-sized businesses, as tax experts and accountants have warned. The Government’s target implementation date is unrealistic and unworkable. What is more, it will coincide with the uncertainty created by Britain’s departure from the EU, which is already creating a significantly tougher operating climate for small businesses. I note the comments made by Conservative Members during the debate on the first group of amendments about not wanting a review of any measure in the Finance Bill to coincide with Brexit. I am sure that they will apply that view consistently to this package of measures. To be frank, nobody is sure whether HMRC or business can be ready for the implementation date. At present, the plans are rushed and poorly thought through. This is why our amendment proposes that the date is put back to 2022 to allow time for consideration and compliance and to avoid a clash with our exit from the European Union.
Finance Bill — House of Commons, 2017-10-31
Topic: Macroeconomics
James McMahon (Labour, Centre-left): We are told time after time that we should live within our means and that our public services will pay the price if we do not, so is it not the case that the first thing we should do is to maximise our means?
Finance Bill — House of Commons, 2017-10-31
Topic: Macroeconomics
Stella Judith Creasy (Labour, Centre-left): I make it clear that I am not making advances to the Minister; I am making arguments to him. Let me ask him one simple question: if this is so complicated—if it seems that the UK Treasury cannot do it—why can most other countries operate without a loophole?
Finance Bill — House of Commons, 2017-10-31
Topic: Macroeconomics
Stella Judith Creasy (Labour, Centre-left): I disagree with the words "at considerable length." I am grateful to the Minister for trying to explain what I am attempting to do. For the avoidance of doubt, the Opposition are asking that British taxpayers and businesses who are paying this charge know exactly what other companies are getting off paying. He tried to mention something from the Office for Budget Responsibility and he clearly has some figures in his head for how much the loophole is potentially costing the British taxpayer. Will he repeat loudly and clearly what he thinks the number is and where he got his evidence?
Finance Bill — House of Commons, 2017-10-31
Topic: Macroeconomics
Jonathan Neil Reynolds (Labour, Centre-left): I beg to ask leave to withdraw the amendment Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. Clause 62 Digital reporting and record-keeping for VAT Amendment proposed: 11, page 79, line 19, at end insert— ‘(6A) Regulations under sub-paragraph (5) may not impose mandatory requirements for businesses to generate quarterly updates."—(Jonathan Reynolds.) This amendment provides that any system for quarterly updates to be generated must not be mandatory. Question put, That the amendment be made.
Finance Bill — House of Commons, 2017-10-31
Topic: Macroeconomics
Peter Christopher Dowd (Labour, Centre-left): The Finance Bill that is before the House is nothing short of a wasted opportunity. It is indicative of a Government who wish to serve the interests of a wealthy few at the expense of the many. That is a fact. Rather than introducing measures to bolster people in their daily lives, such as sensible proposals on investment, fair taxation, raising the UK’s woeful productivity and improving the terrible productivity in many of the regions, the Finance Bill will, if it is enacted, water down workers’ rights, bring added financial burdens to small and medium-sized businesses and exempt offshore trusts from any reform of non-dom status. It is telling that Conservative Members spent more time on the latter than they did on redundancy payments or digital taxation, which affects many of our small businesses. This Government are enveloped in atrophy. They have done nothing to tackle falling wages, deal with rising levels of personal debt, or tackle poor productivity. They have overseen an economy in which women are paid, on average, 14% less than men, and in which there are large race and disability income gaps. They refuse to invest in the nation’s infrastructure or in the British people. Under Tory rule, Britain has become one of the most unequal countries in Europe. UK Government investment is lower than that of every other major economy. That is a fact Inflation is outstripping wage rises, while housing and energy bills are rising once more and our productivity is lower than in the rest of the G7. What a record after seven years. The public sector pay cap has driven down wages, and cuts to in-work benefits are leading to more people than ever using food banks, with 1 million food parcels having been given out. Meanwhile, the Chancellor boasts of high levels of employment, but is in absolute denial about the rising numbers of people in insecure, low-paid work that does not meet their needs and those of their families The Government have managed to stitch up Public Bill Committees, despite not having a majority, and they are using arcane rules to deny this House the ability to amend and scrutinise legislation. The younger generation feel betrayed after seven years of Tory austerity. The Government have trebled tuition fees to over £9,000 and abolished maintenance grants, ensuring that the average working-class student leaves university heavily in debt and with little prospect of relieving it. The bottom line is that the Tory Government are in complete and utter decay. The housing market is entrenching and extending inequality between regions, classes and generations. Quite frankly, we cannot support a Bill that does not put any of that right, so we will not support it.
Scunthorpe Market — House of Commons, 2017-10-31
Topic: Agriculture
Nicholas Dakin (Labour, Centre-left): I rise to present a petition on behalf of my constituents. There are 19,000 names on this petition, all gathered within four weeks, which demonstrates the determination of Scunthorpe market traders and their customers to stand up for the market in the face of the threat posed to its future by North Lincolnshire Council The petition states: The petition of residents of Scunthorpe County Constituency, Declares that Scunthorpe Market has been trading on the same site for over a century serving generations of local people; further that North Lincolnshire Council may split the market over two sites; and further object to the North Lincolnshire Council’s plan to move traders to an outdoor market on the grounds of: impracticality, hygiene considerations and concerns around stock The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges the Government to reach out to North Lincolnshire Council to encourage them to keep Scunthorpe Market together in the current location And the petitioners remain, etc [P002071]
Policing Orgreave — House of Commons, 2017-10-31
Topic: Law and Crime
Sarah Deborah Champion (Labour, Centre-left): I rise to present a petition of the residents of the United Kingdom to request that this House urges the Government to hold a public inquiry into the so-called "battle of Orgreave". The Government argued a year ago that no lessons could be learned from an inquiry and that, because no one had died, justice could go unserved. But, in the words of the Prime Minister, historical inquiries are not archaeological excavations. They are not purely exercises in truth and reconciliation. They do not just pursue resolution. They are about ensuring justice is done The petition states: The petition of residents of the United Kingdom, Declares that the events of Orgreave Coking Plant in June 1984 and the aftermath, had a huge and lasting impact upon coal field communities; and further to public suspicion surrounding the actions of the South Yorkshire Police a deep mistrust in the community remains as a result The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges the Government to commit to a full public inquiry into policing at Orgreave, and its aftermath to finally authoritatively establish the truth And the petitioners remain, etc [P002072]
Royal Mail Privatisation — House of Commons, 2017-12-12
Topic: Labor
Christian John Patrick Matheson (Labour, Centre-left): I refer to my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests. As postal workers trudge through the snow this morning, they will have a right to be aggrieved at losing their pensions, while Moya Greene gets paid £1.9 million and gets free flights, paid for by Royal Mail, to Canada. Does the Minister accept that?
Royal Mail Privatisation — House of Commons, 2017-12-12
Topic: Labor
John Robert Cryer (Labour, Centre-left): All the evidence is that employment standards in Royal Mail and more widely are being driven down, including with job losses and cuts to pensions. Is the Minister seriously arguing that employment standards today are higher than they were at the point of privatisation?
Royal Mail Privatisation — House of Commons, 2017-12-12
Topic: Government Operations
Gillian Furniss (Labour, Centre-left): Today marks postal workers day, when we thank our posties for their hard work and determination in providing a key public service—not that the Conservatives will take any notice. In a privatised Royal Mail, we have seen 12,000 job losses and proposals to slash pensions by 45%. It is a classic case of "one rule for the rich and another for the rest". Royal Mail has paid out £70 million in dividends to private shareholders, and that is only in the last six months. Does the Minister still stand by the Government’s decision to privatise Royal Mail?
Electric and Autonomous Vehicles — House of Commons, 2017-12-12
Topic: Energy
Christopher Philip James Elmore (Labour, Centre-left): The Secretary of State mentioned Jaguar Land Rover. As he will know, Ford in Bridgend, which neighbours my constituency and employs hundreds of workers there, is pulling out of the contract early. Has the Secretary of State had any conversations with Ford about the possibility of converging its lines to produce electric batteries for electric cars?
Industrial Strategy — House of Commons, 2017-12-12
Topic: Macroeconomics
Michael Lee Amesbury (Labour, Centre-left): Our productivity growth has been far worse than that of any other G7 country bar Italy. Does the Secretary of State admit that the Government public investment figures in the revised industrial strategy are far below those of leading OECD nations?
Industrial Strategy — House of Commons, 2017-12-12
Topic: Macroeconomics
Rachel Jane Reeves (Labour, Centre-left): The Secretary of State has just touched on the sector deals the Government are agreeing with different sectors of the economy. Some of the sectors with the lowest productivity, such as retail, hospitality and social care, do not have a sector deal, yet if we close the productivity gap in those sectors, we will help boost productivity overall compared with our main competitors. What are the Government doing to secure sector deals in those sectors?
Industrial Strategy — House of Commons, 2017-12-12
Topic: Macroeconomics
Chinyelu Susan Onwurah (Labour, Centre-left): With a few notable exceptions, I am sure we would all agree that technology has improved the productivity of this House, but the same is not true for our country: productivity has stagnated since 2010, and we produce 25% less in an hour than the Germans and French, crippling business and making us all poorer. Last week the Chancellor tried to blame disabled workers, but his own Budget fails to invest in science and productivity until 2021. Will the Secretary of State admit that the Chancellor’s ideological austerity, meaning we fail to invest in our engines of economic growth, is the real handicap here?
Taylor Review — House of Commons, 2017-12-12
Topic: Labor
Stephen Creswell Timms (Labour, Centre-left): The TUC reports that 3.2 million people are now in insecure work—an increase of more than a quarter over the past five years. Will the Minister accept Matthew Taylor’s recommendation, endorsed by the Select Committee, that a longer break in service—a month rather than a week, as at present—should be allowed before there is any loss of employment rights?
Taylor Review — House of Commons, 2017-12-12
Topic: Labor
Rebecca Long-Bailey (Labour, Centre-left): Recent reports uncovered the fact that people driving on behalf of Amazon were forced to deliver up to 200 parcels a day while earning less than the minimum wage. With impossible schedules that left little to no time for breaks and no access to paid holidays or sick pay, many drivers experienced conditions that could be described as Dickensian. As yet another high-profile employment case emerges, why are the Government not taking robust action to crack down on bogus self-employment and to enforce employment rights?
Taylor Review — House of Commons, 2017-12-12
Topic: Labor
Rebecca Long-Bailey (Labour, Centre-left): The Government keep hiding behind their forthcoming response to the Taylor review, but Sir David Metcalf, the Government’s director of labour market enforcement, stated this year that even the Government’s existing powers have not been used to protect workers, despite numerous official statements that the Government have taken abuse by employers seriously. Only last week, the Government identified 16,000 workers who were paid less than the minimum wage, and yet the Low Pay Commission believes that the true figure is between 300,000 and 580,000. Does the Minister agree with Sir David Metcalf that the Government’s enforcement of basic employment rights is wholly inadequate?
Carbon Savings — House of Commons, 2017-12-12
Topic: Energy
Questions: What estimate he has made of the potential carbon savings due to result from phasing out the use of unabated coal from electricity generation by 2025.
Anna Rhiannon McMorrin (Labour, Centre-left): Unlike Wales’ ambitious targets for moving towards low carbon generation in onshore wind, the lack of ambition shown by the UK Government is startling. Will the Minister confirm whether Welsh wind projects will be eligible in any future contract for difference pot 1 auction, which he has already confirmed for projects in Scotland?
Small Business Sector — House of Commons, 2017-12-12
Topic: Labor
Paula Michelle Sherriff (Labour, Centre-left): Many small businesses are in catering and hospitality, and we of course wish them well, but when we leave a tip for staff we expect it to be paid to them, so when will the Minister publish the report on fair tips so that we can ensure that workers get paid properly?
UK Automotive Sector — House of Commons, 2017-12-12
Topic: Foreign Trade
Adrian Edward Bailey (Labour, Centre-left): My constituency contains many small businesses involved in the supply chains for the motor industry. These chains stretch right across Europe and are largely regulated by European Union law. Will the Secretary of State make a commitment that these will not be disrupted by Britain’s exit from the EU?
UK Automotive Sector — House of Commons, 2017-12-12
Topic: Foreign Trade
Richard Haines Burden (Labour, Centre-left): Every day, around £35 million-worth of components are imported to the UK from the EU for "just in time" delivery to plants. Many of those components help to build more than 6,500 cars and nearly 10,000 engines to be re-exported back into the EU. As we saw from the Operation Stack debacle a couple of years ago, it does not take much for disruption at the channel ports to completely clog up the south-east, losing millions and millions of pounds. What guarantee can the Secretary of State give the automotive sector that Brexit will not result in any extra customs checks that will clog up the industry?
Industrial Strategy — House of Commons, 2017-12-12
Topic: Transportation
John Francis Spellar (Labour, Centre-left): The Government are not just a funder and a regulator; they are also a customer. Would it help if national and local government acted like they do in every other country and bought vehicles built in this country by British workers, thereby supporting the companies and British workers?
Carbon Reduction Targets — House of Commons, 2017-12-12
Topic: Environment
Joan Marie Ryan (Labour, Centre-left): Does the Minister agree that the clean growth plan will not meet the fifth carbon budget on its own? Does he therefore agree that the plan is wholly inadequate and that, as the Committee on Climate Change has said, it should not be the plan?
Carbon Reduction Targets — House of Commons, 2017-12-12
Topic: Energy
Alan Patrick Vincent Whitehead (Labour, Centre-left): In the recent Budget the Treasury, I assume following consultation with the Minister’s Department, pulled the plug on all future support for renewable energy deployment except for the already allocated near-term support for offshore wind. Does the Minister himself support such action, and does it help or hinder the UK’s progress towards meeting its carbon reduction targets?