argyrotsipi/train-dataset huggingface dataset:
Achieving Economic Growth — House of Commons, 2022-05-18
Topic: Labor
Richard Michael John Ogilvie Graham (Conservative, Centre-right): Does my hon. Friend agree that the statistic that emerged yesterday—that we have increased the number of people with disabilities in employment to 1.3 million, after setting a target of 1 million in 2017, which we have achieved within five years—is astonishing and the result of hard work by many people, including the applicants themselves?
Achieving Economic Growth — House of Commons, 2022-05-18
Topic: Macroeconomics
Kevin Paul Hollinrake (Conservative, Centre-right): It is a pleasure to speak in this debate. I will focus my remarks on the work of SMEs in driving economic growth. As we often say in this place, they, more than anything else, are the engine room of economic growth Taking a step back from that, the most important thing in driving economic growth—the foundation of which is productivity, which leads to prosperity—is more competition. Competition is very good for opportunity but also very good for consumers: it drives down prices and drives up service. When we started our estate agent business back in 1992, we quickly got to a leading market share in our marketplace. We were doing quite well. Two or three years later, we noticed lots of other "For Sale" and "To Let" boards popping up all over the place as new competition came in and was taking market share from us. Suddenly we were no longer the new kids on the block—the people who had got to No. 1. We had been pushed off our perch as the market leader. That made us look at what we were doing and become more efficient and more effective, work harder, and put a new package together so that we could once again become market leaders. That is the effect of competition—the driving force behind all the benefits for consumers that we see from competition. That is how it works in reality.
Achieving Economic Growth — House of Commons, 2022-05-18
Topic: Macroeconomics
Paul Howell (Conservative, Centre-right): I am pleased to follow the hon. Member for Bolton South East (Yasmin Qureshi), but I am sorry that she, like others, has chosen to misrepresent my hon. Friend the Member for Ashfield (Lee Anderson). I suggest that she goes and listens to what he actually said I am pleased to be able to speak in support of the Queen’s Speech on our final day of debate, when we have the opportunity to discuss achieving economic growth. I spent my entire career in manufacturing businesses before becoming an MP in 2019, and I firmly believe in the power of economic growth and investment to change towns and the lives of people in them. In order to do so, it is important to encourage both the physical and human assets that are necessary to sustain an economic ecosystem It is also critical that the Government support our people through the cost of living challenges. I am confident that our Chancellor will deliver on that in cohesion with his Cabinet colleagues. I note that earlier in the debate the hon. Member for Leeds West (Rachel Reeves) indicated that 33% of people would benefit from Labour’s windfall tax proposal to the tune of £600, yet the right hon. Member for Wolverhampton South East (Mr McFadden) has apparently said that the rest would also get £200. So while they indicate that there would be £3 billion in tax receipts, they propose to spend £8 billion. They either disagree with each other or it is classic Labour maths and misrepresentation.
Achieving Economic Growth — House of Commons, 2022-05-18
Topic: Macroeconomics
Jacob William Rees-Mogg (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Gentleman must think there has been a collective outbreak of amnesia not just in the House but across the nation. He seems to forget that the country was bankrupt when the coalition came to office in 2010, and it had been bankrupted by the "spend now, find the money later" approach of the socialists. Was it not Margaret Thatcher who so rightly said that, ultimately, they run out of other people’s money? They ran out of other people’s money Growth has been lower because of the utter irresponsibility of the socialists prior to 2010, and the then Chief Secretary to the Treasury left a little billet-doux, did he not, saying: "I’m afraid there is no money." [Hon. Members: "It was 12 years ago."] Yes, it was more than 12 years ago, but we will not let them forget because socialism always leads to economic failure. Every socialist Government there has ever been has led to economic failure, devaluation, high taxes and low economic growth, and then the Conservatives come in to clear things up.
Achieving Economic Growth — House of Commons, 2022-05-18
Topic: Foreign Trade
Jacob William Rees-Mogg (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend is wise, and this is part of the reason why Poundbury has been a success, because it provides basic services, including a primary school. That is part of the planning requirement, so I agree with him very much I was delighted by the contribution of the right hon. Member for Leeds Central (Hilary Benn), which are not words I thought I would use nor words he probably thought I would utter. I always thought he was the high priest of remain, yet I could have delivered most of his speech on the intransigence and stick-in-the-mud-iness of the European Union I am glad to say that, in the UK, we are being much more flexible. We are recognising that the EU has not suddenly become dangerous. We may not like the EU, we may not think it is the best construct and we may not want to belong to it, but we do not think it has suddenly become rabid. That is why I was delighted to announce in April that the remaining import controls on EU goods will no longer be introduced. This is not a delay but a change in policy, because we recognise that goods produced in other parts of the world—not just the EU—can be produced safely, and it therefore makes sense to have unilateral recognition if others will not give us mutual recognition. Between now and the end of 2023, we will look to see how far we can extend that with other friendly nations that have high standards, as it cuts costs for consumers The right hon. Gentleman probably has better relations with highfalutin EU figures than I do, and he may be better placed than I am to persuade them that reciprocation would be more in their interest than ours.
Achieving Economic Growth — House of Commons, 2022-05-18
Topic: Foreign Trade
Jacob William Rees-Mogg (Conservative, Centre-right): This Government are a free-trading Government, which is why we are negotiating around the world to improve access to other markets. That is a very important part of what Her Majesty’s Government are doing I wish to mention briefly one of the other things that came up in debate, which was on the issue of public sector fraud.
Achieving Economic Growth — House of Commons, 2022-05-18
Topic: Government Operations
Jacob William Rees-Mogg (Conservative, Centre-right): I would correct the hon. Gentleman, as the money has not been written off. In addition, Lord Agnew has been in touch with me, and I have spoken to him and been seeking his advice on how to ensure that our anti-fraud efforts are as effective as possible. He highlighted the issue very effectively. May I also thank the hon. Gentleman for his contribution, along with the hon. Members for Bolton South East (Yasmin Qureshi) and for Paisley and Renfrewshire South (Mhairi Black) for theirs? In my humble opinion, they are three of the most sensible and civilised Opposition Members, but I think they decided that the Queen’s Speech was an occasion for them as it is for the heralds: they put on their tabards and their fine show in order to have a theatrical display, rather than to say something that they normally say, in well-rounded and moderated tones. All three of them went to the wildest fantasies of excessive criticism of the Government.
Doncaster bid for Great British Railways headquarters — House of Commons, 2022-05-18
Topic: Transportation
Nicholas Anthony Fletcher (Conservative, Centre-right): I submit this petition on behalf of the good people of Don Valley, Doncaster and the wider community, who believe—as I do—that the rightful home of the new Great British Railways headquarters is Doncaster. With its rich heritage, fantastic transport links, a bedrock of businesses to build on, huge support from the whole community and the fact that it will help fulfil the Government’s levelling-up agenda, there really is no other place The petition states: The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urge the Government to note the nomination of Doncaster to house the new headquarters of Great British Railways Following is the full text of the petition: [The petition of residents of the United Kingdom, Declares that the new Great British Railways headquarters should be located in the railway town of Doncaster; notes that Doncaster is where the Mallard and Flying Scotsman were built, highlighting its rich railway heritage; further that Doncaster is located on the main line; and further that Doncaster has a great history and great people who will benefit from the creation of a new Great British Railways headquarters in their town. The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urge the Government to note the nomination of Doncaster to house the new headquarters of Great British Railways. And the petitioners remain, etc.] [P002732]
Carnforth bid for Great British Railways headquarters — House of Commons, 2022-05-18
Topic: Transportation
David Thomas Morris (Conservative, Centre-right): My petition is similar to that of my hon. Friend the Member for Don Valley (Nick Fletcher). However, we have 1,500—and rising—petitioners from among the people of Carnforth and the surrounding area. I am really glad and honoured that my friend, the hon. Member for Lancaster and Fleetwood (Cat Smith), whose constituency is next-door to mine, is here to support this petition. Without further ado, this is good for us and it shows that democracy is alive and well, because we have had nearly a third of the people return the petition The petition states: The petition of residents of the United Kingdom, Declares that Carnforth would be an ideal location for the new headquarters of Great British Railways; further that the creation of the headquarters would bring additional jobs to the community, as well as encourage new investment; and further over 1,500 members of the community have signalled their interest to the Secretary of State for Transport via a letter writing campaign The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urge the Government to note the nomination of Carnforth to house the new headquarters of Great British Railways And the petitioners remain, etc [P002733]
Ukraine: Territorial Integrity — House of Commons, 2022-02-21
Topic: International Affairs
Robert Ben Lobban Wallace (Conservative, Centre-right): Diplomacy is, we feel, the only way out of this crisis. We are working through NATO and the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, but Russia must uphold the international commitments it freely entered into and respect Ukraine’s sovereignty. Dialogue plays a full part in the United Kingdom and allied approach to mitigate mutual risk and enable both sides to discuss the full range of security issues, including where we differ.
Ukraine: Territorial Integrity — House of Commons, 2022-02-21
Topic: International Affairs
Robert Largan (Conservative, Centre-right): I am grateful to the Secretary of State for his answer a few moments ago, and for his leadership in ensuring that both deterrence and diplomacy are used to stand up for the sovereignty of the people of Ukraine. Given the reports of thousands of civilians being taken from their homes and taken to Russia as part of forced evacuations—a clear breach of article 49 of the Geneva convention—can I ask the Secretary of State what discussions he and colleagues across Government have had about any future role for courts, including the International Criminal Court? It is vital that perpetrators know that they will be held to account for their actions in future.
Ukraine: Territorial Integrity — House of Commons, 2022-02-21
Topic: International Affairs
Robert Ben Lobban Wallace (Conservative, Centre-right): I am grateful to my hon. Friend. The ICC obviously only has effect on the many members who are signed up to the treaties, and not every state is; the United Kingdom is, however. I think, fundamentally, this is about international law, and whether Russia respects international law and the previous commitments it has made to respect the sovereignty of Ukraine. If it fails to respect that international law, the international community will see it for what it is.
Ukraine: Territorial Integrity — House of Commons, 2022-02-21
Topic: International Affairs
Robert Ben Lobban Wallace (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend makes the important point that we have stood by our friends in Ukraine and, alongside the United States and other countries such as Canada and some of the Baltic states, provided lethal aid, as we call it. It is, however, important to recognise that, in this timeframe, there is only so much that can be deployed effectively. We will, however, keep everything under review, and it is important that we help people defend themselves.
Ukraine: Territorial Integrity — House of Commons, 2022-02-21
Topic: International Affairs
Robert Ben Lobban Wallace (Conservative, Centre-right): Over the last few years we have been actively engaged in helping Ukraine both internally and externally across its whole government. Indeed, when I was Security Minister we were engaged there and I visited on two occasions for exactly that purpose. Currently the National Cyber Security Centre is involved in giving advice and support alongside our international allies to make sure Ukraine’s resilience is strengthened against the Russian playbook, as the hon. Gentleman rightly says.
Ukraine: Territorial Integrity — House of Commons, 2022-02-21
Topic: International Affairs
Robert Ben Lobban Wallace (Conservative, Centre-right): I regret to say there was absolutely not a slither of difference between the President and General Gerasimov and Minister Shoigu when I met them a few weeks ago; they are some of his closest advisers and supporters and it is clear that their vision of Russia matches that of their President. The hon. Gentleman is also right to point out that they claim the Ukrainians are their brothers—in fact they are their "kin", rather than brothers—to launch attacks on people who were part of the Soviet Union for decades together has a retrograde effect. As we know now, Ukrainians who probably were not that bothered 10 years ago about which way they faced are absolutely determined that they are going to stand for Ukraine and fight for their freedom.
Ukraine: Territorial Integrity — House of Commons, 2022-02-21
Topic: International Affairs
Tobias Martin Ellwood (Conservative, Centre-right): May I join you, Mr Speaker, in welcoming our American friends to the House of Commons today Last week I saw at first hand how UK and American efforts are working hard to support our friends in Ukraine, so I commend both Governments on their efforts, but I remain concerned that NATO, the most formidable military alliance in the world, could have collectively done more in previous months to deter an invasion but chose to hide behind the fact that Ukraine is not a NATO member. Yes, we have shored up our NATO flanks, but that still leaves Ukraine exposed. Does the Secretary of State agree that Ukrainian security is European security, and by committing greater support to Ukraine we are trying to prevent a war rather than start one? And with the threat of invasion imminent, may I also call on the Secretary of State to provide more military support to Ukraine?
Ukraine: Territorial Integrity — House of Commons, 2022-02-21
Topic: International Affairs
Robert Ben Lobban Wallace (Conservative, Centre-right): I fully agree with my right hon. Friend that Ukraine is part of Europe; Ukrainians consider themselves European, and it is absolutely the case that the ripples of anything that happens in Ukraine will be felt right across Europe whether it is in NATO or not. NATO is not preventing individual countries from strengthening Ukrainian security and capability through bilateral arrangements: the United Kingdom has done it, and so too has Sweden—it is not part of NATO but nevertheless stood up for its values and stood side by side.
Ukraine: Territorial Integrity — House of Commons, 2022-02-21
Topic: International Affairs
Robert Ben Lobban Wallace (Conservative, Centre-right): That shows that we must ensure that the Budapest memorandum—the signature between Russia and Ukraine in 1994—is stuck to. Russia should honour all the treaties that it has signed as well as its statements to ensure that mutual recognition of each other’s security is upheld. If it does not do that, as my right hon. Friend rightly says, that opens up all sorts of questions about how much of Russia’s word we can trust. If we cannot trust its word, I am afraid that it is a dangerous place to be in Europe.
Ukraine: Territorial Integrity — House of Commons, 2022-02-21
Topic: International Affairs
Robert Ben Lobban Wallace (Conservative, Centre-right): We are working through those details right now and, as soon as I can, I will update the hon. Gentleman and the House. It is incredibly important we recognise that Ukraine borders a number of major NATO countries that will feel the direct consequence of an invasion. It is also important that President Putin’s view of many of those countries, which he himself has written down in previous essays, could continue should he be successful in Ukraine. It is therefore really important that the UK plays a strong role in reassurance not only of NATO countries, but of other friends such as Sweden and Finland.
Tackling Illegal Migration — House of Commons, 2022-02-21
Topic: Technology
James Stephen Heappey (Conservative, Centre-right): The right hon. Gentleman refers to an interview in which I mentioned that they may be leased, rather than procured. As I went on to explain in that interview, there are a number of different platform types that will have different degrees of relevance and utility in the channel, all of which are under consideration to ensure that the right balance of platforms is available for what will be a very tricky task.
Helicopter Manufacturing and Supply Chains — House of Commons, 2022-02-21
Topic: Technology
Jeremy Mark Quin (Conservative, Centre-right): On the NMH, to which the hon. Gentleman refers, it is likely, given the timescale—we want to have the helicopters in service in 2025 or as close to that as possible—that we will be seeking to procure an existing platform. However, that absolutely does not gainsay the fact that we will want to see real social value created in terms of engineering skills and capabilities in this country. That will be part of the competition.
Dalgety Bay: Radioactive Material — House of Commons, 2022-02-21
Topic: Environment
Questions: What recent discussions officials in his Department have had with representatives of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency on radioactive material detected at Dalgety Bay following the disposal of aircraft in that area after the second world war.
Jeremy Mark Quin (Conservative, Centre-right): I am delighted that we are en route to the complete remediation of Dalgety Bay. Environmental sensitivities inevitably have a significant impact on the length of time that it is taking to complete the project. MOD and SEPA officials last met formally on 24 November. SEPA also has representatives on site continually to monitor the work that is being undertaken.
Women in the Armed Forces — House of Commons, 2022-02-21
Topic: Law and Crime
Robert Ben Lobban Wallace (Conservative, Centre-right): I am saddened to hear what the hon. Lady says. I would be delighted to meet her to discuss it; if she brings along the detail of the examples to which she refers, I will be very happy to sort this. No one should be disadvantaged for making a service complaint, or indeed a criminal complaint, whether they are male or female. We do not in any way tolerate domestic abuse or sexual abuse in the armed forces.
Defence Space Strategy — House of Commons, 2022-02-21
Topic: Technology
Stephen James Metcalfe (Conservative, Centre-right): Space, in all its guises, presents us with an unparalleled opportunity to drive British science and technical innovation, create well-paid and rewarding jobs, boost our economy, and above all defend ourselves. Can my hon. Friend expand on what he has said, and tell the House what the MOD is doing to ensure that we deliver all those opportunities?
Ukraine: Support for NATO Allies — House of Commons, 2022-02-21
Topic: International Affairs
Questions: What steps his Department is taking to support NATO allies in response to the build-up of Russian troops and assets on the border of Ukraine.
Robert Ben Lobban Wallace (Conservative, Centre-right): All of us, including the French President, are signed up to the NATO alliance—all 30 of us. Indeed, it was NATO that responded to Russia’s draft treaty that it offered in December; we responded in January. That is the common position that we are all bound to, and in that position we will not reward aggression or compromise on NATO’s open-door policy. We will stick together as an alliance to defend the sovereign rights of countries and their right to choose, irrespective of what they do to that choice.
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2022-02-21
Topic: International Affairs
Robert Ben Lobban Wallace (Conservative, Centre-right): The right hon. Gentleman is absolutely right to point out the challenge with the French, as effectively the framework nation, withdrawing from Mali and the woeful state of the Malian Government’s relationship with the Wagner Group, which has put us in a very difficult position The United Kingdom is obviously deployed in the UN multidimensional integrated stabilisation mission in Mali—MINUSMA—alongside the Germans and the Swedes, and we are now reviewing our next steps. The United Kingdom is, of course, committed to the UN effort as a good UN citizen, and we will do what we can to help west Africa. The right hon. Gentleman is, however, right to point out the corrosive and destabilising influence of the Wagner Group, which raises many questions. We will keep that under review and return to the House with more details.
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2022-02-21
Topic: Technology
Questions: We now know that the cold war is back with a vengeance. We regularly spent between 4.5% and 5% of GDP on defence in the closing stages of the cold war. Has the time come to set a higher target than a bare 2%? Surely 3% should be a minimum.; Following the cyber-attacks in Ukraine last week, how are the Government strengthening cyber security at home in response to growing threats and Russian aggression?
Robert Ben Lobban Wallace (Conservative, Centre-right): The national cyber-security strategy, which in effect started under the last Labour Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, has developed over the years, with significant funding—I believe it was £19 billion in the 2010 Government—and established the National Cyber Security Centre. Alongside GCHQ, that has made real step changes in improving our cyber-security. We are, of course completely aware that Russia plays across the global cyber-network and does not just focus on Ukraine; we have already experienced a number of cyber-attacks from Russia over the past few years. We stand ready to defend against it and will continue to do so.