argyrotsipi/train-dataset huggingface dataset:
Engagements — House of Commons, 2020-12-02
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Gentleman says it is shameful. We on the Government side of the House do not think retail is shameful. We want businesses to open up again, and that is the nature of the package that was voted for last night, which I think was quite right. It is a great, great shame that the right hon. and learned Member for Holborn and St Pancras (Keir Starmer) could not bring himself to support it.
Engagements — House of Commons, 2020-12-02
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Matthew Alexander Vickers (Conservative, Centre-right): It is said that Britain is a nation of shopkeepers, and in Stockton we are proud to have some of the best retailers in the country. They have had a tough year. They are grateful for the support that they have received from the Government, but remain concerned about the future of business rates. Will my right hon. Friend confirm that the Government remain committed to a fundamental review of business rates, and will he join me in encouraging people to get down the local high street and shop local this Christmas?
Engagements — House of Commons, 2020-12-02
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Liam Fox (Conservative, Centre-right): In North Somerset, as in the rest of the United Kingdom, small businesses are the lifeblood of the economy, providing over 60% of all our jobs. Post covid, we will require a private sector, small business-led recovery. Will the Prime Minister consider a new discipline within the Government in the form of a small business test, so that every tax, regulation and bit of legislation is measured against whether it will provide support for that sector, which will be vital to our post-covid recovery?
Engagements — House of Commons, 2020-12-02
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank my right hon. Friend for his excellent suggestion. He is a great champion of small business. Every measure that the Government produce is judged by the effect or impact it will have on businesses large and small. As he knows, we are also providing for these particularly difficult circumstances about £100 billion in business support—the bounce back loans and many other forms of support—but the best thing for businesses large and small is for us to shop local, as I said earlier, and to allow the economy cautiously and prudently to reopen.
Engagements — House of Commons, 2020-12-02
Topic: Mixed Topics
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (Conservative, Centre-right): I am grateful for the hon. Lady’s question. She is raising an important issue. I know that many people suffer from the syndrome that she describes, and I will ensure that she gets a proper meeting with the relevant Minister to discuss her objectives.
Engagements — House of Commons, 2020-12-02
Topic: Mixed Topics
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (Conservative, Centre-right): Yes, indeed. My hon. Friend is completely right about the importance of the new UK shared prosperity fund. It will be different from the levelling-up fund and we are going to work closely with him and with people in Cornwall to ensure that we use the additional funding best for the needs of people and communities in Cornwall.
Arcadia and Debenhams: Business Support and Job Retention — House of Commons, 2020-12-02
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Nicola Jane Aiken (Conservative, Centre-right): As my hon. Friend is aware, the Arcadia Group is headquartered in my constituency and its brands, including Debenhams and Topshop, have their flagship stores on Oxford Street. Covid has the potential to be the straw that breaks the camel’s back for bricks-and-mortar retailers. The New West End Company and I welcome the continuing support of my hon. Friend and his Department for the retail sector. I note the Government’s announcement this week on extending shopping trading hours for Monday to Saturday until January but, particularly in the short term, an extension of Sunday trading hours would be of huge benefit to retailers. Will my hon. Friend support me, The Sun on Sunday newspaper, retailers such as Marks & Spencer and others who are campaigning to extend Sunday trading?
Arcadia and Debenhams: Business Support and Job Retention — House of Commons, 2020-12-02
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Paul Stuart Scully (Conservative, Centre-right): I look forward to joining the New West End Company and, I assume, my hon. Friend on Saturday to celebrate not only Small Business Saturday but traffic-free shopping in the west end. The west end accounts for 3% of the entire UK economy and many, many jobs. We do not propose to extend Sunday trading at this stage, but we are extending shopping hours throughout the weekdays. We want to work with local authorities to make sure that they can support the safe return of shoppers to high streets up and down the country, including in the west end.
Arcadia and Debenhams: Business Support and Job Retention — House of Commons, 2020-12-02
Topic: Mixed Topics
Paul Stuart Scully (Conservative, Centre-right): I cannot give specifics on a taskforce or any other group, but we will look acutely at what we can do for supply chains and the future of the high street. When flagship stores like the 200-odd-year-old Debenhams leave our high streets, it is so important to make sure that we have a co-ordinated response. I will happily work with the hon. Gentleman on that.
Arcadia and Debenhams: Business Support and Job Retention — House of Commons, 2020-12-02
Topic: Housing
Paul Stuart Scully (Conservative, Centre-right): There are plenty of things on which we can work together with the sector and, indeed, the whole gamut of British high street businesses, including by talking about getting the rent balance right between landlords and tenants, as well as rates, as the hon. Lady says. The Economic Secretary to the Treasury is joining me on tomorrow’s Retail Sector Council call that I mentioned, to talk about the fundamental business rates review. I hope we will be able to work with local authorities to get that flexibility.
Arcadia and Debenhams: Business Support and Job Retention — House of Commons, 2020-12-02
Topic: Housing
Marco Longhi (Conservative, Centre-right): Does my hon. Friend agree that Dudley Council and other local leaders in my constituency will play an instrumental role in rebuilding and revitalising the high street? Will he confirm that the high streets taskforce will stand ready to provide whatever advice may be needed in this endeavour?
Arcadia and Debenhams: Business Support and Job Retention — House of Commons, 2020-12-02
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Paul Stuart Scully (Conservative, Centre-right): That is an important question, and it is exactly why we are doing fundamental business rates reform. The first stage of the consultation has ended, and we will respond in the new year, but we need to have a comprehensive approach to tackle this both online and offline.
Arcadia and Debenhams: Business Support and Job Retention — House of Commons, 2020-12-02
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Greg Smith (Conservative, Centre-right): The Risborough basket is an innovative scheme founded by Princes Risborough Town Council in my constituency, with a mission to keep the pound in the town, enabling local shoppers to buy from small independent retailers and have their purchases personally delivered. It is a real boost to those high street businesses, but in setting up the scheme, they have come across a number of regulatory burdens. Will my hon. Friend join me in congratulating everyone who set up the Risborough basket and commit to working with them, so that we can get rid of those regulatory burdens and ensure that such schemes can help high streets up and down the land?
Arcadia and Debenhams: Business Support and Job Retention — House of Commons, 2020-12-02
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Paul Stuart Scully (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Gentleman talks about me being young, which he can do many times over, but as he says, retail is largely staffed by young people and those on comparatively low pay, so there is so much we can do. The strategy comes not just from Government but from working with the sector. The Retail Sector Council can take a long-term view, but we can also work with retailers on the short-term covid response. This is something for all of us to tackle.
Arcadia and Debenhams: Business Support and Job Retention — House of Commons, 2020-12-02
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Paul Stuart Scully (Conservative, Centre-right): I know that those in the Treasury will have listened to that, and they are very aware, particularly in relation to retail and hospitality, of the cliff edge that comes when business rates are due to return at the end of April. We will certainly look at that, and an announcement will be forthcoming.
Arcadia and Debenhams: Business Support and Job Retention — House of Commons, 2020-12-02
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Simon Richard James Fell (Conservative, Centre-right): The news about Debenhams and Arcadia will cause many concerns as we head into Christmas. Can my hon. Friend reiterate the support that the Government will make available to the employees who face an uncertain future? Further to that, this year alone in Barrow, we have lost M&S and Topshop, so Debenhams will be another heavy blow. What support will the Government provide to offer hope to the high street in future?
Arcadia and Debenhams: Business Support and Job Retention — House of Commons, 2020-12-02
Topic: Housing
Robert John Blackman (Conservative, Centre-right): Debenhams in Harrow town centre is an anchor store to the town centre. When Debenhams went into administration, 20 stores across its network were due to close. Fortunately, Harrow was not one of them. However, this has a long-term effect on the entirety of Harrow town centre, so will my hon. Friend—[Inaudible.]
Arcadia and Debenhams: Business Support and Job Retention — House of Commons, 2020-12-02
Topic: Housing
Paul Stuart Scully (Conservative, Centre-right): I think my hon. Friend was talking about anchor stores and the effect on the high street. I know him very well, so I can predict his question. Yes, if we take out an anchor store, we hollow out a high street, so it is so important that we look at this holistically, work together with local government, national Government and with retailers themselves to build up our high streets and shape them anew.
Arcadia and Debenhams: Business Support and Job Retention — House of Commons, 2020-12-02
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Geoffrey Robert Clifton-Brown (Conservative, Centre-right): In just three towns in my constituency, 27 shops have either closed or are about to close because of the pandemic. Will my hon. Friend commit today to use the Government’s very generous package of measures to retail businesses at all levels of Government—from central Government to local government to local enterprise partnerships—to follow the Prime Minister’s lead to encourage a massive return to the high streets now that we are allowed to do so under the guidance?
Arcadia and Debenhams: Business Support and Job Retention — House of Commons, 2020-12-02
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Paul Stuart Scully (Conservative, Centre-right): It is really important that, as we extend hours for retailers to be able to open up for Christmas, we rip up and peel back on our bureaucracy as well. We must also encourage local authorities to do more such as offering free parking and other such things.
Arcadia and Debenhams: Business Support and Job Retention — House of Commons, 2020-12-02
Topic: Other
Paul Stuart Scully (Conservative, Centre-right): Indeed. As well as being a Minister, I am clearly a constituency MP, and Debenhams is also at the heart of my high street. I will certainly continue to meet constituents affected by this and other issues around the high street.
Arcadia and Debenhams: Business Support and Job Retention — House of Commons, 2020-12-02
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Julie Marson (Conservative, Centre-right): The Government’s support for business has been unprecedented and unparalleled, particularly in the retail sector. The Minister is right to call it an ecosystem, because it does have a far-reaching effect on the economy. Does he agree that we have seen incredible creativity and resilience in our local communities and on our high streets, including from residents and retailers in Hertford, who have formed the Hertford hub and the Bishop’s Stortford business improvement district; and that, while we should look at business rates and so on, it is working with and supporting those communities that will let the sector create, thrive and survive?
Arcadia and Debenhams: Business Support and Job Retention — House of Commons, 2020-12-02
Topic: Mixed Topics
Paul Stuart Scully (Conservative, Centre-right): Clearly, the administrators will do their work under their own purview, but I encourage them to ensure that they look at the whole issue to keep as many viable jobs going and as many viable parts of the business going as possible, so as not to hollow out our high streets.
Arcadia and Debenhams: Business Support and Job Retention — House of Commons, 2020-12-02
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Paul Stuart Scully (Conservative, Centre-right): Given that these businesses are big brand names, this is clearly an issue for the whole UK. We will continue to work with and listen to the devolved Administrations, and to speak to them about what support we can look at across the UK as a whole.
Arcadia and Debenhams: Business Support and Job Retention — House of Commons, 2020-12-02
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Darren George Henry (Conservative, Centre-right): Hospitality businesses are a vital part of our high streets. Winter is the time that these businesses, like many others, make their plans for the next season. They are currently planning in the dark, having been singled out for restrictions and excluded from the Christmas bubble proposals. Therefore, many will have no option but to make some very difficult decisions this Christmas. Does my hon. Friend agree that we need to consider a longer-term recovery for this vital component of the high street, and that there is a case to make the 5% VAT rate more permanent—extending it to the end of the financial year—which might help to address the issues of rent, debt and an uncertain cash flow going into 2021?
Arcadia and Debenhams: Business Support and Job Retention — House of Commons, 2020-12-02
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Paul Stuart Scully (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend is working hard for his hospitality sector offering in Broxtowe. I will be leaving this place to speak to hospitality sector representatives immediately after this urgent question, and they will have a number of those asks. I look at this sympathetically because, as I have said, the high street is an ecosystem; we must all work together to support the business community as a whole.
Arcadia and Debenhams: Business Support and Job Retention — House of Commons, 2020-12-02
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Paul Stuart Scully (Conservative, Centre-right): We are working with the retail sector itself, including online businesses like Amazon and Asos, and bricks and mortar businesses providing the retail brands that we all know and love, to make sure that we can get the whole gamut of retail together as one and look at the long-term prospects, including digitisation and increasing the skills of retailers and those wanting to go into the sector.
Arcadia and Debenhams: Business Support and Job Retention — House of Commons, 2020-12-02
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Michael Jon Wood (Conservative, Centre-right): Workers at Debenhams, Dorothy Perkins, Evans, Miss Selfridge, Burton, Top Man and Top Shop in Dudley South face a really worrying time, but the challenges facing retail go much wider. Can my hon. Friend therefore confirm that the £1 billion future high streets fund will be accelerated, and will he join me on a visit to Brierley Hill so that he can see for himself how much our bid will transform the town centre and help to support retail jobs in my constituency?
Arcadia and Debenhams: Business Support and Job Retention — House of Commons, 2020-12-02
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Paul Stuart Scully (Conservative, Centre-right): Owing to the restrictions it is nice to be offered a trip anywhere, so I will be more than happy to take that up. Yes indeed—the future high streets fund is a really important initiative along the way of tackling the issues in retail and our high streets as a whole. I wish my hon. Friend well in his bid. The results will be announced shortly.
Arcadia and Debenhams: Business Support and Job Retention — House of Commons, 2020-12-02
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Paul Stuart Scully (Conservative, Centre-right): Wet-led pubs have a particular issue where they are not offering food, and £1,000 does not go far enough in itself, but it does go alongside the other payments such as the forbearance on rent, the moratorium that is still in place until the end of the year, business rates relief, and VAT relief on certain areas of food—although not necessarily in that pub. I will continue to work with the hospitality sector. It is important to say, as the hon. Lady said, that those in hospitality should not be scapegoated, because they have done so much work to make sure that they can offer a covid 19-secure and warm welcome to their customers.
Arcadia and Debenhams: Business Support and Job Retention — House of Commons, 2020-12-02
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Angela Joy Richardson (Conservative, Centre-right): Guildford High Street is not only picturesque but is home to one of the finest retail offerings in the south-east, including Debenhams and Arcadia brands. We acknowledge not only the difficult uncertainty for employees today but the significant square footage that these businesses occupy and the gaps that they will leave behind. Does my hon. Friend agree that the Government must actively work to help the high street to recover from coronavirus and also adapt to the long-term changes that will make our town centres sustainable for the future?
Arcadia and Debenhams: Business Support and Job Retention — House of Commons, 2020-12-02
Topic: Housing
Paul Stuart Scully (Conservative, Centre-right): I know Guildford very well. It is a destination for residents around Surrey and further afield. Yes, we must all work together to get the balance right so that we do not hollow out our town centres, including Guildford.
Arcadia and Debenhams: Business Support and Job Retention — House of Commons, 2020-12-02
Topic: Housing
Paul Stuart Scully (Conservative, Centre-right): In terms of shopping centres it is really important that we get the balance right between landlords and tenants. The moratorium helps tenants but clearly does not help landlords, so we have to get the balance right. We will work with the retail sector to try to achieve that balance in the weeks and months to come.
Arcadia and Debenhams: Business Support and Job Retention — House of Commons, 2020-12-02
Topic: Housing
Aaron Stuart Bell (Conservative, Centre-right): The Dorothy Perkins in Newcastle-under-Lyme was already closed earlier during the pandemic, and we have also lost major tenants such as Laura Ashley and Edinburgh Woollen Mill during this pandemic, so I welcome what we are doing with the future high streets fund. We have a bid in with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. Can the Minister confirm that it will be accelerated? We need to hear about that bid as soon as we can so we can get our towns fund bid in as well.
Arcadia and Debenhams: Business Support and Job Retention — House of Commons, 2020-12-02
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Paul Stuart Scully (Conservative, Centre-right): I wish my hon. Friend every success in that bid—the announcement will be forthcoming. It is important that we have small business Saturday coming up this Saturday, and we must make sure independent stores thrive. However, the brands he talks about that are going do drag footfall towards those smaller businesses, which is why we need to look at the high street as a whole.
Arcadia and Debenhams: Business Support and Job Retention — House of Commons, 2020-12-02
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Paul Stuart Scully (Conservative, Centre-right): We always work with local authorities to see what initiatives can come up. We work closely with them because it is typically the local authorities, local enterprise partnerships and other business groupings in each local area that know their local economy, and we are always happy to look at any initiatives.
Arcadia and Debenhams: Business Support and Job Retention — House of Commons, 2020-12-02
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Peter Alexander Gibson (Conservative, Centre-right): As a student, I worked for the then Burton Group, and I know how vital retail jobs are, especially for students and young people. Can my hon. Friend confirm for my constituents in Darlington who worked at Topshop, Burton and Dorothy Perkins the steps he is taking to provide support, advice and assistance to them?
Arcadia and Debenhams: Business Support and Job Retention — House of Commons, 2020-12-02
Topic: Mixed Topics
Paul Stuart Scully (Conservative, Centre-right): We are keeping our high streets viable by giving people business rates relief and giving businesses a moratorium to make sure they cannot be evicted and cannot be chased for rent debts, but, most importantly, by keeping retail open in all three tiers so that they can actually trade their way out of this. What they want is not handouts, ideally, although they do need the support; they want customers. They want customers for long- term support.
Arcadia and Debenhams: Business Support and Job Retention — House of Commons, 2020-12-02
Topic: Housing
Gagan Mohindra (Conservative, Centre-right): As my hon. Friend will know, I was a furniture retailer for many years prior to arriving in this place. This year has been hugely challenging for our high streets, and my thoughts are first and foremost with the employees of Arcadia and Debenhams. Does my hon. Friend agree with me that the Government must continue to actively work to help high streets both recover from coronavirus and, more importantly, adapt to the more long-term challenges that our town centres are facing at the moment?
Arcadia and Debenhams: Business Support and Job Retention — House of Commons, 2020-12-02
Topic: Housing
Paul Stuart Scully (Conservative, Centre-right): I know that my hon. Friend’s experience as a retailer, and his other work, will be massive in the months to come. Yes, we must ensure that we shape the change of high streets. We must allow businesses to pivot to allow for that change, so that our high streets can survive and thrive.
Arcadia and Debenhams: Business Support and Job Retention — House of Commons, 2020-12-02
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Paul Stuart Scully (Conservative, Centre-right): I will happily meet the hon. Lady. She mentioned independent retailers, and it is important to realise that big anchor stores have a massive effect on smaller businesses if they hollow out the high streets. It is important to look at both sectors alike.
Arcadia and Debenhams: Business Support and Job Retention — House of Commons, 2020-12-02
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Matthew Alexander Vickers (Conservative, Centre-right): I too earned my spurs in retail at Woolworths and Home Bargains. This year has been incredibly challenging for high street retailers, and my thoughts are with the employees of Arcadia and Debenhams. Does my hon. Friend agree that we must not only work actively to help high streets recover from the pandemic, but also consider all the other long-term issues they face, from car parking charges to businesses rates? I co-chair the all-party parliamentary group on the future of retail, and we would very much like to see the Minister at its next meeting to discuss those issues.