argyrotsipi/train-dataset huggingface dataset:
Tax Credits — House of Commons, 2015-07-21
Topic: Macroeconomics
Questions: What estimate he has made of the number of people who will receive a net reduction in income as a result of the policies on tax credits announced in the summer Budget 2015.
Damian Patrick George Hinds (Conservative, Centre-right): The great reforming summer Budget is an integrated package of measures and people cannot just take one element alone. It includes the new national living wage, the increases in the personal allowance and a lot more support that the hon. Lady did not mention on childcare and on skills building. When all those things are taken together, it is a Budget in which the great majority of people will be better off and more are supported into work.
Tax Credits — House of Commons, 2015-07-21
Topic: Labor
Questions: What estimate he has made of the number of people who will receive a net reduction in income as a result of the policies on tax credits announced in the summer Budget 2015.
Damian Patrick George Hinds (Conservative, Centre-right): As the hon. Lady knows, the Budget contains a large number of measures to help hard-working families, including the rise in the personal allowance, allowing people to keep more of what they earn. Of course the big reform of universal credit is still to come, and it will further help on incentivising work. Throughout all this it is important to help to support people into work and to see them progressing through the hours, particularly through our increases in childcare support, which are worth thousands of pounds to some families.
Tax Credits — House of Commons, 2015-07-21
Topic: Social Welfare
Questions: What estimate he has made of the number of people who will receive a net reduction in income as a result of the policies on tax credits announced in the summer Budget 2015.
Damian Patrick George Hinds (Conservative, Centre-right): Indeed, families with twins will get double the benefit, but everybody with children aged three and four will get that particular benefit, which is part of a suite of increases in childcare support, including through universal credit and tax-free childcare.
Business Support — House of Commons, 2015-07-21
Topic: Macroeconomics
David Michael Gauke (Conservative, Centre-right): In addition to the measures we took in the last Parliament, in the summer Budget we announced that we will: cut the main rate of corporation tax to 19% in 2017 and 18% in 2020; publish a business tax road map by April 2016, giving businesses the certainty they need to plan for long-term investment; support business investment by increasing the annual investment allowance from £25,000 to £200,000—its highest ever permanent level; and increase the employment allowance from £2,000 to £3,000.
Business Support — House of Commons, 2015-07-21
Topic: Macroeconomics
David Henry Rutley (Conservative, Centre-right): The announcement that national insurance and corporation tax will both be further lowered will be welcome news for businesses in my constituency and across the country, as we take forward our long-term economic plan. The Labour party went into the election promising to increase tax on businesses. Does my hon. Friend agree that that is the wrong approach and that it is by lowering taxes that we best back businesses to create the jobs needed by our families?
Business Support — House of Commons, 2015-07-21
Topic: Macroeconomics
David Michael Gauke (Conservative, Centre-right): First, may I express my sympathies to my hon. Friend’s constituents affected by the tragic incident in Bosley on Friday? I know he raised that matter in the House yesterday. I agree with him that if we want to improve investment in the UK, and therefore productivity, we should be looking to cut corporation tax, not raise it. It would have been a big mistake to have reversed the progress we have made.
Business Support — House of Commons, 2015-07-21
Topic: Macroeconomics
David Michael Gauke (Conservative, Centre-right): I have to remind the hon. Gentleman that Labour’s manifesto included a plan to increase corporation tax. A review of business rates is being undertaken, and it will report by the end of the year. Remember that it was the previous Government who in 2013 announced a package of business rates cuts worth £2.7 billion, and only this April we introduced a further set of measures that reduced business rates by £1 billion, so we have a proud record on this.
Business Support — House of Commons, 2015-07-21
Topic: Education
Questions: Small businesses are the backbone of our economy in Cornwall. While many are thriving under the policies of this Government, those in the tourism industry are experiencing a downturn in business as a result of families not being able to take their children out of school during term time. Is the Minister prepared to meet me to look at the economic impact that policy is having on the Cornish economy and the challenges those businesses are facing?
David Michael Gauke (Conservative, Centre-right): Pupils should be in school during term time, and we believe that needs to be properly enforced. We have said that schools should have greater flexibility in setting their own term dates, which might help address the matter. I am happy to meet my hon. Friend to discuss this, but I know that he has already done so with Education Ministers.
Employment Support Allowance — House of Commons, 2015-07-21
Topic: Macroeconomics
Questions: What discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on the effect of proposed changes to employment support allowance on levels of employment.
Gregory William Hands (Conservative, Centre-right): We created 2 million jobs in the previous Parliament, and our objective is to create a further 2 million in this Parliament. A crucial part of that is the welfare reforms that we have introduced to help make work pay, which is consistent with our long-term economic plan.
Employment Support Allowance — House of Commons, 2015-07-21
Topic: Social Welfare
Questions: What discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on the effect of proposed changes to employment support allowance on levels of employment.
Gregory William Hands (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank the hon. Lady for her question. Our welfare reforms are based on the principle of fairness; fair on those who receive the benefits and fair on those who pay the tax. With regard to a specific group, there is clearly a difference between the work-related activity group and the support group, and we are happy to look at those differences. She is clearly not satisfied with what we are doing, but she is also one of the 48 Labour Members who rebelled last night on welfare, so I do not think that she is satisfied with her Front Benchers’ position either.
Small Businesses — House of Commons, 2015-07-21
Topic: Macroeconomics
David Michael Gauke (Conservative, Centre-right): Small businesses are the lifeblood of our economy and the Government are committed to helping them grow and prosper. In the summer Budget we announced that we will increase the employment allowance from £2,000 to £3,000 to help small businesses with the cost of employment, and support business investment through the highest permanent level for the annual investment allowance. We will also transform the tax system over the course of this Parliament by introducing digital tax accounts.
Small Businesses — House of Commons, 2015-07-21
Topic: Macroeconomics
William Peter Wragg (Conservative, Centre-right): The Government’s policies are creating a climate of economic confidence. However, they are also having the effect of strengthening the pound against other currencies, particularly the euro, which many small exporters in my constituency tell me is making the price of their exports uncompetitive. What advice and support can my hon. Friend give to those small and medium-sized exporters in Hazel Grove so that they can continue to lead our economic recovery?
Small Businesses — House of Commons, 2015-07-21
Topic: Foreign Trade
David Michael Gauke (Conservative, Centre-right): We recognise that the recent weakness in our European trading partners has presented a particular challenge for SMEs trying to export. The Government are working hard to help British businesses export to a wider variety of destinations, contributing to strong recent performance in key emerging markets. That help includes a £20 million package of support this year for first-time exporters, but we need to do more and our productivity plan sets out how we will do that.
Deficit Reduction — House of Commons, 2015-07-21
Topic: Macroeconomics
Gregory William Hands (Conservative, Centre-right): Since 2010, the Government’s long-term economic plan has halved the deficit as a share of GDP, but the job is not yet done. At 4.9%, the deficit remains too high. The summer Budget set out the action that the Government will take to eliminate the deficit and run an overall surplus and start paying down debt. The Government will reduce the deficit at the same rate as over the last Parliament, to reach an overall surplus of £10 billion in 2019-20, according to the forecast from the Office for Budget Responsibility.
Deficit Reduction — House of Commons, 2015-07-21
Topic: Macroeconomics
Rishi Sunak (Conservative, Centre-right): Future Governments need flexibility to respond to economic shocks. Does my right hon. Friend agree with me that the Charter for Budget Responsibility and plans to run a fiscal surplus are sensible measures that will provide that flexibility?
Deficit Reduction — House of Commons, 2015-07-21
Topic: Macroeconomics
Gregory William Hands (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank my hon. Friend for that question and he is absolutely right. The reliable way to reduce debt effectively over time is to run a surplus in normal time. Public sector net debt as a share of GDP reached 80.8% last year and the Government are committed to getting debt falling as a share of GDP from here on.
Deficit Reduction — House of Commons, 2015-07-21
Topic: Macroeconomics
Gregory William Hands (Conservative, Centre-right): What I can confirm is that the surplus will be higher at the end of the Parliament and debt will be lower. But the hon. Lady was a Member in the last Parliament and she voted against every single one of the spending reductions and other measures that we took to deal with the deficit, and all the time she wanted higher deficits, higher debt and higher spending.
Revenue — House of Commons, 2015-07-21
Topic: Macroeconomics
Questions: What estimate he has made of the net change in revenue to the public purse that will arise from tax changes announced in the summer Budget 2015.
David Michael Gauke (Conservative, Centre-right): The change in revenue from tax changes announced in the summer Budget is shown in the Budget document. It shows that net receipts increase by between £4 billion and £6.5 billion in each full year of the forecast period. The Government pledged to raise £5 billion per year from tax. The measures announced in the Budget mean that by 2019-20, the Government will have delivered on their targets, raising £5 billion from avoidance and tax planning, evasion and compliance, and imbalances in the tax system.
Revenue — House of Commons, 2015-07-21
Topic: Macroeconomics
Questions: What estimate he has made of the net change in revenue to the public purse that will arise from tax changes announced in the summer Budget 2015.
David Michael Gauke (Conservative, Centre-right): We said at the election that we would raise a further £5 billion in tax, but we have one question from a Labour MP complaining about the deficit being too high, we have Labour voting against any measures to control spending, and now we have Labour complaining about any tax increases. So where do they stand? We failed to find coherence from the Labour party in the last Parliament and there is no sign of it in this Parliament.
Revenue — House of Commons, 2015-07-21
Topic: International Affairs
Questions: What estimate he has made of the net change in revenue to the public purse that will arise from tax changes announced in the summer Budget 2015.; Over this Parliament, the UK will pay £27 billion more in EU contributions because the EU has failed to cut farm subsidies. Would it not help our revenues if the EU actually kept their word?
David Michael Gauke (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend is of course aware of the historic deal that the Prime Minister achieved in February 2013, when for the first time ever we saw a real-terms cut in the EU budget. That was a significant achievement, and we obviously want to preserve and build on it.
Revenue — House of Commons, 2015-07-21
Topic: Macroeconomics
Questions: What estimate he has made of the net change in revenue to the public purse that will arise from tax changes announced in the summer Budget 2015.; Over this Parliament, the UK will pay £27 billion more in EU contributions because the EU has failed to cut farm subsidies. Would it not help our revenues if the EU actually kept their word?
David Michael Gauke (Conservative, Centre-right): We achieved a huge amount in the previous Parliament on tax loopholes. In the Budget, the Chancellor set out plans for additional resources for Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs to raise even more in dealing with tax avoidance and tax evasion. The particular example that the hon. Gentleman mentions relates to the long-standing treatment of the capital gains tax applying to private equity—something that has existed for many years and applied in most other countries. The Budget contained a number of measures that were designed to close loopholes for the private equity and hedge fund industries.
Employment Trends — House of Commons, 2015-07-21
Topic: Labor
Damian Patrick George Hinds (Conservative, Centre-right): Employment stands at 31 million having increased by 265,000 over the past year, driven entirely by more people being in full-time work. We are now moving into the next phase of our recovery, with high-quality employment helping to boost productivity and raise living standards across the country.
Employment Trends — House of Commons, 2015-07-21
Topic: Labor
Victoria Mary Boswell Prentis (Conservative, Centre-right): The security of a good job and a regular pay packet are of fundamental importance to people in my constituency. Can my hon. Friend assure us that he will keep backing business across the country to create more jobs?
Employment Trends — House of Commons, 2015-07-21
Topic: Macroeconomics
Damian Patrick George Hinds (Conservative, Centre-right): I can. The Government’s long-term economic plan is working. Since 2010, we have seen the creation of 1,000 new jobs a day, but the job is not yet done. The Government will continue working through the plan to secure Britain’s economic future.
Employment Trends — House of Commons, 2015-07-21
Topic: Macroeconomics
Damian Patrick George Hinds (Conservative, Centre-right): There has been a growth in the number of jobs in low and medium-skill sectors, and we should all welcome that. [Interruption.] I am sorry—I meant high and medium-skill sectors. The Government’s focus on the productivity plan is all about making sure that as we move into the next phase we are boosting those highest-value-added sectors.
Employment Trends — House of Commons, 2015-07-21
Topic: Agriculture
Questions: May I point out to the Minister that jobs in the agricultural, food production and dairy sector are of vital importance to my constituents in North Dorset? Will he ensure that the Treasury team do as much as they possibly can to support those vital sectors?
Damian Patrick George Hinds (Conservative, Centre-right): Indeed. The food sector, from farming through to retail and catering, is hugely important, contributing £103 billion to the economy and employing one in eight people. In fact, food and drink manufacturing is the UK’s largest manufacturing sector. We will absolutely continue to keep its importance, in Dorset and more widely, at the front of the plan.
Employment Trends — House of Commons, 2015-07-21
Topic: Macroeconomics
Questions: May I point out to the Minister that jobs in the agricultural, food production and dairy sector are of vital importance to my constituents in North Dorset? Will he ensure that the Treasury team do as much as they possibly can to support those vital sectors?
Damian Patrick George Hinds (Conservative, Centre-right): With the growth and employment levels that we have seen in Scotland, it becomes increasingly difficult every day for Scottish National party Members to continue to peddle their line, although I am sure they will. It is true that in the most recent short-term figures there was a slight adverse movement. As we move closer to full employment, we will not see the same large increases in employment every month, but year on year, as the hon. Gentleman will know, the position has improved.
Export Target — House of Commons, 2015-07-21
Topic: Foreign Trade
Harriett Mary Morison Baldwin (Conservative, Centre-right): The 2020 export target of £1 trillion is ambitious. UK Trade & Investment has doubled the number of businesses it helps since 2010. The productivity plan sets out steps to take this further by mobilising the whole of Government behind helping our great British businesses to export much more.
Export Target — House of Commons, 2015-07-21
Topic: Foreign Trade
Harriett Mary Morison Baldwin (Conservative, Centre-right): We can see the disarray in the hon. Gentleman’s personal life, given that he walked through the Lobby to support one leadership candidate last night, while publicly backing another who abstained. He mentions the importance of exporting to emerging markets. I can confirm that UK exports to China have increased by 72% since 2010, while exports to South Korea—many of them in the creative industries—are up by 148% and to Hong Kong by 63%.
Export Target — House of Commons, 2015-07-21
Topic: Foreign Trade
David Nuttall (Conservative, Centre-right): Does my hon. Friend agree that British business would find it easier to export to the rest of the world if it did not have to comply with the red tape imposed on it by Brussels bureaucrats?
Export Target — House of Commons, 2015-07-21
Topic: Foreign Trade
Harriett Mary Morison Baldwin (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend is an example to Opposition Members in the consistency of his political viewpoint. He is right to point out that the euro area has indeed been sluggish. One of the reasons we are experiencing slow growth in the euro area is that our goods exports have been falling to that part of the world. That is why it is so important that we refocus British businesses on exporting to some of the faster growing parts of the world.
Export Target — House of Commons, 2015-07-21
Topic: Foreign Trade
Questions: That was an extraordinarily complacent answer from the Minister. On this Chancellor’s watch, the UK’s current account deficit has become the largest of any advanced economy, and the value of UK exports is largely what it was in 2010, when the Government came to power. Crucially, that cannot be put down to the sluggishness of the eurozone, because exports to non-eurozone countries have been equally static, and the figure the Minister gave for China reflects demand in the Chinese economy. Does she accept that whatever the strategies the Government have deployed so far, they simply have not worked?
Harriett Mary Morison Baldwin (Conservative, Centre-right): I am glad that the hon. Gentleman shares my view that it is very important for us to help British businesses to export more. We have some fantastic British businesses, and many of them have started to export. UKTI has doubled the number of companies that it has helped in the past five years. He is absolutely right that we should aim to be very ambitious in this area. I would like to point out that export volumes outside the EU have actually grown by 24% since the first quarter of 2008.
Rebalancing the Economy — House of Commons, 2015-07-21
Topic: Macroeconomics
Harriett Mary Morison Baldwin (Conservative, Centre-right): The Government are committed to rebalancing the economy and strengthening every part of the UK. The summer Budget announced new commitments to rebalance the economy, including devolving further powers to city regions, inviting a new round of bids for enterprise zones and launching an ambitious transport package for the north of England.
Rebalancing the Economy — House of Commons, 2015-07-21
Topic: Government Operations
Harriett Mary Morison Baldwin (Conservative, Centre-right): I know the hon. Gentleman has a long-standing point of view in this regard. The important point is that we want to empower local economic areas to grow as fast as London and the south-east. Among the important measures in the Cities and Local Government Devolution Bill are the strong and accountable governance arrangements for, for example, Mayors.
Wage Growth and Inflation — House of Commons, 2015-07-21
Topic: Macroeconomics
Damian Patrick George Hinds (Conservative, Centre-right): The hard work on economic recovery is now paying off as people see their pay packets growing faster. The most recent data show real pay growing at 3.2%. Inflation is low: the price of fuels has fallen by 10.5% in the past year and the price of food by 2.2%.
Wage Growth and Inflation — House of Commons, 2015-07-21
Topic: Technology
Christopher James Green (Conservative, Centre-right): As the MP for Bolton West, I strongly welcome the Government’s northern powerhouse plans to invest in transport infrastructure and in science and skills. What are the Government doing to ensure that Bolton West is increasingly attractive as a place for high-tech business to invest, so bringing in high-skilled jobs and higher wages for my constituents?
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2015-07-21
Topic: Labor
George Gideon Oliver Osborne (Conservative, Centre-right): Let me give the hon. Gentleman a figure: 200,000 workers in Scotland will gain from the new national living wage, which is 9% of the workforce. The Budget is offering people in Scotland and across the United Kingdom higher wages, lower taxes and, yes, lower welfare, as part of a new contract whereby this country lives within its means. That is one reason why jobs are being created in Scotland.
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2015-07-21
Topic: Macroeconomics
Questions: I welcome the Chancellor’s recent announcement on Sunday trading hours. What steps can he take to ensure that neighbouring authorities take a joined-up approach, so that consumers have confidence in the consistency of Sunday trading hours and we provide the maximum possible benefit to our economy?; The Treasury loses out on hundreds of millions of pounds each year by allowing high-earning hedge fund managers to pay capital gains tax at 28%, rather than income tax of 45%, on carried interest payments. Does the Chancellor agree that we should close that loophole so that we can invest the money in properly paid apprenticeships and tackling child poverty?
George Gideon Oliver Osborne (Conservative, Centre-right): Under the last Labour Government, such people were paying 18% tax. Indeed, people in the City boasted that they were paying lower tax rates than the people who cleaned for them. We have changed that and increased the capital gains tax rate to 28%. As a result of the Budget, we are also insisting that that rate is paid across the venture capital industry.