argyrotsipi/train-dataset huggingface dataset:
Unemployment — House of Commons, 2017-10-24
Topic: Macroeconomics
Philip Hammond (Conservative, Centre-right): In 2010, we inherited the UK’s largest deficit since the second world war, at 9.9% of GDP. We set out a clear fiscal framework to restore confidence in the economy and reduce the deficit, which has subsequently fallen by more than two thirds We have delivered the lowest corporation tax rate in the G20 and cut employment costs through the employment allowance. Our unemployment rate, in consequence, is at its lowest level for more than 40 years, and since 2010 we have seen 3 million more people find work. With the economy operating at near record high employment, our focus now must be to increase productivity and, thus, real wage growth.
Unemployment — House of Commons, 2017-10-24
Topic: Macroeconomics
David Thomas Charles Davies (Conservative, Centre-right): Will my right hon. Friend confirm that despite all the fearmongering from many, including Opposition Members, since the Brexit referendum, we have the best growth rates and best inward investment rates in the whole of Europe, and the lowest unemployment rates for four decades? Is that not a ringing endorsement of this Government’s policies?
Unemployment — House of Commons, 2017-10-24
Topic: Macroeconomics
Philip Hammond (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend is absolutely right to say that we have the lowest unemployment rate for four decades, and that is a remarkable achievement. The British economy has performed with remarkable resilience since June 2016. Last year, we had the second highest growth rate in the G7. The British economy is fundamentally strong and resilient. Yes, we have some short-term uncertainty, but underneath that is a strong and resilient economy ready to go forward and reap the benefits that are available in the future.
Unemployment — House of Commons, 2017-10-24
Topic: International Affairs
Philip Hammond (Conservative, Centre-right): We are preparing for all outcomes in our negotiations with the European Union, but the Government’s objective is to reach a deal. As the Prime Minister made clear in her Florence speech, as part of that deal we want to agree an implementation period, during which businesses and Governments can prepare for the new relationship, and we want to agree the principles of that period as soon as possible. Last week, at the European Council, the 27 agreed to start internal preparatory discussions on guidelines in relation to an implementation period. Together with the broad support for the idea in Parliament, this should give British businesses confidence that we are going to provide them with the certainty they require.
Unemployment — House of Commons, 2017-10-24
Topic: Labor
Theresa Anne Villiers (Conservative, Centre-right): Will the Chancellor welcome the fact that there are more women in work than ever before and set out what steps we can take to ensure that this is one of the best countries in the world for women to set up and run their own businesses?
Unemployment — House of Commons, 2017-10-24
Topic: Labor
Philip Hammond (Conservative, Centre-right): One of the remarkable achievements of the past seven years has been the increase in participation in the workforce, particularly in the number of women participating in the workforce. That is in large part due to the family-friendly policies this Government have pursued, with huge increases in the availability of childcare—free childcare—and in the tax deductability of childcare. We will continue to drive a set of policies that encourages women into the workforce, both because it is economically sensible and because it is socially inclusive.
Unemployment — House of Commons, 2017-10-24
Topic: Macroeconomics
Philip Hammond (Conservative, Centre-right): No, and that was not what my right hon. Friend said, as the right hon. Gentleman very well knows. I would, however, agree with him that increasing activity in the construction sector is a very good way of creating jobs, but he will know that at 4.3% our economy is approaching full employment and the output gap is extremely small.
Unemployment — House of Commons, 2017-10-24
Topic: Labor
Philip Andrew Davies (Conservative, Centre-right): Given that more people are in employment, there is more opportunity for people to take advantage of employee share ownership saving schemes. Unfortunately, the maximum amount of time someone can pause one of those schemes is six months, which means that many women on maternity leave for up to a year have to cash in their schemes and cannot take advantage of them to maximum effect. I am sure that is an out-of-date anomaly, so in the Budget will the Chancellor extend the period of time that an employee share ownership saving scheme can be paused to up to 12 months? In that way, women on maternity leave can enjoy the same benefits of those schemes as everybody else.
Unemployment — House of Commons, 2017-10-24
Topic: Social Welfare
Philip Hammond (Conservative, Centre-right): The Government made commitments on the personal allowance and higher-rate threshold in their previous election manifesto. We reiterated them in the 2017 manifesto, and we remain committed to those policies. Of course, I will take into account all the representations I receive from right hon. and hon. Members, and I shall take the hon. Lady’s comments on the work allowance as such a representation.
Fiscal Devolution: London — House of Commons, 2017-10-24
Topic: Government Operations
Stephen Paul Barclay (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank my hon. Friend for his work on the London Finance Commission, which recommended giving London a wide range of additional powers. The Government have committed to continue to work with the Greater London Authority and London Councils to ensure that London has the powers it needs to maintain its status as a world-leading city.
Fiscal Devolution: London — House of Commons, 2017-10-24
Topic: Transportation
Robert James MacGillivray Neill (Conservative, Centre-right): I am grateful for that response, but will my hon. Friend particularly and urgently consider whether an element of fiscal devolution—for example, a tourist levy or something similar—might be part of a robust funding package for Crossrail 2, which is a critical part of national infrastructure and will give a boost worth around £150 billion to the whole UK economy?
Fiscal Devolution: London — House of Commons, 2017-10-24
Topic: Transportation
Stephen Paul Barclay (Conservative, Centre-right): As my hon. Friend is aware, the Department for Transport is scrutinising the business case for Crossrail and discussing it with Transport for London. It is right that the London region does not retain disproportionate amounts of revenue. Some of the recommendations in the commission’s report are very broad ranging.
Fiscal Devolution: London — House of Commons, 2017-10-24
Topic: Macroeconomics
Stephen Paul Barclay (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Gentleman needs to question whether Labour Members are fully signed up to the recommendations of the London Finance Commission. For example, many of his colleagues on the Opposition Benches may not support the retaining of almost half of all stamp duty across England.
Scottish Economy — House of Commons, 2017-10-24
Topic: Foreign Trade
Philip Hammond (Conservative, Centre-right): The UK internal market benefits all the nations and regions of the United Kingdom. It is essential that no new barriers to living and doing business in the UK are created. Exports to the rest of the UK are vital to the success of Scotland’s economy, generating £50 billion in 2015. That compares with £12 billion of exports to the EU and £16 billion to the rest of the world and it accounts for 63% of Scotland’s total exports.
Scottish Economy — House of Commons, 2017-10-24
Topic: International Affairs
Philip Hammond (Conservative, Centre-right): As I have already said, the Government are preparing for all possible outcomes of the negotiations with the European Union, as any prudent Government would, but the Prime Minister has made it very clear that our strong preference is to achieve a deal, which is good for Britain and which protects British jobs, British businesses and British prosperity—by which I mean the jobs, businesses and prosperity of all of the United Kingdom.
Scottish Economy — House of Commons, 2017-10-24
Topic: International Affairs
Philip Hammond (Conservative, Centre-right): I am very confident that, whatever the outcome, all of this talent will not leave. The Prime Minister made it very clear yesterday that her top priority remains giving assurance to EU citizens living in the UK, which is why she is working hard to deliver a deal on citizens. It is the area in which our discussions with the European Union are most advanced. The hon. Lady has the Prime Minister’s personal commitment on the importance that she attaches to that area.
Scottish Economy — House of Commons, 2017-10-24
Topic: Foreign Trade
Colin James Clark (Conservative, Centre-right): Financial and accounting services amounted to Scotland’s most valuable export service in 2015. Of the £8.8 billion they were worth, £7.6 billion, or 86%, went to the rest of the UK. Does my right hon. Friend agree that conserving the UK internal market is vital to protect such an important sector of the Scottish economy?
Digital Infrastructure — House of Commons, 2017-10-24
Topic: Technology
Andrew Hanson Jones (Conservative, Centre-right): The Government are investing more than £1 billion to stimulate the market to build the next generation digital infrastructure that the UK needs for the future. This includes the £400 million digital infrastructure investment fund and the £740 million for full fibre broadband and 5G mobile. That is in addition to the Government-led £1.7 billion superfast programme, which will extend coverage to 95% of UK premises by the end of the year.
Digital Infrastructure — House of Commons, 2017-10-24
Topic: Technology
Andrew Theakstone Percy (Conservative, Centre-right): The vast majority of my constituents in east Yorkshire and north Lincolnshire now enjoy superfast broadband, but a small number in rural areas still struggle with access to broadband and to good 4G, 3G or even 2G mobile coverage. What more can the Government do to give BT Openreach and the mobile networks a kick up the backside to make sure that we get the coverage that we are all paying for?
Digital Infrastructure — House of Commons, 2017-10-24
Topic: Technology
Andrew Hanson Jones (Conservative, Centre-right): The Government are working to continue their progress on the superfast broadband roll-out. We expect to reach 95% by the end of this year. We have already seen some changes from the internal reorganisation within British Telecom, separating out Openreach. The progress will be maintained through Government expenditure in that programme and in the digital infrastructure investment fund.
Digital Infrastructure — House of Commons, 2017-10-24
Topic: Technology
Andrew Hanson Jones (Conservative, Centre-right): I absolutely agree that broadband and digital progress are critical to the productivity of our economy. I am not aware of that letter. I will look into it with immediate effect, and I apologise for the delay.
Digital Infrastructure — House of Commons, 2017-10-24
Topic: Technology
Alan Mak (Conservative, Centre-right): As the fourth industrial revolution accelerates, superfast broadband will be key to the productivity of our high-growth technology businesses. Will the Minister continue working with entrepreneurs and businesses to ensure that they get the broadband system that they need?
Digital Infrastructure — House of Commons, 2017-10-24
Topic: Technology
Andrew Hanson Jones (Conservative, Centre-right): I most certainly will continue to work on that. My hon. Friend has consistently spoken up on behalf of entrepreneurs and enterprise since he arrived in this House. The Government’s intention to pursue our broadband investment, whether it is superfast or full fibre, is right at the heart of our efforts to improve productivity.
Digital Infrastructure — House of Commons, 2017-10-24
Topic: Technology
Andrew Hanson Jones (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Gentleman makes an important point. All our constituencies have some areas that are not yet fully able to access the important benefits of broadband. I will discuss his points with my colleagues in the Department for Communities and Local Government, and report back to him.
Digital Infrastructure — House of Commons, 2017-10-24
Topic: Technology
Andrew Hanson Jones (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Gentleman seems to have forgotten the announcement of the national productivity investment fund—a £23 billion pot of money for investment in infrastructure, including digital infrastructure, across the country. I have already mentioned the £400 million digital infrastructure investment fund and the £740 million for full-fibre broadband and 5G. We are already approaching the figure of 95% of UK premises having access to superfast broadband by the end of the year, and that puts us in a strong place for the future.
SMEs (East Midlands) — House of Commons, 2017-10-24
Topic: Macroeconomics
Melvyn John Stride (Conservative, Centre-right): The Government are committed to reducing the administrative burdens for small and medium-sized enterprises, including in the east midlands. That is why we delivered £272 million of net reductions in administrative burdens between 2011 and 2015, and why we continue to reduce unnecessary interaction with the tax system.
SMEs (East Midlands) — House of Commons, 2017-10-24
Topic: Macroeconomics
Edward Julian Egerton Leigh (Conservative, Centre-right): We still have one of the longest tax codes in the world. I know that the Treasury is under constant pressure to bung extra pieces of money to particular interest groups, but may I suggest to the Minister that he sticks to his last on the Treasury Bench and argues the case for less taxation, simpler taxation and less debt? That is the best service we can give to the young and to businesses.
SMEs (East Midlands) — House of Commons, 2017-10-24
Topic: Macroeconomics
Melvyn John Stride (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend raises an important point about complexity, which is why we continue to work with the Office for Tax Simplification to ensure that our tax code is as simple as it can be. But there is no doubt that, in upholding our exemplary record of clamping down on avoidance, evasion and non-compliance— £160 billion of revenue from 2010 to 2015—we make no apologies for having a tax code that works to support our public services.
SMEs (East Midlands) — House of Commons, 2017-10-24
Topic: International Affairs
Melvyn John Stride (Conservative, Centre-right): As the hon. Lady knows, we are in the middle of negotiations with our European partners. I am confident that, as the Prime Minister has expressed at every turn, we will secure a good deal for this country. In the context of our borders, that will mean that the situation will be as frictionless as possible, which will be good for trade, our country and our economy.
SMEs (East Midlands) — House of Commons, 2017-10-24
Topic: Macroeconomics
John Simon Bercow (Conservative, Centre-right): Order. Just for the benefit of the hon. Gentleman, may I say that the Opposition’s plans for taxes are not a responsibility of the Government? This is a lesson we all have to learn; in my case I learned it early in my first Parliament, and the hon. Gentleman has learned that lesson today.
Public Services — House of Commons, 2017-10-24
Topic: Macroeconomics
Nusrat Munir Ul-Ghani (Conservative, Centre-right): Does the Minister agree that it is due to this Government’s responsible management of the public finances that we are able to spend more on education than Germany and Japan, and more on defence and policing than any other European country?
Public Services — House of Commons, 2017-10-24
Topic: Education
Elizabeth Mary Truss (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend is absolutely right. We spend more per student on education than Germany or Japan. Because of our management of the public finances, we have been able to push £1.3 billion more of education spending to the frontline, where it is going to make the most difference in classrooms.
Public Services — House of Commons, 2017-10-24
Topic: Macroeconomics
Elizabeth Mary Truss (Conservative, Centre-right): That is one of the reasons why we need to make sure that we are reducing our debt and reducing our deficit in order to reduce the interest payments that came as a result of the previous Labour Government leaving us with the highest deficit in history. We have an independent Bank of England, and it is very important that as a Government Minister I do not tell it what to do on interest rates.
Public Sector Pay — House of Commons, 2017-10-24
Topic: Labor
Elizabeth Mary Truss (Conservative, Centre-right): In 2010, there was a significant gap between wages in the public and private sectors whereby public sector workers received an average of 5.76% higher pay. Today, wages are comparable, and when we take into account more generous pension benefits, there is an additional 10% pension premium in the public sector.
Public Sector Pay — House of Commons, 2017-10-24
Topic: Labor
Elizabeth Mary Truss (Conservative, Centre-right): It seems that the right hon. Gentleman cannot take yes for an answer. There is not a public sector pay cap. We have said that individual Secretaries of State will be responsible for making proposals on their workforces dependent on specific circumstances. We are facing very different issues in the NHS and in the armed forces. What is important is that we look at the evidence and make sure that we can recruit and retain the best possible workers in the public sector, but we also need to make sure that we do not price out of the market people working in the private sector.
Public Sector Pay — House of Commons, 2017-10-24
Topic: Labor
Mark James Harper (Conservative, Centre-right): Will the Chief Secretary urge her Cabinet colleagues, when they are making these decisions, to bear in mind that public sector pay rises must be fair not only to public sector workers, but to the five sixths of workers in the private sector who face the same pressures and challenges?
Public Sector Pay — House of Commons, 2017-10-24
Topic: Macroeconomics
Elizabeth Mary Truss (Conservative, Centre-right): My right hon. Friend is right. The fact is that we were left a legacy by a previous Government who spent money that they did not have. We have had to get the public finances back on track. We do recognise that there are areas in which we need to make sure that we can recruit and retain high-quality public sector workers, but we also need to make sure that we have a thriving private sector economy. That is why we have ended up with the lowest unemployment for 40 years.
Public Sector Pay — House of Commons, 2017-10-24
Topic: Macroeconomics
Elizabeth Mary Truss (Conservative, Centre-right): The reason we have not seen the wage growth that we want to see is that we have an issue with productivity in this country. In order to raise living standards for everybody, regardless of whether they work in business or in the public sector, we need to make sure that we raise productivity. That is why we are investing in infrastructure and skills—doing all the things that the previous Government did not do to make our country more productive.
Transport Infrastructure: Cheshire — House of Commons, 2017-10-24
Topic: Transportation
Andrew Hanson Jones (Conservative, Centre-right): I wish my right hon. Friend many happy returns of the day I confirm that the Government are taking big decisions for Britain’s future and investing in transport infrastructure in Cheshire and across the north. Just last week, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport announced road investment of £65 million in Cheshire. That included £18 million of funding for five different local road schemes and £47 million for the Middlewich bypass. That is on top of improvements that the Government are already making to the M6, M62 and M56.
Transport Infrastructure: Cheshire — House of Commons, 2017-10-24
Topic: Transportation
Esther Louise McVey (Conservative, Centre-right): I welcome the Minister’s reply. The Cheshire and Warrington local enterprise partnership has a bold agenda for increasing business in Tatton and Chester. The local plan has an equally bold agenda for increasing the number of houses, which will bring money to the Exchequer and help to meet the country’s housing need, but we have a significant need for the mid-Cheshire rail line. May I ask the Chancellor and his team to look at that for the forthcoming Budget?
Transport Infrastructure: Cheshire — House of Commons, 2017-10-24
Topic: Macroeconomics
Andrew Hanson Jones (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Gentleman’s assessment is simply mistaken: Government investment is broadly equal across the different regions of our country. I highlight to him that the central Government investment going into the north during this spending period is £13 billion, which is a record in British history.
Deficit Reduction — House of Commons, 2017-10-24
Topic: Macroeconomics
Philip Hammond (Conservative, Centre-right): The Government have reduced the deficit by well over two thirds—from a post-war high of 9.9% of GDP in 2009-10 to a low of 2.3% of GDP in 2016-17. We have done that not out of some ideological obsession, but because the key challenge is to get debt falling to increase the resilience of our country so that if the need were ever to arise, we would have the capacity to support the economy against a future shock.
Deficit Reduction — House of Commons, 2017-10-24
Topic: Macroeconomics
James Roger Cartlidge (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank my right hon. Friend for that answer. May I make one simple request about the Budget: whatever measures he announces, he resists the temptation to pay for them by billing our grandchildren? Instead, will he continue the excellent work that has seen us slash by nearly three quarters, as a percentage of GDP, the record post-war deficit that we inherited from the Labour Government?
Deficit Reduction — House of Commons, 2017-10-24
Topic: Macroeconomics
Philip Hammond (Conservative, Centre-right): Yes. It is not responsible to make so-called hard choices by loading the price on to the next generation and the generation after that. We have to make difficult decisions and we have to bear the consequences of those decisions. At £65,000 per household, our public debt is still far too high, so I can confirm to my hon. Friend that we will continue the plans that we have announced to reduce the deficit in a measured and balanced way to ensure that debt falls as a share of GDP.
Deficit Reduction — House of Commons, 2017-10-24
Topic: Macroeconomics
Kevin Paul Hollinrake (Conservative, Centre-right): Despite this Government’s significant efforts to tackle the deficit by reducing tax avoidance, companies such as Microsoft and Apple are still saving hundreds of millions of pounds in corporation tax by booking sales in Ireland. Does my right hon. Friend agree that we need to continue to develop measures to make sure that companies that sell to UK customers pay tax in the UK?
Deficit Reduction — House of Commons, 2017-10-24
Topic: Macroeconomics
Philip Hammond (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend puts his finger on an important problem. Corporation tax in the UK—in fact, in all countries—is levied on profits generated by the activities of companies within the territory. The big global digital companies present us with a new challenge of attributing profits effectively to individual jurisdictions. We are continuing to work with the OECD’s taskforce on the digital economy, and we are also looking carefully at ideas emerging within the EU for interim solutions pending a full international solution.