argyrotsipi/train-dataset huggingface dataset:
Finance (No. 2) Bill — House of Commons, 2017-12-11
Topic: Labor
Rachel Helen Maclean (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend is absolutely correct. Matthew Taylor has clearly stated that banning zero-hours contracts is completely the wrong thing to do. The Conservative party wants everybody to have good work in a decent job with secure working conditions, which is why we commissioned Matthew Taylor to carry out his report. As my hon. Friend, a fellow member of the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee, says, this is an incredibly important issue. The Taylor report is a detailed piece of work that looks at the rights of employees, the self-employed and workers to make sure that everybody’s rights are protected, because no business should be afraid of treating people well and giving people a decent job. That is what this Government are doing.
Finance (No. 2) Bill — House of Commons, 2017-12-11
Topic: Labor
Michael Alex Burghart (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend is being extraordinarily generous with her time. Like her, I enjoyed the speech of the hon. Member for Bootle (Peter Dowd), although I did not agree with all of it. He says that there is nothing in the Bill for low-paid workers. Perhaps my hon. Friend would like to remind him that there is a tax cut for 31 million workers, from which low-paid workers will benefit.
Finance (No. 2) Bill — House of Commons, 2017-12-11
Topic: Macroeconomics
William Grant (Conservative, Centre-right): I remind my hon. Friend that Scotland is the highest-taxed part of the United Kingdom. Scottish National party Members will keep me right, but they are minded to alter the tax band and take more money from the pockets of those who are working hard. Does she agree that that is not the best way forward for the economy of Scotland?
Finance (No. 2) Bill — House of Commons, 2017-12-11
Topic: Macroeconomics
Rachel Helen Maclean (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend is completely right. He reminds us of why we see so many Conservative Members representing Scotland, and I am proud to sit with them. Even though I have a Scottish surname, I am not from Scotland, but I love that part of our country. I am delighted that the Scottish people have Conservative representatives fighting for low tax.
Finance (No. 2) Bill — House of Commons, 2017-12-11
Topic: Macroeconomics
Rachel Helen Maclean (Conservative, Centre-right): I am glad the hon. Gentleman made his intervention, because I would like to set the record straight. The Labour party talks a lot about banks. Shall we remind ourselves that it was the Labour party and Ed Balls—its former shadow Chancellor—who created the light-touch regime that led to the crashing of our entire economy? Millions of people were thrown out of their jobs; they lost their jobs and were in poverty because of the decisions of the former Chancellor of the Exchequer.
Finance (No. 2) Bill — House of Commons, 2017-12-11
Topic: Macroeconomics
Caroline Elizabeth Johnson (Conservative, Centre-right): Does my hon. Friend think Labour Members are not answering this question about how much their spending plans would cost because they do not know or because they do not want the public to know what the answer is?
Finance (No. 2) Bill — House of Commons, 2017-12-11
Topic: Macroeconomics
Rachel Helen Maclean (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank the hon. Gentleman for his intervention. I fear that the combination of the Labour Front-Bench team would be a lot, lot worse for our banks and for our country. Let us just look at the record, because he has mentioned that a few times. Under this Government banks are paying 58% more tax than under Labour. In 2016-17, the banking sector paid £27.3 billion in corporation tax, which represents an increase of £2.9 billion. That is going to pay for an awful lot of hospitals and schools, for the police service, and for roads and sanitation in our constituencies. It is certainly going to pay for a lot more of those things in Redditch I remind the hon. Member for Bootle that the average amount paid by the banks every year under the Conservative party is 13% higher than it was under Labour. HMRC data shows that the average annual amount of tax paid by the banking sector between 2010-11 and 2016-17 was £23.2 billion In conclusion, this Government and Conservative Members represent the true party for the many working people up and down this country.
Finance (No. 2) Bill — House of Commons, 2017-12-11
Topic: Macroeconomics
Robert Alexander Courts (Conservative, Centre-right): It is an honour to follow my hon. Friend the Member for Redditch (Rachel Maclean), whose impassioned speech took in so many detailed points with respect to the Opposition Front-Bench team. It was a forensic dissection of their economic policy from which they will struggle to recover for months and years This is a Budget and Finance Bill that the people of Witney and West Oxfordshire will warmly welcome. It is strategic and finely focused on the challenges that the country faces. Moreover, it operates within a constrained and careful financial climate. The Government understand the requirement for sensible fiscal policy. They understand that it is not possible simply to promise endless spending without any idea of how it will be paid for. They do not think it is simply a matter of appealing to certain groups by promising them whatever it is suggested might be wished for at the time. The Government take a sensible, practical attitude—one of financial probity and, one might even say, prudence, a concept that was once respected and beloved by the Labour party. For all those reasons, I welcome the Bill, which forensically and strategically identifies the challenges the country faces and puts in place methods and means by which to combat them I start my brief remarks by looking at the positives achieved by the Government and their predecessors since 2010. It is worth repeating this because it is an extraordinary record, and I hope very much that the Minister will repeat some of it, if he thinks these achievements are worthy of repeating. We have an extraordinary financial and economic record. The Government have achieved an economy that has grown by 15.8% since 2010. The deficit has been cut by two thirds and debt is scheduled to start to fall next year.
Finance (No. 2) Bill — House of Commons, 2017-12-11
Topic: Macroeconomics
Alexander John Gervase Chalk (Conservative, Centre-right): Does my hon. Friend, like me, welcome the fact that at the same time as the economy has been growing the tax system has been made more progressive so that the top 1% now pay 27% of the entire tax revenue—
Finance (No. 2) Bill — House of Commons, 2017-12-11
Topic: Macroeconomics
Robert Alexander Courts (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend makes an extremely good point that we have not heard often enough. We should absolutely keep making the point that although we hear talk of a progressive tax system from the Opposition, we see action from the Government. The 1% of highest earners now pay 28% of tax. That proportion is higher than it ever was under Labour. That is a record to be proud of. It is real progressive, practical politics from the Conservative Government.
Finance (No. 2) Bill — House of Commons, 2017-12-11
Topic: Macroeconomics
Stephen Charles Kerr (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend quite rightly talks about the progressive nature of the tax regime that has been very carefully fostered by this Conservative Government. Is he aware that, for the Scottish Budget this Thursday, the Liberal Democrats in Scotland are proposing to increase income tax on people who earn £18,000 a year? Can he tell me what he thinks about the progressive nature of such a suggestion from the Liberal Democrats in Scotland?
Finance (No. 2) Bill — House of Commons, 2017-12-11
Topic: Macroeconomics
Robert Alexander Courts (Conservative, Centre-right): That is a horrifying suggestion. I am not surprised that that is the attitude of the Liberal Democrats in Scotland, because it is one that we see in many parts of this House—from those who do not understand that when we raise taxation on the lowest paid, it means that those people have less money in their pockets, which reduces their ability to make the decisions that they need to make with regard to themselves, their family and their life chances. When we take money away from people, we remove their freedom of action, their freedom of manoeuvre and the investment choices that they may make for their children. It is a totally unprogressive attitude.
Finance (No. 2) Bill — House of Commons, 2017-12-11
Topic: Macroeconomics
Robert Alexander Courts (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Gentleman makes a very, very good point. As chairman of the all-party group for small and micro business, that is something that is very close to my heart and the hearts of those for whom I endeavour to speak in Parliament. That matter has been a concern. I know that the hon. Gentleman has campaigned on it, as have I and many others. The simplification of the VAT regime and the ability to pay online will streamline the tax process for small businesses. I am grateful to the Government for the action that they have taken in ensuring that that burden is not too onerous.
Finance (No. 2) Bill — House of Commons, 2017-12-11
Topic: Macroeconomics
Geoffrey Robert Clifton-Brown (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank my hon. Friend and neighbour for giving way. Is he aware that since 2010 we have raised £160 billion from tackling tax evasion, yet the shadow Chancellor says that he will raise even more from tackling tax evasion. Does that not show that he is living in fantasy land?
Finance (No. 2) Bill — House of Commons, 2017-12-11
Topic: Macroeconomics
Robert Alexander Courts (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend is absolutely right. This is a Government who are cracking down on and taking serious, practical and effective measures against tax evasion. What we hear from the Opposition are measures that will drive businesses and investment abroad. They will not invest in the businesses that we need to help grow the economy and grow jobs. What we see from the Government is effective management of the economy, and what we see from the Opposition is, as my hon. Friend quite rightly said, fantasy. The irony is that their measures will destroy jobs, destroy the economy, destroy productivity and destroy the tax revenues on which our public services depend. The policies from the Opposition will mean less, not more, for the public services.
Finance (No. 2) Bill — House of Commons, 2017-12-11
Topic: Macroeconomics
Stephen Charles Kerr (Conservative, Centre-right): I rise to make a few remarks in support of the Bill, which addresses fundamental issues on which the Government are doing the right things. The public finances are not in a state where we can take them for granted. Although much progress has been made on the deficit, there is still much to be done and there is certainly no room for complacency I turn briefly to the subject that I mentioned in an intervention a little earlier: the need to keep taxes low. By doing so, we allow people to spend more of their hard-earned money as they wish. That is something that the Scottish Government should learn as they put the final touches to their Budget on Thursday. If they raise taxes, they hurt people’s ability to make decisions for themselves, and we all know that people are capable of making decisions for themselves. The Scottish Chambers of Commerce as recently as last Thursday told the First Minister to her face that the last thing that Scotland’s businesses and economy need is a reputation for being the highest taxed part of the United Kingdom. She will ignore the voice of Scotland’s businesses at her peril and at the peril of Scotland’s economic future.
Finance (No. 2) Bill — House of Commons, 2017-12-11
Topic: Macroeconomics
John Simon Bercow (Conservative, Centre-right): Order. Before I call the Minister, I think that the hon. Lady was moving the amendment, was she not? [Interruption.] It would have been helpful for her specifically to say "and I so move." [Interruption.] In that case, it was not audible, and it is not her fault that there was too much noise, but I am grateful for the confirmation that the amendment has been moved Amendment proposed: To leave out from "That" to the end of the Question and add: "this House declines to give a Second Reading to the Finance (No. 2) Bill because it contains no measures to address the fact that the UK has the slowest economic growth in the G7 while the IFS warns of two decades of lost earnings growth, it fails to reverse the Government’s 2015 Bank Levy cut resulting in £4.7bn less in tax revenue from banks over five years and contains measures to further limit the scope of the Bank Levy resulting in a further fall in revenue, whilst at the same time crucial services that many children and families across the country desperately rely on are at risk due to seven years of budget cuts, it proposes a stamp duty cut that, according to the analysis of the OBR, will increase house prices, instead of helping to address the housing crisis through measures to build more affordable homes, it proposes policies without the benefit of an adequate Equalities Impact Assessment, it arises from a Budget which made no provision for lifting the public sector pay cap or addressing the funding crisis in social care and the NHS, it includes no measures properly to tackle tax avoidance and evasion and it is not based on an amendment of the law resolution, thus restricting the scope of amendments and reducing the House’s ability to properly scrutinise and improve the Bill."—(Anneliese Dodds.) Question proposed, That the amendment be made.
Business without Debate — House of Commons, 2017-12-11
Topic: Law and Crime
John Simon Bercow (Conservative, Centre-right): With the leave of the House, I propose to take motions 3 to 16 together Motion made, and Question put forthwith (Standing Order No. 118(6)), Financial Services and Markets That the draft Risk Transformation (Tax) Regulations 2017, which were laid before this House on 12 October, be approved Medicines That the draft Pharmacy (Preparation and Dispensing Errors—Registered Pharmacies) Order 2018, which was laid before this House on 13 November, be approved Proceeds of Crime That the draft Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (Search, Seizure and Detention of Property: Code of Practice) Order 2018, which was laid before this House on 23 October, be approved That the draft Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (Recovery of Listed Assets: Code of Practice) (England and Wales and Scotland) Regulations 2018, which were laid before this House on 23 October, be approved That the draft Criminal Finances Act 2017 (Consequential Amendment) Regulations 2018, which were laid before this House on 23 October, be approved That the draft Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (Cash Searches: Code of Practice) Order 2018, which was laid before this House on 23 October, be approved Constitutional Law That the draft Scotland Act 1998 (Insolvency Functions) Order 2017, which was laid before this House on 14 September, be approved Proceeds of Crime That the draft Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (Investigations: Code of Practice) Order 2018, which was laid before this House on 23 October, be approved That the draft Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (Investigative Powers of Prosecutors: Code of Practice) Order 2018, which was laid before this House on 23 October, be approved Prevention and Suppression of Terrorism That the draft Terrorism Act 2000 (Code of Practice for Authorised Officers) Order 2018, which was laid before this House on 23 October, be approved Constitutional Law That the draft Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2016 (Consequential Provisions) Order 2017, which was laid before this House on 13 September, be approved Banks and Banking That the draft Scottish Banknote (Designation of Authorised Bank) Regulations 2017, which were laid before this House on 12 September, be approved Electronic Communications That the draft Electronic Communications Code (Jurisdiction) Regulations 2017, which were laid before this House on 19 October, be approved That the draft Communications Act 2003 and the Digital Economy Act 2017 (Consequential Amendments to Primary Legislation) Regulations 2017, which were laid before this House on 19 October, be approved.—(Rebecca Harris.) Question agreed to. Communities and Local Government Ordered, That Jo Platt be a member of the Communities and Local Government Committee.—(Bill Wiggin, on behalf of the Selection Committee.) Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Ordered, That Jo Platt be discharged from the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee and Kerry McCarthy be added.—(Bill Wiggin, on behalf of the Selection Committee.)
Superfast Broadband — House of Commons, 2017-12-06
Topic: Technology
David Gordon Mundell (Conservative, Centre-right): May I start by paying tribute to Jimmy Hood, who died earlier this week? Jimmy was formerly my neighbouring MP and a constituent, and although I have to say that we did not agree on very much, we always got on very well. I remain grateful to Jimmy for his help and support when I was first elected to this House. Jimmy would have been proud to see himself as a traditional Labour man through and through, a fighter for mining communities and mining interests and, obviously, a parliamentarian of 28 years’ standing who held many important roles in this Parliament. Our thoughts are with Marion and his family at this time I have regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues, the UK Minister for Digital and the Scottish Government regarding the roll-out of superfast broadband. Just last week, the Minister for Digital met the Scottish Government’s Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy and Connectivity to discuss broadband roll-out and the delays that we have seen from the Scottish Government.
Superfast Broadband — House of Commons, 2017-12-06
Topic: Technology
David Gordon Mundell (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank the hon. Gentleman for that question. The Minister for Digital made it very clear that his approach to local authorities was based on the fact that the Scottish Government, who previously had responsibility for the roll-out, are three years behind on rolling out broadband in Scotland, and that is not good enough for people living in any of Scotland’s local authority areas. The Minister and I believe that local authorities will give greater priority and expertise to this task than the Scottish Government, which is why we are engaging with them.
Superfast Broadband — House of Commons, 2017-12-06
Topic: Technology
David Gordon Mundell (Conservative, Centre-right): I absolutely agree with my hon. Friend. Connectivity is at the heart of the proposal that the five cross-border local authorities have brought forward in the borderlands package. My hon. Friend will be aware that the original intention for the roll-out of broadband in Scotland was to focus on the south of Scotland but, in their centralising way, the SNP Scottish Government put a stop to that.
Superfast Broadband — House of Commons, 2017-12-06
Topic: Technology
Questions: I echo the Secretary of State’s comments about Jimmy Hood, who will be sadly missed by all on this side of the House.Superfast broadband is very important for those who want to access banking. There are now more cash machines in this House than there are on Cambuslang Main Street in my constituency. What discussions has the Secretary of State had with the Royal Bank of Scotland about its programme of branch closures?; In an area that is entirely reserved, the UK Government allocation of £21 million to Scotland’s R100 programme—the Reaching 100% programme—is less than the amount that Devon and Somerset received. Is the Secretary of State not ashamed that, on his watch, he has allowed Scotland to be so chronically underfunded?
David Gordon Mundell (Conservative, Centre-right): This is not even about funding; it is about spending the money and taking action to roll out broadband. Three years ago—I repeat, three years ago—there was an allocation of funding, and no action has been taken to procure the roll-out.
Superfast Broadband — House of Commons, 2017-12-06
Topic: Technology
Questions: I echo the Secretary of State’s comments about Jimmy Hood, who will be sadly missed by all on this side of the House.Superfast broadband is very important for those who want to access banking. There are now more cash machines in this House than there are on Cambuslang Main Street in my constituency. What discussions has the Secretary of State had with the Royal Bank of Scotland about its programme of branch closures?; In an area that is entirely reserved, the UK Government allocation of £21 million to Scotland’s R100 programme—the Reaching 100% programme—is less than the amount that Devon and Somerset received. Is the Secretary of State not ashamed that, on his watch, he has allowed Scotland to be so chronically underfunded?
David Gordon Mundell (Conservative, Centre-right): If anyone has embarrassed himself, it is the Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy and Connectivity, who sent out 35 tweets to tell people what a good job he was doing. The First Minister of Scotland sent my hon. Friend the Member for Angus (Kirstene Hair) a seven-tweet thread to tell her what a good job she was doing. People up and down Scotland who do not receive adequate broadband services know who is to blame: the Scottish Government.
Revenue Budget — House of Commons, 2017-12-06
Topic: Macroeconomics
Questions: What discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the effect of the autumn Budget 2017 on the level of Scotland’s revenue budget.
Melvyn John Stride (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Gentleman suggests that we have done nothing, but the day before the Budget, that £347 million of additional resource budget was not there. That was announced in the Budget statement, along with another £1.7 billion of additional capital to support the businesses and people of Scotland.
Revenue Budget — House of Commons, 2017-12-06
Topic: Energy
Questions: What discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the effect of the autumn Budget 2017 on the level of Scotland’s revenue budget.
Ross Thomson (Conservative, Centre-right): I am sure that Members on both sides of the House appreciate the role that oil and gas play not just in the north-east economy, but in the UK economy. Does my right hon. Friend agree that the transferable tax history that was set out in the Budget is a desperately needed shot in the arm for the industry, and a step in the right direction to making Aberdeen a global hub for decommissioning? That shows that 13 Scottish Tory MPs get things done.
Revenue Budget — House of Commons, 2017-12-06
Topic: Energy
Questions: What discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the effect of the autumn Budget 2017 on the level of Scotland’s revenue budget.
Melvyn John Stride (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend is entirely right. I know that the oil and gas sector has warmly welcomed the changes that we are making to provide additional tax relief through transferable tax history. Many in the sector believe that that measure will lead to tens of billions of additional investment during the lifetime of the North sea reserves.
Revenue Budget — House of Commons, 2017-12-06
Topic: Macroeconomics
Questions: What discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the effect of the autumn Budget 2017 on the level of Scotland’s revenue budget.
Melvyn John Stride (Conservative, Centre-right): The figures speak for themselves. As the hon. Gentleman should know—I am sure that he does—by 2020 the block grant to Scotland will be £31.1 billion before devolutionary adjustments, and that is a simple real-terms increase.