argyrotsipi/train-dataset huggingface dataset:
Economic Update — House of Commons, 2020-07-08
Topic: Macroeconomics
Rishi Sunak (Conservative, Centre-right): I join my colleagues in paying enormous tribute to those on the frontline during this crisis, who have done an extraordinary job under incredibly difficult circumstances. They deserve not just our thanks, but our praise, and they have it. In terms of public sector pay we are in the midst of the second year of inflation-busting pay rises for almost a million people, and we have got social care who are funded from local authorities. As I said, local government has enjoyed two years of record increases in core spending power, which hopefully will help find its way to the frontline.
Economic Update — House of Commons, 2020-07-08
Topic: Macroeconomics
Christopher Robert Chope (Conservative, Centre-right): May I make a suggestion to my right hon. Friend of one way in which he could help fund some of today’s expenditure commitments? That is to implement without further delay the cap on public sector exit payments. My right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary to the Treasury promised on 13 March that that would be done by bringing forward secondary legislation before the summer recess. That has not happened. Can my right hon. Friend therefore allay concerns that the process is being sabotaged by Treasury mandarins—the Sir Humphreys—who have for five years successfully resisted this proposal, which was supported by the House in legislation five years ago?
Economic Update — House of Commons, 2020-07-08
Topic: Social Welfare
Kieran John Mullan (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank my right hon. Friend for the steps he has announced today, particularly focused on young people, which show yet again that the Conservatives do what works, not just what might sound good, even if it means tough decisions in the short term. Can he confirm that from the support given so far, proportionately the lowest-income families in our society have benefited the most?
Economic Update — House of Commons, 2020-07-08
Topic: Social Welfare
Rishi Sunak (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend is absolutely right. The analysis published today shows that we have reduced the scale of losses for working households by up to two-thirds in general, but the support for the poorest households has been the highest. He will find that in the distributional analysis published today. It demonstrates what we believe is important at a time like this—to protect the most vulnerable in our society. I know that is something that he feels very deeply, and I share that feeling.
Economic Update — House of Commons, 2020-07-08
Topic: Macroeconomics
Rishi Sunak (Conservative, Centre-right): When it comes to capital investment, it is important to put in context what our existing budgets were for this year. I announced £88 billion at the Budget for this year. That represents a 20% increase on our capital investment plans in the previous year and, as a percentage of GDP, the highest amount that we have invested in capital since the ’70s. The starting base level for our capital investment is already exceptionally high. We have brought £5 billion of additional projects forward into this year, but, taken in the round, it will be the most we have ever spent on capital in real terms for a very, very long time.
Economic Update — House of Commons, 2020-07-08
Topic: Macroeconomics
Edward Julian Egerton Leigh (Conservative, Centre-right): Will this young, vigorous Chancellor not be too cruel to an old Thatcherite for making this deeply unfashionable point? There are no good, long-term subsidised jobs. As we saw with the new Labour make-work jobs and with furlough, sooner or later they are subject to fraud and market distortion. Will he confirm that the only good, long-term jobs are based on the Government ensuring deregulation, market flexibility and tax cuts on entrepreneurship, with a plan to repay the national debt? Otherwise, as the right hon. Member for Birmingham, Hodge Hill (Liam Byrne) once said, there will be no more money.
Economic Update — House of Commons, 2020-07-08
Topic: Macroeconomics
Rishi Sunak (Conservative, Centre-right): I wholeheartedly agree with my right hon. Friend. He is absolutely right: these interventions are specific to the moment that we face now. They provide support for young people at this moment of acute crisis. In the long term, only a dynamic market economy can provide sustainable, long-term employment for young people and beyond. In the medium term, once we get through this crisis, we must return our public finances to a sustainable place.
Economic Update — House of Commons, 2020-07-08
Topic: Macroeconomics
Rishi Sunak (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Member makes a good and fair point about the importance of cash, particularly in our rural communities. My hon. Friend the Economic Secretary is very much on top of this. He is conducting roundtables with the industry in the coming weeks, and we will bring forward legislation, as we have committed to do.
Economic Update — House of Commons, 2020-07-08
Topic: Macroeconomics
Rishi Sunak (Conservative, Centre-right): I have been very clear: I cannot save every single job. It is a tragic fact that what we have done to our economy over the past few months means that there will be job losses. Unemployment will rise. It is something that we cannot avoid, but what we can do is put in place a range of interventions to provide new hope and new opportunity for those who lose their jobs, so that they can find the skills, work placements or new jobs they need to provide a better future for themselves and their family. That is what we will devote all our energies to in the coming weeks and months.
Economic Update — House of Commons, 2020-07-08
Topic: Macroeconomics
Mary Josephine Robinson (Conservative, Centre-right): I am grateful to the Chancellor for this statement and the enormous package of money that is being put into our constituencies and the economy. I am keen to see even more money made available for us to spend on the things that really matter in the UK. One way to do that is to cut down on fraud and corruption. As chair of the all-party parliamentary group on whistleblowing, I am very keen that we do that. Will he join me for our webinar tomorrow, when we will be looking at ways that international Governments are tackling this through programmes, so that we can deal with the problem of corruption and fraud? I thank him for everything that he has done on tackling furlough fraud, which has been a real issue in our economy.
Economic Update — House of Commons, 2020-07-08
Topic: Government Operations
Rishi Sunak (Conservative, Centre-right): I pay tribute to the work my hon. Friend does in this area. She is absolutely right that we must tackle corruption and fraud in procurement. It costs billions, if not tens of billions, of pounds; that is money lost to the Exchequer that we can use to fund public services, and it also means that our local authorities in particular do not get the quality of services that they need to provide for their residents. My hon. Friend is absolutely right to focus on this, and I very much look forward to hearing what proposals she might have for us to take forward.
Economic Update — House of Commons, 2020-07-08
Topic: Foreign Trade
Martin John Vickers (Conservative, Centre-right): Having question 74, it is difficult to think of something that has not been mentioned yet, but it is a fair bet that up until now no one has quoted the Grimsby Telegraph, which last week said, after the Prime Minister’s speech: "Now put your money where your mouth is Boris!" The Chancellor has delivered on that today. The article finished by saying: "Give us the opportunity and we’ll show the country what can be achieved", and the support given to businesses today will verify that May I also urge the Chancellor to consider yet again the freeport issue for Immingham and Grimsby? The consultation ends next week. Please do not waste time mulling over the consultation responses; deliver freeport status for Immingham and Grimsby.
Economic Update — House of Commons, 2020-07-08
Topic: Labor
Rishi Sunak (Conservative, Centre-right): We have published breakdowns of the furlough population by region, constituency and age to give a sense of the types of people who are affected. One thing that comes out of that is the importance of rural and coastal communities being particularly impacted by numbers of people on furlough. That is because they are disproportionately reliant on the hospitality and tourism sectors, which is why today’s interventions are targeted and will make the biggest difference to the greatest number of people.
Economic Update — House of Commons, 2020-07-08
Topic: Labor
Richard Grosvenor Plunkett-Ernle-Erle-Drax (Conservative, Centre-right): On behalf of the many businesses in South Dorset, may I thank my right hon. Friend for the furlough scheme and welcome his statement today? Surely our aim is to help many in a struggling private sector because, as I am sure he agrees and as the Opposition need continually to be reminded, it is they who generate the jobs and prosperity that we need, as well as the tax that pays for our public services.
Economic Update — House of Commons, 2020-07-08
Topic: Macroeconomics
Rishi Sunak (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend is absolutely right. It is, in the long term, the market economy that will provide the growth and prosperity we need. It will provide the jobs that we need, but it is important that we provide support to those businesses in the short term, given the disruption they have faced, and I know his local businesses and many others will welcome the jobs retention bonus to help reward and incentivise them to do the right thing, stand by their workers at this time and bring them back, and look forward to a brighter future.
Economic Update — House of Commons, 2020-07-08
Topic: Macroeconomics
John David Penrose (Conservative, Centre-right): First, I thank the Chancellor for, as far as I can work out, subsidising me to go down the pub; that is very welcome indeed. I also thank him for the effect that his announcement about tourism VAT will have on hundreds of businesses and thousands of jobs in my constituency of Weston-Super-Mare. May I suggest to him that over the medium term, the best guarantee of jobs and employment has to be to have competitive businesses? I therefore urge him to consider, over the more medium term, sharpening our competition laws and opening up our market economy to tougher competition, as the best long-term guarantee of employment for everybody.
Economic Update — House of Commons, 2020-07-08
Topic: Macroeconomics
Rishi Sunak (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Gentleman talks about seasonal businesses and whether they have or have not had support; he may have missed the fact that we have just cut VAT for those sectors from 20% to 5% for the next six months, and we have just provided an "eat out to help out" discount for the country to enjoy discounted meals to protect those businesses and protect the employment in them. That is probably the best thing we can do for seasonal businesses.
Economic Update — House of Commons, 2020-07-08
Topic: Macroeconomics
Steven John Baker (Conservative, Centre-right): With his plan for jobs, my right hon. Friend has, like Roosevelt, given a masterclass in economic interventionism, but it is quite expensive. Can he reassure me that he has a contingency in case the independent Bank of England needs to change its stance on monetary policy because inflation begins to rise?
Economic Update — House of Commons, 2020-07-08
Topic: Macroeconomics
Rishi Sunak (Conservative, Centre-right): As ever, my hon. Friend is right to remind us about the importance of monetary economics, and he is also right to focus on the long-term sustainability of our public finances. Although in the short term it is right to act in this way to prevent long-term damage and scarring to our economy that would create an ongoing, larger structural deficit, once we get through this crisis we must retain and sustain public finances. We will return them to a position of sustainability over the medium term, I assure my hon. Friend of that, but in the short term I am confident that this is the right thing to do to protect the long-term health of our economy.
Economic Update — House of Commons, 2020-07-08
Topic: Labor
James Barry Daly (Conservative, Centre-right): As the chair of the all-party group on youth employment, I warmly welcome the fantastic package of support for young people in our country that the Chancellor announced today. Bury College in my constituency has a proven record of delivering sector-based work academies, with 600 young people currently in construction and engineering placements. Will the Chancellor meet me and the fantastic principal, Charlie Deane, to discuss how Bury College can expand the range and number of placements on offer for young people and thereby transform their opportunities in the jobs market?
Economic Update — House of Commons, 2020-07-08
Topic: Labor
Rishi Sunak (Conservative, Centre-right): I am excited to hear about what is going on at Bury College. My hon. Friend is absolutely right about the importance of youth employment—a subject area that he knows well. The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions would probably be delighted to sit down with my hon. Friend, as we announced today our tripling of sector-based work academies, and make sure that we can figure out how as many of them as possible can find their way to his constituency.
Economic Update — House of Commons, 2020-07-08
Topic: Environment
Rishi Sunak (Conservative, Centre-right): At Budget, we announced about £1 billion in support for low-emission vehicles in various different ways, including a £400-million charging infrastructure fund to spread the development of charge points across the country. I think that underlines our commitment to ensure that we transition properly to our net zero environment, starting with our transportation industry.
Economic Update — House of Commons, 2020-07-08
Topic: Macroeconomics
Rishi Sunak (Conservative, Centre-right): Those numbers have been published. As I said, £4.6 billion is the total amount of Barnett funding that has been provided to Scotland throughout the crisis. The block grant adjustment resulting from the stamp duty cut will be finalised after we have final costings from the OBR.
The Economy — House of Commons, 2020-07-08
Topic: Macroeconomics
Stephen Paul Barclay (Conservative, Centre-right): I beg to move, That this House has considered the economy It is a privilege to open this economic debate, and to do so hot on the heels of a statement from the Chancellor that places the Government’s plan for jobs at the heart of our recovery. The past few months have tested our economy in a way that few of us, if any, have experienced before. Never in our history have a Government ordered businesses across the country to close for an extended period, and never have a Government asked so many people to halt normal activity so completely. Shops closed, offices emptied and productions lines juddered to a halt as millions worked from home From the onset of this pandemic, the Government worked to ensure that our frontline public services would get whatever funds they needed. To date, £49 billion has gone towards the NHS, local authorities and others working to protect us from the virus, but our public servants were not alone in that endeavour. The very fact that so many of working age were willing to stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives is a sign of the cohesion and compassion that still exists within our society.
The Economy — House of Commons, 2020-07-08
Topic: Macroeconomics
Stephen Paul Barclay (Conservative, Centre-right): When it comes to speaking up for his constituents, I do not think the hon. Gentleman has ever held back, whether or not he is being cheeky in doing so. He raises a very important point about the investment in flood prevention. That is why the Chancellor set out a number of measures as part of the infrastructure package, and I will come on to say more—[Interruption]—if he allows me to get into my speech, about how we are accelerating a number of projects with that in mind. Given the history of coal and some of the tragedies that have happened in the past in Wales, we are very cognisant of the need to take action on such schemes. Again, that is being looked at by the Secretary of State for Wales, and I have been in discussions with him on that Let me now make some early progress. The Government were clear that we would stand by those whose livelihoods were in jeopardy through no fault of the own. We said we would do whatever it takes to protect and preserve the businesses and jobs on which our national prosperity and resilience ultimately depend, and we meant it. The House will be familiar with the scale and scope of our economic response, which has included business rates reliefs and grants for the worst-hit sectors, uplifts in welfare support for families struggling to make ends meet and more than £70 billion of business loans and guarantees approved to date. Meanwhile, the coronavirus job retention scheme and the self-employment income support scheme have preserved many millions of jobs and livelihoods across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, demonstrating once again the shared strength and resilience we derive from our Union.
The Economy — House of Commons, 2020-07-08
Topic: Macroeconomics
Stephen Paul Barclay (Conservative, Centre-right): As the hon. Gentleman knows, the Chancellor addressed that issue in his statement earlier. Indeed, he wrote to the industry in March setting out the terms on which Government support would be offered, including the requirement for firms first to look at what support they could receive from their own commercial backers and shareholders. On individual firms, what discussions take place is a matter of commercial confidentiality, but the Chancellor indicated both his engagement in that issue and that of the Secretary of State for Transport All in all, the United Kingdom’s economic response to covid is one of the most comprehensive and generous of any Government’s in the world. The past few months have been hard for everyone, particularly the many families whose loved ones have lost their lives. But thanks to our collective grit and determination, the tide was turned and the infection rates fell, and we are now in a position to reopen our economy in a way that is safe to do.
The Economy — House of Commons, 2020-07-08
Topic: Macroeconomics
John Alan Redwood (Conservative, Centre-right): As one who thinks it is exactly right, as a one-off cost, to spend and cut taxes at the moment to promote economic recovery, I accept that we have to borrow to do that. When will we be getting some revised numbers on what the borrowing might amount to?
The Economy — House of Commons, 2020-07-08
Topic: Macroeconomics
Stephen Paul Barclay (Conservative, Centre-right): There are two issues within that. First, there are the revised numbers from the Office for Budget Responsibility, which has set a timescale for when it will set those out. Then there is the more substantive issue, as the Chancellor set out in his statement, of seeing the plan for jobs in the context of three phases. The medium-term recovery that we need will be set out in the autumn with the Budget and the comprehensive spending review. Again, that will be an important milestone in this three-phase approach.
The Economy — House of Commons, 2020-07-08
Topic: Macroeconomics
Stephen Paul Barclay (Conservative, Centre-right): I will make a little progress, and then I will happily give way to the hon. Lady. These interventions have come at a considerable cost to the public finances, but I have no doubt that they were the right thing to do. The Bank of England, the OBR and other external forecasters have all highlighted that the cost to the economy would have been significantly higher were it not for the swift and decisive action that the Government have taken. Nevertheless, the pandemic has caused a profound shock to both the national and the global economy, the consequences of which will be felt by businesses and individuals for some time to come. Even as we step out of lockdown, a great deal of disruption and uncertainty remains. Many businesses have yet to reopen their doors. Up and down the country, people are worried about whether their jobs will be secure when they return to work.
The Economy — House of Commons, 2020-07-08
Topic: Labor
Stephen Paul Barclay (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Lady highlights an extremely important sector, not least in terms of its profile. Many women work in that sector, and often those incomes are extremely important to their households as well. At Treasury oral questions yesterday the Chancellor expressed our desire to get those sectors up and running as quickly as possible. The hon. Lady will know that we have already taken significant steps to support them, not least through the £10,000 and £25,000 grants that were offered, which included many within the sectors that she highlights Today the Government made it clear that we are ready to take further action as necessary, just as we have done throughout this crisis. That is why the self-employed income support scheme will open for a second and final round of grants between 17 August and 19 October. Likewise, the job-retention scheme has been extended until the end of October, with new, more flexible terms to support people back to work. But with the best will in the world, no Government can reasonably save every single job in these circumstances; nor can the furlough scheme, successful as it has been, last indefinitely.
The Economy — House of Commons, 2020-07-08
Topic: Macroeconomics
Stephen Paul Barclay (Conservative, Centre-right): We have been flexible. The hon. Lady mentioned theatres: we announced a package of £1.57 billion-worth of support as part of the flexibility of which she speaks. People also seem to ignore the fact that we are only halfway through the furlough scheme. It runs until October—we are four months in. The intention, as part of this second phase, is to reopen the economy, including these businesses. As the Chancellor set out, we do not think it is good for people to be away from the labour market for an extended period because skills atrophy, and that is not in their interests.
The Economy — House of Commons, 2020-07-08
Topic: Macroeconomics
Stephen Paul Barclay (Conservative, Centre-right): I will make a little progress and then of course come back to the hon. Lady Now is the time to move to the next step in our economic response. Later this autumn, the Government will deliver a Budget and spending review, but today we set out our plan for jobs. As the Chancellor said, this is not a time for ideology. We are driven by a belief in the nobility of work and the power of opportunity. Most of all, we are motivated by the desire to do what is right for the British people. Where jobs are at risk, we will work to protect them, and where jobs are needed, we will help to create them.
The Economy — House of Commons, 2020-07-08
Topic: Labor
Stephen Paul Barclay (Conservative, Centre-right): Again, this was covered extensively in the earlier debate. First, the furlough is already in place for an extremely long period, until October. That is eight months, and we are only halfway through it. Secondly, other measures are being put in place, including measures to incentivise employers to bring those on furlough back. It is not right that people should stay on furlough for an extended period of time—[Interruption.] Nor have the Opposition set out exactly which sectors they want it extended for, or how that would apply in areas such as the supply chain. We would simply get an indefinite period in which that scheme would be —[Interruption.]