argyrotsipi/train-dataset huggingface dataset:
European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill — House of Commons, 2017-02-07
Topic: International Affairs
Helen Catherine Goodman (Labour, Centre-left): Of course this is not, as the right hon. Gentleman characterises it, going to be a battle of forecasts. But the forecasts are based on the same thing as the assessments people make when they are judging what will or will not be in their interests. They have a mental model, and sometimes those models can be put into mathematical form, and sometimes that is useful. Surely that is precisely what the City of London is doing when it says to the French, Germans and Italians, "You need us more than we need you."
European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill — House of Commons, 2017-02-07
Topic: International Affairs
Angela Eagle (Labour, Centre-left): What if actually everyone in the House—whether they are Brexiteers or remainers—wants the best deal for the country, and in order to make good decisions and have a good debate, they want to know what analysis the Government are doing of the implications of making particular decisions? Surely that, and not delay, is what this is about.
European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill — House of Commons, 2017-02-07
Topic: Macroeconomics
Chuka Harrison Umunna (Labour, Centre-left): I am pleased to follow the right hon. Member for Chingford and Woodford Green (Mr Duncan Smith). Before I speak to the amendment in my name, which is on a subject that was totally absent from the right hon. Gentleman’s contribution, I have to say that I am bemused by what can only be described as a 15-minute diatribe against forecasters and economists—the experts. That is why I was not surprised to see the right hon. Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove) join in with the diatribe. The Opposition have spent the past five or six years listening to these two now former Cabinet Ministers telling us about the importance of listening to independent economic forecasters. They told us how important it was that they set up the Office for Budget Responsibility, which the right hon. Member for Chingford and Woodford Green has just spent the past 15 minutes slagging off.
European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill — House of Commons, 2017-02-07
Topic: International Affairs
Chuka Harrison Umunna (Labour, Centre-left): I will just make a bit of progress. I will come to the hon. Gentleman in a bit, but I do not want to speak for too long because I know a lot of people wish to speak I am bound to say that I wish we were not here. As the right hon. Members for Chingford and Woodford Green and for Surrey Heath know well, because I debated with them a lot during the campaign, I campaigned strongly for us to stay in the European Union. I led the Labour "In for Britain" campaign in Greater London, and played a role in the "Britain Stronger In Europe" campaign nationally. But we lost. As a democrat, I accept that result, which is why I supported the Bill’s Second Reading. Of course, I respect people who interpreted the referendum result differently. Although we all have different views on whether to trigger article 50, we can all agree that while various promises were made by both sides in the referendum campaign, the key pledge of the winning side was that if we leave the European Union, £350 million extra a week will go to the NHS, which is why I tabled amendment 11 Dominic Cummings, who worked, of course, for the right hon. Member for Surrey Heath and who ran the Vote Leave campaign, said on his blog last month that the £350 million NHS argument was "necessary to win". He said: "Would we have won without £350m/NHS? All our research and the close result strongly suggests No." Hon. Members can go and read that on his blog. So the importance of that pledge cannot be overestimated. It cannot be detached from the triggering of article 50. It is inextricably linked to why millions of people voted to leave, to our withdrawal from the European Union and, therefore, to this Bill.
European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill — House of Commons, 2017-02-07
Topic: Environment
Mary Helen Creagh (Labour, Centre-left): Is my hon. Friend aware of Change Britain’s latest press release where the £350 million a week has gone up to £450 million a week through its exhortations to scrap such onerous regulations as the motor vehicles regulations, the greenhouse gas emissions reporting regulations, the welfare of animals in transport regulations, and the welfare of farmed animal regulations?
European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill — House of Commons, 2017-02-07
Topic: International Affairs
Luciana Clare Goldsmith (Berger) (Labour, Centre-left): My hon. Friend is making some very important points. It is interesting to hear Conservative Members scoffing and laughing at this. This was not just one of many pledges—it was the key pledge. I am looking at a collection of photographs of all the key proponents of the Vote Leave campaign. It was their No. 1 commitment to this country if it voted to leave the European Union. On that basis, does not this Chamber have a responsibility to honour the pledge on which people voted to leave the EU?
European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill — House of Commons, 2017-02-07
Topic: Government Operations
James Dolan Cunningham (Labour, Centre-left): Another commitment was that they wanted to make Parliament sovereign again, but Government Members are saying today that when we exercise that sovereignty we are being obstructive and using delaying tactics. They cannot have it both ways.
European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill — House of Commons, 2017-02-07
Topic: International Affairs
Seema Malhotra-Saluja (Labour, Centre-left): The right hon. Gentleman describes himself as a humble seeker of truth. That strikes me as interesting, given that he campaigned so hard to leave on the basis of an extra £350 million a week to be spent on the health service. Why will he not support amendment 11, tabled by my hon. Friend the Member for Streatham (Mr Umunna), which states: "the Prime Minister must prepare and publish a report on the effect of the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the EU on national finances, including the impact on health spending." Surely, as a humble seeker of truth, he might want to know the answer to that?
European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill — House of Commons, 2017-02-07
Topic: International Affairs
Peter John Kyle (Labour, Centre-left): I am grateful. Many members of the public are also humble seekers of truth. If we do not pass these new clauses and get these impact assessments, how will they be able to judge how Brexit is going? How will they be able to judge the impact on health, education, transport, environment and their communities if they have no information at all?
European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill — House of Commons, 2017-02-07
Topic: Environment
Mary Helen Creagh (Labour, Centre-left): On a point of order, Mr Hoyle. I wonder whether you can advise me. There are seven other hon. Members waiting to speak in this debate, including me, as a Select Committee Chair wanting to share with Members the scrutiny of our cross-party Committee. Does the time limit for this debate not indicate that important assessments on areas such as the environment and agriculture will not be heard by the Committee tonight? Can you send a message to the Lords to make sure that they do the job that this House is incapable of doing?
European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill — House of Commons, 2017-02-07
Topic: International Affairs
Michael John Gapes (Labour, Centre-left): Given that I was not able to make a speech, I am very grateful to be able to intervene. Is it not the case that we need more than a personal consultation with the Minister? This House and this Parliament should be aware of the implications for the overseas territories, the Crown dependencies and Gibraltar.
European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill — House of Commons, 2017-02-07
Topic: Foreign Trade
Matthew Thomas Pennycook (Labour, Centre-left): In responding, I shall be as concise as I was earlier and simply say that although the Minister has said that the Government are internally carrying out rigorous analytical assessments, he has not given us the guarantees we sought on the publication of Her Majesty’s Treasury’s impact assessments of our future trading relations with the EU. For that reason, we will be pushing new clause 5 to a vote Question put, That the clause be read a Second time.
Transitional Arrangements — House of Commons, 2017-03-09
Topic: Macroeconomics
Nicholas Desmond John Smith (Labour, Centre-left): Blaenau Gwent has relied on EU structural funding in recent years and, though we are leaving the EU, the need for infrastructure investment remains really high. Infrastructure has a long lead-in, so will the Secretary of State tell me what transitional arrangements will be in place to ensure that Blaenau Gwent gets the best deal to boost its economy after 2020?
Transitional Arrangements — House of Commons, 2017-03-09
Topic: International Affairs
Hilary James Benn (Labour, Centre-left): Because of the Government’s decision to leave the single market, lots of agreements will cease to have effect the day after we leave. One of those is the agreement that allows British airlines to fly to any airport in the European Union. Given that airlines sell tickets up to 11 months in advance, what assurance can the Secretary of State give to passengers that the tickets they buy before we leave the European Union will still be valid after we leave?
Transitional Arrangements — House of Commons, 2017-03-09
Topic: International Affairs
Matthew Thomas Pennycook (Labour, Centre-left): Will the Secretary of State tell the House what he sees as the main differences between agreed interim arrangements as part of a phased process of implementing our future relationship with the EU, as sought by the Government, and a negotiated transitional deal?
Common Travel Area: Republic of Ireland — House of Commons, 2017-03-09
Topic: International Affairs
Patrick Bosco McFadden (Labour, Centre-left): Do the Government appreciate that the Good Friday agreement was not a single event, signed, sealed and put on a shelf 20 years ago, but a process of normalisation of relations and of free movement of goods, people, and so on? If the Government do realise that, will they ensure that they respond to the real fears in Ireland that Brexit represents a turning back of the clock on the precious new normality that has developed over the last 20 years?
Common Travel Area: Republic of Ireland — House of Commons, 2017-03-09
Topic: International Affairs
Jenny Chapman (Labour, Centre-left): It is reassuring to hear the Minister’s words on this issue. He will know the level of concern across this House and out there in the country. If he has not read it, I recommend to him the recent House of Lords report, page 63 in particular, which states that we cannot assume that this matter will become part of the article 50 negotiations. If that does not happen, he must act quickly to reassure the people of Ireland and the UK and ensure that it is done either as part of the article 50 negotiations, or that it happens in time, because certainty is needed more than anything in Northern Ireland.
Farming Sector — House of Commons, 2017-03-09
Topic: Agriculture
Questions: What discussions his Department has had with representatives of the farming sector on the implications for that sector of the UK leaving the EU.; What discussions his Department has had with representatives of the farming sector on the implications for that sector of the UK leaving the EU.
Mary Helen Creagh (Labour, Centre-left): British farmers face a triple threat from the vote to leave the European Union: the loss of the common agricultural policy subsidy; cheap imports from countries with lower animal welfare and traceability standards; and potential tariffs on exports to the single market. What is the Minister doing in particular to mitigate that third threat, as we could see tariffs of up to 40% on lamb?
Single Market and Customs Union: Manufacturing Sector — House of Commons, 2017-03-09
Topic: Foreign Trade
Questions: What plans he has to retain the benefits of membership of the single market and customs union for the manufacturing sector after the UK has left the EU.; What plans he has to retain the benefits of membership of the single market and customs union for the manufacturing sector after the UK has left the EU.; What plans he has to retain the benefits of membership of the single market and customs union for the manufacturing sector after the UK has left the EU.
Mary Theresa Glindon (Labour, Centre-left): In North Tyneside, Smulders, a Belgian company, has filled a void in the manufacturing market left when this Government failed to back OGN. The company hopes to create up to 400 new jobs and expand even further. What guarantees can the Minister give that will allow it the same benefits it currently gets with access to the single market and customs union after Brexit?
Single Market and Customs Union: Manufacturing Sector — House of Commons, 2017-03-09
Topic: Foreign Trade
Questions: What plans he has to retain the benefits of membership of the single market and customs union for the manufacturing sector after the UK has left the EU.; What plans he has to retain the benefits of membership of the single market and customs union for the manufacturing sector after the UK has left the EU.; What plans he has to retain the benefits of membership of the single market and customs union for the manufacturing sector after the UK has left the EU.
Joanna Meriel Stevens (Labour, Centre-left): The Prime Minister has said that Britain will not remain a full member of the customs union, but this morning the Chancellor said it is "clear that we can’t stay in the customs union" Which of them should we believe?
Single Market and Customs Union: Manufacturing Sector — House of Commons, 2017-03-09
Topic: Foreign Trade
Questions: What plans he has to retain the benefits of membership of the single market and customs union for the manufacturing sector after the UK has left the EU.; What plans he has to retain the benefits of membership of the single market and customs union for the manufacturing sector after the UK has left the EU.; What plans he has to retain the benefits of membership of the single market and customs union for the manufacturing sector after the UK has left the EU.
Tom Blenkinsop (Labour, Centre-left): The post-Brexit fall in the pound has led to a boost in manufacturing exports, with 45% of north-east manufacturers expecting orders to rise over the coming year, but it has also led to an increase in import costs. These costs will only increase if customs checks are required at borders. What is the Secretary of State planning to do for north-east manufacturers to make sure that costs at borders are not being increased for products they are making?
Single Market and Customs Union: Manufacturing Sector — House of Commons, 2017-03-09
Topic: Foreign Trade
Questions: What plans he has to retain the benefits of membership of the single market and customs union for the manufacturing sector after the UK has left the EU.; What plans he has to retain the benefits of membership of the single market and customs union for the manufacturing sector after the UK has left the EU.; What plans he has to retain the benefits of membership of the single market and customs union for the manufacturing sector after the UK has left the EU.; The food and drink industry is a growing sector in West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine. What plans does the Minister have to retain the benefits of membership of the single market and customs union for the food and drink sector after the UK has left the EU?; In a document leaked to The Times, the oil and gas industry was shamefully listed as a low priority for the UK Government in their negotiations with the EU. Given the Minister’s earlier answer, will he confirm that he has no plans to retain membership of the customs union and the single market for the oil and gas industry?
Paul Christopher Blomfield (Labour, Centre-left): This week, a report by the American Chamber of Commerce to the European Union concluded that "America’s significant commercial and financial presence in the UK has been premised in large part on UK membership in the European Union—the largest, wealthiest and most important foreign market in the world to U.S. companies." Do the Secretary of State and the Minister recognise the importance of our relationship with the single market to those non-EU countries with which the Government are keen to build trade and investment?
Single Market and Customs Union: Manufacturing Sector — House of Commons, 2017-03-09
Topic: Foreign Trade
Questions: What plans he has to retain the benefits of membership of the single market and customs union for the manufacturing sector after the UK has left the EU.; What plans he has to retain the benefits of membership of the single market and customs union for the manufacturing sector after the UK has left the EU.; What plans he has to retain the benefits of membership of the single market and customs union for the manufacturing sector after the UK has left the EU.; The food and drink industry is a growing sector in West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine. What plans does the Minister have to retain the benefits of membership of the single market and customs union for the food and drink sector after the UK has left the EU?; In a document leaked to The Times, the oil and gas industry was shamefully listed as a low priority for the UK Government in their negotiations with the EU. Given the Minister’s earlier answer, will he confirm that he has no plans to retain membership of the customs union and the single market for the oil and gas industry?
Paul Christopher Blomfield (Labour, Centre-left): Well, the significance of that and the "America First" policy is yet to be demonstrated On 24 January, the Secretary of State told the House that he is seeking "a comprehensive free trade agreement and a comprehensive customs agreement that will deliver the exact same benefits as we have".—[Official Report, 24 January 2017; Vol. 620, c. 169.] Will the Minister confirm that that is still the Government’s aim?
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2017-03-09
Topic: International Affairs
Keir Starmer (Labour, Centre-left): Clearly, the Government want to trigger article 50 next Wednesday or next Thursday. They will then have to set out their proposals in detail so that the EU can respond. For months, they have hidden behind the bland phrases "frictionless borders" and "frictionless trade". This is the last opportunity before triggering for the Secretary of State to spell out what those phrases actually mean.
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2017-03-09
Topic: International Affairs
Keir Starmer (Labour, Centre-left): The Prime Minister has said that the approval of Parliament will be required for the final terms of our withdrawal agreement with the EU. She has also promised that that will occur before the withdrawal agreement is sent to the European Parliament for its consent. The House of Lords has now voted by a large majority to amend the article 50 Bill to reflect those commitments. All very straightforward. If the Prime Minister intends to keep to her commitments, why would the Government not support that amendment when it returns to this House on Monday?
Budget Resolutions — House of Commons, 2017-03-09
Topic: Labor
John Martin McDonnell (Labour, Centre-left): The right hon. Gentleman raises a valid point about bogus self-employment. We thought that the Chancellor might have mentioned that in his statement, but he never referred to it. That needs to be addressed, because many people are forced or manipulated into self-employment. Bogus self-employment needs to be tackled, and we have campaigned for that along with a number of organisations, including several trade unions and the Federation of Small Businesses We saw middle and low earners hit yesterday. Someone on £20,000 will lose about £250 a year, while someone on £40,000 will lose nearly £650 a year—those are the consequences. I do not think that those people are high earners; they are middle to low earners. They should be protected, particularly at a time when, to be honest, there is frailty in the economy, with consumer spending just dipping on the latest figures. Those at the forefront of the impact of the dip in consumer spending are largely existing sole traders and small traders—the window cleaners, drivers and others—and they will be hit. The policy is wrong, and this is also the wrong time to put their careers and jobs in jeopardy The justification for yesterday’s policy just does not stand up. The Government cannot demand more taxes from people without offering something in return. The Labour party are fully behind looking at how the labour market is changing—the right hon. Gentleman is right about that—and the shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, my hon. Friend the Member for Oldham East and Saddleworth (Debbie Abrahams), spoke last year about the principles that should guide such changes. We have regularly raised the problem of bogus self-employment.
Budget Resolutions — House of Commons, 2017-03-09
Topic: Labor
John Martin McDonnell (Labour, Centre-left): I will tell a quick anecdote. I was on the tube a month ago when a worker got on and sat down next to me. He was in his overalls as he was on the night shift. He had worked for Tube Lines before the company went bust. He is a rail maintenance worker, which is a skilled job, but he is now employed by an agency and does not know whether he will have work tomorrow, the next day or whenever. He has no sick pay and no holiday pay, and if he does not turn up for work, he does not get paid. He has to pay an accountant to deal with the tax on his salary payments. At the same time, he can be exploited by being sold on from agency to agency. That is not real self-employment; that is the exploitation of someone who has been forced into self-employment. Such issues must be addressed. This insecurity is not just because of the gig economy, but because of what has happened in recent years, with people being forced into self-employment. Those issues were not even addressed yesterday. There is a problem of employers shirking their responsibilities by forcing staff into self-employment Yesterday, we got not a package of measures designed to address the problems of the modern world of work, but a single, unilateral tax hike for the self-employed. People earning over £8,000 will be hit. The Chancellor tried to disguise that by bundling the measure in with the re-announcement of abolishing class 2 national insurance payments, but yesterday’s Budget documents are clear that this is a tax hike of £2 billion, targeted at the self-employed. Increasing the taxes paid by self-employed people does not move them to parity with the employed, because they do not receive the same benefits as the employed. The Chancellor says that he is concerned about the gap between different contribution rates, but the Labour party does not believe that the burden of closing that gap should fall on some of the lowest paid workers who are also those in the most precarious position in our society.