argyrotsipi/train-dataset huggingface dataset:
Leaving the EU: Agricultural Sector — House of Commons, 2018-07-03
Topic: Agriculture
Questions: What assessment his Department has made of the fiscal effect on the agricultural sector of the UK leaving the EU customs union and single market.
John Simon Bercow (Conservative, Centre-right): This is really about agriculture rather than about cars. The concept of an agricultural vehicle might come in handy to the hon. Lady in this context. I am sure that she meant to mention it—[Interruption.] Yes, I keep hearing about tractors from a sedentary position.
Leaving the EU: Agricultural Sector — House of Commons, 2018-07-03
Topic: Foreign Trade
Questions: What assessment his Department has made of the fiscal effect on the agricultural sector of the UK leaving the EU customs union and single market.
Melvyn John Stride (Conservative, Centre-right): To be fair, Mr Speaker, farmers do own cars, which is an important point to take into account. I assure the hon. Lady that this Government’s overriding objective is of course to negotiate an arrangement with the EU in which borders are as frictionless as possible, trade is kept flowing, supply chains are looked after and the agricultural and motoring sectors are supported.
Leaving the EU: Agricultural Sector — House of Commons, 2018-07-03
Topic: Agriculture
Questions: What assessment his Department has made of the fiscal effect on the agricultural sector of the UK leaving the EU customs union and single market.
Colin James Clark (Conservative, Centre-right): Due to the UK’s massive EU contributions, support to EU farmers will be cut as the UK leaves the EU. Does the Minister agree that the commitment to make payments to UK farmers until 2022 demonstrates this Government’s support for UK farmers?
Leaving the EU: Agricultural Sector — House of Commons, 2018-07-03
Topic: Foreign Trade
Questions: What assessment his Department has made of the fiscal effect on the agricultural sector of the UK leaving the EU customs union and single market.
Melvyn John Stride (Conservative, Centre-right): An objective of our negotiation is to ensure that we lower tariff barriers between ourselves and the EU27, as they will be known. The hon. Lady did not mention the tariff on whisky, which is currently 0%, and if we had an independent Scotland, she would be asking the same question in the context of the new border between ourselves and Scotland.
Leaving the EU: Agricultural Sector — House of Commons, 2018-07-03
Topic: Agriculture
Questions: What assessment his Department has made of the fiscal effect on the agricultural sector of the UK leaving the EU customs union and single market.
Melvyn John Stride (Conservative, Centre-right): I repeat to the hon. Lady that we have already shown, through the actions that we have taken, the reassurances that we have given and the consultations that we have undertaken, that agriculture is a firm priority for this Government, and that will continue to be the case in the negotiations and going forwards.
Infrastructure Investment: Oxfordshire — House of Commons, 2018-07-03
Topic: Transportation
Robert Edward Jenrick (Conservative, Centre-right): Under this Government, investment in infrastructure will reach the highest sustained levels since the 1970s. In respect of Oxfordshire, the Department for Transport and Chiltern Railways have jointly funded a £400 million western section, delivering a new service between Oxford and London Marylebone, and we are of course backing the new Expressway and the east-west railway linking Oxford to Cambridge.
Infrastructure Investment: Oxfordshire — House of Commons, 2018-07-03
Topic: Transportation
Robert Alexander Courts (Conservative, Centre-right): I am grateful for the Minister’s answer, but congestion on the A40 and reliability problems on the Cotswold line make travel a daily challenge for residents of west Oxfordshire. We urgently need upgrades on that line and extra capacity on the road network, particularly the A40. What can Ministers offer through central Government funding to give hope to my constituents?
Infrastructure Investment: Oxfordshire — House of Commons, 2018-07-03
Topic: Transportation
Robert Edward Jenrick (Conservative, Centre-right): I appreciate that my hon. Friend has been campaigning for such things since before his election. We have provided £35 million for the Oxford Science Transit scheme, which will enhance the A40 between Oxford and Witney. As for the A40 more generally, the Government are providing £150 million through the Oxfordshire housing deal, which he could tap into to see further improvements on that road.
Local Government Funding — House of Commons, 2018-07-03
Topic: Government Operations
Questions: What discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on changes in the level of funding for local government since 2010.
Elizabeth Mary Truss (Conservative, Centre-right): It is right that money that is spent locally is raised locally. In 2010, councils were 80% dependent on central Government grants; by 2020, the vast majority of money spent locally will be raised by local councils.
Local Government Funding — House of Commons, 2018-07-03
Topic: Government Operations
Questions: What discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on changes in the level of funding for local government since 2010.
Elizabeth Mary Truss (Conservative, Centre-right): As I said, we have moved from a situation in which local councils were majority funded by central Government to one where local councils are accountable for the money they spend and raise locally. We have given councils the extra ability to raise funds. I note that many councils have reinvented themselves, are doing things differently and are saving money, and public satisfaction with local services has held up.
Local Government Funding — House of Commons, 2018-07-03
Topic: Macroeconomics
Questions: What discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on changes in the level of funding for local government since 2010.
Elizabeth Mary Truss (Conservative, Centre-right): We are building. We saw a record number of new businesses started last year. We have record levels of employment across our economy. We have brilliant Conservative Mayors, like Andy Street and Ben Houchen, who are attracting new businesses to their areas and redesigning their port infrastructure, whereas Labour councils across the country are doing things like closing down Airbnb, trying to stop Uber and trying to stop progress.
UK Battery Storage Market — House of Commons, 2018-07-03
Topic: Energy
Questions: What assessment his Department has made of the effect of the tax regime for onsite battery storage on the development of the UK battery storage market.
John Philip Glen (Conservative, Centre-right): The Government have a number of policies in place to support the development of low-carbon technology, including battery storage technologies. Those include the carbon price support mechanism, which encourages decarbonisation of the power sector; the Government’s smart systems and flexibility plan; and the Faraday challenge fund.
UK Battery Storage Market — House of Commons, 2018-07-03
Topic: Energy
Questions: What assessment his Department has made of the effect of the tax regime for onsite battery storage on the development of the UK battery storage market.
Henry Bellingham (Conservative, Centre-right): I am very grateful to the Minister for that reply. Is he aware of the huge investment in the offshore wind sector along the Norfolk and Lincolnshire coast, where more than 1,000 individual turbines are in place, with the prospect of many more to come? The key breakthrough that is required is enhanced battery storage technology, which will enable wind-generated electricity to be put through the grid on days when the wind is not blowing. What more is he going to do to try to incentivise further breakthroughs on that?
UK Battery Storage Market — House of Commons, 2018-07-03
Topic: Energy
Questions: What assessment his Department has made of the effect of the tax regime for onsite battery storage on the development of the UK battery storage market.
John Philip Glen (Conservative, Centre-right): I am grateful for that question. My hon. Friend is correct; we are maintaining our position as a global leader in offshore wind. But the combination of that with support for the battery storage sector is important, and we will be supporting it through the capacity market, which is helping to bring down costs.
UK Battery Storage Market — House of Commons, 2018-07-03
Topic: Macroeconomics
Questions: What assessment his Department has made of the effect of the tax regime for onsite battery storage on the development of the UK battery storage market.
John Philip Glen (Conservative, Centre-right): I have not personally had any such discussions, but the Exchequer Secretary will have done. We are supporting that business, and many others up and down the country, through the comprehensive industrial strategy that we are rolling out in different sectors.
Schools: Per Pupil Funding — House of Commons, 2018-07-03
Topic: Education
Questions: What recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Education on changes in the level of funding per pupil in schools since 2010.
Elizabeth Mary Truss (Conservative, Centre-right): I suggest the hon. Lady reads last week’s edition of Schools Week, which said that the unions had admitted that they had their sums wrong and in fact per-pupil funding was being protected in real terms in 2018-19 and 2019-20.
Schools: Per Pupil Funding — House of Commons, 2018-07-03
Topic: Education
Questions: What recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Education on changes in the level of funding per pupil in schools since 2010.
Chris Ian Brian Mynott Philp (Conservative, Centre-right): Will the Chief Secretary confirm that per-pupil spending in this country is higher than that in Japan or Germany? Will she also confirm that this is not just about how much we spend, but about how wisely we spend it, thanks to which 2 million more children are now in good and outstanding schools than there were in 2010?
Schools: Per Pupil Funding — House of Commons, 2018-07-03
Topic: Education
Questions: What recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Education on changes in the level of funding per pupil in schools since 2010.
Elizabeth Mary Truss (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend is correct. In addition, the real-terms funding per pupil will be 50% higher in 2020 than it was in 2000. This Government’s reforms to reading and mathematics are resulting in students’ scores increasing, whereas under the Labour party we just had grade inflation.
Schools: Per Pupil Funding — House of Commons, 2018-07-03
Topic: Education
Questions: What recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Education on changes in the level of funding per pupil in schools since 2010.; That is fascinating, because compared with last year, England’s schools have 137,000 more pupils but almost 5,500 fewer teachers, 2,800 fewer teaching assistants, 1,400 fewer support staff and 1,200 fewer auxiliary staff. What has gone wrong? Is it that headteachers are not investing in staff, or is it that the Chief Secretary to the Treasury is in denial and thinks that she knows more than they do about how to manage school budgets?
Elizabeth Mary Truss (Conservative, Centre-right): I point out to the hon. Gentleman that 10,000 more teachers are now working in our schools than under the Labour Government. He should look at the results that children are achieving and the improvements that we have seen, particularly in reading. Under Labour, we were among the worst in Europe, whereas we are now among the best.
Infrastructure Investment: South-west — House of Commons, 2018-07-03
Topic: Transportation
Robert Edward Jenrick (Conservative, Centre-right): The Government are investing in the infrastructure of the south-west. We are investing £2 billion in the strategic road network, including to transform the A303/A30/A358 into an expressway. We are delivering £146 million of investment in Cornish rail and, thanks to my hon. Friend’s efforts, we are investing £79 million in the A30 to St Austell link road.
Infrastructure Investment: South-west — House of Commons, 2018-07-03
Topic: Labor
Stephen Daniel Double (Conservative, Centre-right): Cornish wages continue to lag around 30% below the national average. The national productivity investment fund is designed specifically to increase wages and living standards; will my hon. Friend tell the House how much of that fund is being spent in Cornwall and the south-west?
Infrastructure Investment: South-west — House of Commons, 2018-07-03
Topic: Transportation
Robert Edward Jenrick (Conservative, Centre-right): We are investing significant funds, including £92 million to tackle congestion in the south-west and a portion of a £200 million fund for full fibre, and we are providing £40 million for small and medium-sized enterprises through the British Business Bank, which will go to Cornish small businesses.
HMRC: Office Closures — House of Commons, 2018-07-03
Topic: Labor
Questions: What steps he is taking with HMRC to ensure that staff at its offices that are due to close are able to secure employment at HMRC regional hubs.
Melvyn John Stride (Conservative, Centre-right): As Departments right across Government do, we look at the opportunities available in various towns and cities up and down the country, including Bradford. The hon. Gentleman mentions the employment impact of this particular measure; I remind him that the employment rate in Bradford is up 6.4% since 2010. That is above the national average and is a direct consequence of this Government’s policies.
HMRC: Office Closures — House of Commons, 2018-07-03
Topic: Macroeconomics
Questions: What steps he is taking with HMRC to ensure that staff at its offices that are due to close are able to secure employment at HMRC regional hubs.; The Financial Secretary to the Treasury, the Chancellor and the Prime Minister all gave commitments from the Dispatch Box that a meeting between senior HMRC officials and members of the Roadchef Employees Benefit Trust would bring a resolution to that dispute, but that did not happen, because HMRC stonewalled the EBT members. Will the Chancellor or the Financial Secretary commit to becoming a mediator in this dispute and bring a resolution that will see a pay-out finally being made for those beneficiaries?
Melvyn John Stride (Conservative, Centre-right): I slightly detected from the hon. Gentleman’s question the suggestion that that meeting between HMRC and the EBT did not take place, and it most certainly did. He and I have discussed this matter, both formally in a meeting and informally, and we have debated it in the House. I have always stressed that there is a dividing line between HMRC and Treasury Ministers: we cannot intervene in the tax affairs of individuals or organisations. I am confident that HMRC is progressing in an appropriate manner.
HMRC: Office Closures — House of Commons, 2018-07-03
Topic: Macroeconomics
Questions: What steps he is taking with HMRC to ensure that staff at its offices that are due to close are able to secure employment at HMRC regional hubs.; The Financial Secretary to the Treasury, the Chancellor and the Prime Minister all gave commitments from the Dispatch Box that a meeting between senior HMRC officials and members of the Roadchef Employees Benefit Trust would bring a resolution to that dispute, but that did not happen, because HMRC stonewalled the EBT members. Will the Chancellor or the Financial Secretary commit to becoming a mediator in this dispute and bring a resolution that will see a pay-out finally being made for those beneficiaries?
Melvyn John Stride (Conservative, Centre-right): The simple fact is that we need an HMRC that is fit for the 21st century, for the new digital ways in which we are working, and for our targeted approach on clamping down on avoidance, evasion and non-compliance, for example. That requires these sophisticated hubs that have the right skills to do that job, so I defend our reorganisation entirely On the portrayal of the economy that the hon. Lady has just given, we have the highest level of employment in our history, more women in work than at almost any time in our history and unemployment lower than at any time in the past 45 years. We are bearing down on the deficit and have debt falling as a percentage of GDP.
Infrastructure Investment: Kent — House of Commons, 2018-07-03
Topic: Transportation
John Philip Glen (Conservative, Centre-right): The Government are committed to ensuring that every part of the country has a modern and efficient infrastructure. In Kent, the extent of superfast broadband has risen from 33% to 95% since 2010, and the South East local enterprise partnership has secured £590 million for 30 transport schemes. Work has recently begun on a £105 million upgrade to junction 10a of the M20.
Infrastructure Investment: Kent — House of Commons, 2018-07-03
Topic: Transportation
Craig Mackinlay (Conservative, Centre-right): Given that Kent is on the frontline of EU border trade and that local plans involve the potential of more than 100,000 new homes over the next 15 years, will my hon. Friend consider investing in the dualling of the A2 and the A256 to improve traffic flows and resilience in east Kent?
Infrastructure Investment: Kent — House of Commons, 2018-07-03
Topic: Transportation
John Philip Glen (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend makes a very sensible point. The dualling of the A2 near Dover was raised as an issue in Highways England’s route strategy for Kent and is being considered alongside other investments. The A256 is part of the indicative major road network and the Department will be publishing the final network by the end of the year. If it is included, it will be a matter for the local authority, working with the subnational transport bodies, to determine whether to bid into the fund.
Infrastructure Investment: Kent — House of Commons, 2018-07-03
Topic: Macroeconomics
John Philip Glen (Conservative, Centre-right): I am very sorry but I do not recognise the hon. Gentleman’s characterisation of the Government’s intentions. We have actually rolled out a comprehensive strategy across the country in terms of the northern powerhouse and the midlands engine with the systematic devolution of decision making and resources to enable growth throughout the country.
Economic Growth: Car Industry — House of Commons, 2018-07-03
Topic: Transportation
Questions: What assessment his Department has made of the effect on economic growth of levels of (a) car sales and (b) investment in the car industry.
Robert Edward Jenrick (Conservative, Centre-right): The automotive sector is an extremely valuable part of the UK economy and we have worked very closely with it in recent years. We have established the first automotive sector deal, and we have backed research and development projects, such as the advanced propulsion centre, with £300 million of investment. Through the future of mobility grand challenge and a succession of Budget measures, we are supporting the development of and transition to low emission and autonomous vehicles.
Economic Growth: Car Industry — House of Commons, 2018-07-03
Topic: Foreign Trade
Questions: What assessment his Department has made of the effect on economic growth of levels of (a) car sales and (b) investment in the car industry.; In the light of Brexit, just this morning the British Chambers of Commerce published a list of two dozen vital questions to which British business needs answers, 10 of which are specifically relevant to the car industry. What assessment has the Chancellor made of the potential loss of business investment in the UK car industry as a result of the Government’s failure to provide answers to those questions?
Robert Edward Jenrick (Conservative, Centre-right): We are working closely with the automotive sector, and the Treasury and other Departments have met its representatives on a number of occasions. The Prime Minister has made it clear that our intention throughout the current negotiations is to ensure that EU-UK trade is as frictionless as possible. We will continue to work with the automotive sector to ensure that we deliver a good Brexit deal for it.
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2018-07-03
Topic: Macroeconomics
Philip Hammond (Conservative, Centre-right): My principal responsibility is to ensure economic stability and the continued prosperity of the British people, both during this period of heightened uncertainty and beyond it, after Brexit. I will do so by building on the plans that I set out in the autumn Budget and the spring statement. The Prime Minister recently announced a five-year NHS funding package that will boost spending on health by more than £20 billion a year in real terms in England alone. She also confirmed that we will stick to our fiscal rules and continue to reduce debt. It is our balanced approach to the public finances that enables us to give households, businesses and our public services targeted support in the near term, as well as to invest in the future of this country and to get debt down to be fair to the next generation.
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2018-07-03
Topic: Labor
Questions: Only 15% of people who start their working lives in entry-level jobs in this country manage to rise above that level. This country would be more prosperous and socially just, and would have a bigger tax base, if we could help them. What more can we do to help that segment of the population?
Elizabeth Mary Truss (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend is absolutely right. The way in which we will get higher wages is by improving productivity and skills, which is why we are investing in a record level of apprenticeships and the national training partnership.
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2018-07-03
Topic: Macroeconomics
Questions: Only 15% of people who start their working lives in entry-level jobs in this country manage to rise above that level. This country would be more prosperous and socially just, and would have a bigger tax base, if we could help them. What more can we do to help that segment of the population?
Philip Hammond (Conservative, Centre-right): I assure the right hon. Gentleman that I will be setting out for my colleagues, in the privacy of our Cabinet meeting on Friday, the Treasury’s assessment—indeed, the cross-Whitehall economic group’s assessment—of the implications of potential routes forward. However, as the Prime Minister has said, we cannot give a running commentary in public on a matter about which we are in intensive negotiation with our European interlocutors. I have said before, and say again today, that when the time comes for Parliament to vote on our proposed package, I will make sure that all the available material is put into the public domain so that Members of Parliament are properly informed.