argyrotsipi/train-dataset huggingface dataset:
Taxation (Post-transition Period) Bill — House of Commons, 2020-12-15
Topic: International Affairs
William Nigel Paul Cash (Conservative, Centre-right): Let me respond briefly. This provision is really going to apply only where there is an impugnment —an infringement—of sovereignty itself. In this case, the entirety of our leaving the EU, as is well understood by the EU and provided for by article 50, and which we have done lawfully, demonstrates that when the EU and the remainers start prattling on about the idea that somehow or other we should do it on their terms, which is the basis on which the whole thing was constructed when the negotiations began, however many years ago it was—I cannot quite remember, as it seems so long ago—we see that the bottom line is that they have acted in bad faith. That is the problem. If it were not for that —we had reasonable negotiations—we probably would not be having to discuss these matters now. Most recently, we have seen that over the state aid rules, with their saying, "We’re going to punish you if you don’t do what we want."
Taxation (Post-transition Period) Bill — House of Commons, 2020-12-15
Topic: Foreign Trade
Kevin Paul Hollinrake (Conservative, Centre-right): I am grateful for my hon. Friend’s intervention. I have great sympathy with his points. The difficulty is that when we are in an international agreement, there is a judgment as to whether they are "acting in bad faith" or "prattling on", and they are subjective judgments he makes. All international trade agreements need an independent body to decide who is breaching the agreement. If Parliament is simply sovereign and is able to say, "In our judgment, you are breaking the agreement", all trade agreements would fall apart. We saw that in the case of the Mexican Government and the breaching of the terms of GATT, where that judgment was made unilaterally. The independent body, which was the arbitration council of the North American free trade agreement, settled the dispute. That is an international body; it is not subject to one national jurisdiction or the other. There has to be someone who adjudicates; we cannot simply have national sovereignty making a judgment on these points. That is why we have these investor-state dispute settlement bodies.
Taxation (Post-transition Period) Bill — House of Commons, 2020-12-15
Topic: Foreign Trade
John Alan Redwood (Conservative, Centre-right): All too often in international trade agreements it does come down to power and sovereignty. President Trump has regularly used national security as a good reason to impose tariffs and override World Trade Organisation rules. The EU, for years, ignored state aid rules to promote Airbus. I can perfectly understand what it was trying to do. It took a long time to catch up with it and in practice the damage, from the WTO point of view, was done.
Taxation (Post-transition Period) Bill — House of Commons, 2020-12-15
Topic: International Affairs
Kevin Paul Hollinrake (Conservative, Centre-right): Therein lies the difficulty, does it not? As soon as a nation, however powerful, is allowed to make a subjective judgment, it leads to international chaos. We can have international agreements that people sign and adhere to, with independent resolution. My point is that as soon as we have done that, we have handed over the settlement of the issues and disputes to another body, and we are, in effect sharing some of our sovereignty. We do not have total sovereignty at that point. We have sovereignty to sign the agreement and to exit the agreement, but I cannot see how using sovereignty to override an agreement works. I think it would result in chaos.
Taxation (Post-transition Period) Bill — House of Commons, 2020-12-15
Topic: International Affairs
William Nigel Paul Cash (Conservative, Centre-right): This is about when the issue of the override is to do with sovereignty itself—that is the point. That is why this matter is essential. That is why international law actually recognises it, in article 46. My hon. Friend the Member for Bromley and Chislehurst (Sir Robert Neill) accepted that, as, indirectly, did Lord Judge, on this Bill. So, for practical purposes, I have quite a lot of support, even from those who originally opposed my proposals.
Taxation (Post-transition Period) Bill — House of Commons, 2020-12-15
Topic: Foreign Trade
Kevin Paul Hollinrake (Conservative, Centre-right): The trouble with new clause 1 is that it says the provisions have effect "notwithstanding any relevant international or domestic law" Subsection 2(g) states that that means "any other legislation". This Parliament’s decision would affect any other legislation, and so this is an overarching amendment. The key thing is that we would all agree that international agreements and free trade are important, and we need to make sure they are fair on all parties subject to those agreements. We must not forget that this is a two-way street. We want the other signatories to these trade agreements—be it Canada, Japan, the EU or whatever—to adhere to these agreements as well. It is not just about the UK heading into these agreements. We partly do that through the agreement itself, of course, but also through the soft power that the UK holds and the respect that people have for the United Kingdom There are some special circumstances regarding the withdrawal agreement, because there were two sides to the coin. Yes, there were the commitments that we made under the withdrawal agreement and the Northern Ireland protocol, but there was also the EU’s commitment to use its best endeavours to deliver an ambitious free trade agreement. As Members on both sides of this Chamber have said, there is no doubt that some of the things that the EU has done over the past few months have indicated that it was not using its best endeavours and that it was acting in bad faith, particularly on things such as requiring exit summary declarations for products manufactured in Northern Ireland and then shipped to the rest of the UK. That is simply unacceptable. As the right hon. Member for Leeds Central (Hilary Benn) said, what on earth would the EU do with these things if we exported them from Northern Ireland to the rest of the UK? Describing all goods that went from Great Britain to Northern Ireland as "at risk" would also be simply unacceptable. I was very pleased that those key issues were resolved last week. It largely went by without notice or recognition from many Opposition Members and some parts of the media. New clauses 1 and 2 are interesting. I will not be supporting them, but I will be supporting the Bill.
Taxation (Post-transition Period) Bill — House of Commons, 2020-12-15
Topic: International Affairs
William Nigel Paul Cash (Conservative, Centre-right): I am so glad. I can only say that, actually, sovereignty is not just a theoretical concept; it is a practical necessity. It is on the basis of that that we are able to enter into arrangements internationally that are justified by our own terms of reference. The problem with the EU is that it wants to impose its terms of reference, and it never wanted us even to be able to compete with it as a third country after we had left. But it could not deny that it was lawful, so it resorted to all these other obstructions.
Taxation (Post-transition Period) Bill — House of Commons, 2020-12-15
Topic: Foreign Trade
John Alan Redwood (Conservative, Centre-right): Does the hon. Gentleman not understand that, from 1 January, the EU and the UK are both full members of the World Trade Organisation, which does not allow its members to charge to trade, controls what tariffs can be levied and says to each of its members that they have to offer most favoured nation status to any other member of the WTO? That is how we do our trade with the whole of the rest of the world, which is bigger than our trade with the EU. Why can we not do that for everything?
Taxation (Post-transition Period) Bill — House of Commons, 2020-12-15
Topic: International Affairs
William Nigel Paul Cash (Conservative, Centre-right): We do not really know exactly how the Northern Ireland protocol is going to be interpreted, nor do we actually know its full content, and the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster is declining to appear before my Committee to explain it.
Taxation (Post-transition Period) Bill — House of Commons, 2020-12-15
Topic: Macroeconomics
William Nigel Paul Cash (Conservative, Centre-right): We have had an interesting debate and, as far as I am concerned, the Government had originally proposed putting these clauses in the Bill itself. I personally think that they will find, in due course, a necessity to have something that is on exactly the same lines, and the same applies to the UKIM Bill. However, in the circumstances, because I want this Bill to go through, I beg to ask leave to withdraw my new clause. I just simply say: sovereignty is indivisible Clause, by leave, withdrawn. New Clause 3 Treasury use of powers "(1) The Treasury must, within four working days of the day on which this Act is passed, publish a report setting out the timeframe within which it will use the powers to make regulations conferred by— (a) section 40A(2) of TCTA 2018; (b) section 40B(1) and (2) of TCTA 2018; (c) section 30A(4) of TCTA 2018; (d) section 30B(1) and (3) of TCTA 2018; (e) section 30C(5) of TCTA 2018; and (f) section 5(2) of this Act (2) The Treasury must publish an annual report setting out how it has made use of the powers referred to in subsection (1) (3) Each report under subsection (2) must include an assessment of— (a) what considerations the Treasury made when deciding to use its powers, and (b) the impact of the regulations on individuals and businesses throughout the UK, and specifically in Northern Ireland."—(Mr McFadden.) Brought up, and read the First time. Question put, That the clause be read a Second time.
Taxation (Post-transition Period) Bill — House of Commons, 2020-12-15
Topic: Foreign Trade
Alexander Jesse Norman (Conservative, Centre-right): As I have already said to my right hon. Friend, without venturing a percentage, the test for at-risk goods is those where there is a "genuine and substantial risk", and therefore those are expected to be a smaller proportion of goods, but trade of course is a flexible and ever-changing thing, so whatever numbers there are may change over time My right hon. Friend also asked a question about the EU. I am not going to speculate on what the EU does, but I can assure him that there will be no EU customs, embassy or the like and no joint control over customs in Northern Ireland. HMRC will remain the tax authority for Northern Ireland, as it is for the whole of the UK The Bill also includes new powers that will enable HMRC to raise tax charges under the controlled foreign companies legislation for the period 2013 to 2018. Lastly, to help level the playing field for UK businesses, the Bill also moves VAT collection on certain imported goods away from the border and removes VAT relief on low-value consignments to clamp down on VAT abuse and to protect our high streets The Bill gives businesses throughout the UK certainty about the arrangements that will apply from 1 January of next year. Above all, it helps the Government to safeguard what we all prize and desire, or should all prize and desire: the unity and integrity of the United Kingdom. I commend the Bill to the House.
Covid-19: Economic Effect — House of Commons, 2020-11-25
Topic: Macroeconomics
Olukemi Olufunto Badenoch (Conservative, Centre-right): The pandemic has affected all communities in our country. This Government have done their utmost to protect lives and livelihoods. We have targeted economic support at those who need it most. For example, rolling out unprecedented levels of economic support worth over £200 billion has provided a much needed lifeline for those working in shut-down sectors such as retail and hospitality, the workforces in which are disproportionately young, female and from a black, Asian or minority ethnic background. We have taken action to ensure that disabled people have access to disability benefits, financial support and employment support, such as the Work and Health programme, and we have extended the self-employment income support scheme, in which some ethnic minorities are disproportionately represented.
Covid-19: Economic Effect — House of Commons, 2020-11-25
Topic: Macroeconomics
Olukemi Olufunto Badenoch (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Lady will be aware that the Chancellor will be announcing his spending review this afternoon, and I think she will find that many of the questions she is asking will be answered at that point. With respect to the sectors that have been shut down, as I said in my first answer, we recognise that those people who are on low incomes have been disproportionately affected, and those groups are the ones who have most benefited from the interventions that the Treasury has put in place.
Covid-19: Economic Effect — House of Commons, 2020-11-25
Topic: Social Welfare
Olukemi Olufunto Badenoch (Conservative, Centre-right): As the hon. Lady will know, the pandemic has affected many different groups in very bad ways, and we have done everything we can to support them. Specifically on disabled people, we have done quite a lot in looking at the benefits that they have and providing support in many other ways, including employment support. These are the ways that we are protecting those people who are being disproportionately impacted. I am sure that my hon. Friend the Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work, who is also in the House today, is going to be answering more questions on our disabled strategy, and perhaps he will be able to provide more information specifically from a Department for Work and Pensions perspective.
Victims of Domestic Abuse: Free Travel — House of Commons, 2020-11-25
Topic: Law and Crime
Rachel Helen Maclean (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank the hon. Lady very much for her support for this scheme. She will know that over 63% of victims of domestic abuse accessing the support have stated that they would not have been able to access a journey at all if the scheme had not been in place. I am pleased that this vital scheme is extended until next March, and we keep all these schemes under review all the time.
Workplace Discrimination: Pregnant Women and New Mothers — House of Commons, 2020-11-25
Topic: Labor
Paul Stuart Scully (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank my right hon. Friend for pushing her private Member’s Bill and for her concern in this area. I was pleased to meet her. Germany has a far more prescriptive labour market. We support the intention behind her Bill but, having undertaken a full consultation in 2019, we have decided on a different approach, working with the grain of our current regime and extending the existing protection afforded to a new mother on maternity leave into pregnancy and for a six-month return to work period. We will introduce these changes as soon as parliamentary time allows. I am more than happy to continue to work with my right hon. Friend in that regard.
Social Mobility — House of Commons, 2020-11-25
Topic: Social Welfare
David Anthony Evennett (Conservative, Centre-right): I welcome all the work my right hon. Friend is doing to promote social mobility. However, what assessment has she made of the needs of groups such as white working class children whose challenges have not had enough attention to date?
Social Mobility — House of Commons, 2020-11-25
Topic: Education
Elizabeth Mary Truss (Conservative, Centre-right): I strongly agree with my right hon. Friend. White British children who receive free school meals perform worse at GCSE than equivalent black and Asian children. We need to ensure that children from all backgrounds are succeeding in modern Britain, and that is going to be a major focus for the Equality Department, working with the Department for Education.
Social Mobility — House of Commons, 2020-11-25
Topic: Education
Elizabeth Mary Truss (Conservative, Centre-right): We know that digital skills are vital in the modern economy. We also know that this is a huge opportunity for us to level up our country. We know that take-up is particularly low among girls in areas such as computing, and that is why the digital skills boot camps are vital. They are being rolled out across the country in spring 2021 to ensure that everybody has the skills they need to succeed.
Social Mobility — House of Commons, 2020-11-25
Topic: Education
Elizabeth Mary Truss (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend is absolutely right; too many people have been let down in the past by poor education. We want to make that right, through the lifetime skills guarantee, making sure that there is an entitlement to level 3 qualifications and access to four years of loan funding, for people to use over their life- time, so that everybody, right across the United Kingdom, has the skills they need to succeed.
Social Mobility — House of Commons, 2020-11-25
Topic: Education
Holly Mumby-Croft (Conservative, Centre-right): My right hon. Friend will know that education is incredibly important when it comes to opportunity and social mobility. What steps are the Government taking to make sure that those who learn differently due to dyslexia are able to receive that crucial early diagnosis and support so that they can access those opportunities equally?
Social Mobility — House of Commons, 2020-11-25
Topic: Education
Elizabeth Mary Truss (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend makes a very good point; everybody needs access to a world-class education that sets them up for life. I am pleased to say that in early years 25% of children with special educational needs achieved a good level of development in 2019, which compares with a figure of only 14% in 2013, but we continue to do more to make sure that children with special educational needs have access to a good education, right across the country.
Social Mobility — House of Commons, 2020-11-25
Topic: Education
Elizabeth Mary Truss (Conservative, Centre-right): It is very important that working mothers and working fathers have access to the childcare they need so that they are able to get into work during the coronavirus crisis. That is why it is so important that we keep our schools and nurseries open, and that we continue to give the support of the 30 hours a week of childcare for three and four-year-olds.
Covid-19: Disabled People and Legacy Benefits — House of Commons, 2020-11-25
Topic: Social Welfare
Justin Paul Tomlinson (Conservative, Centre-right): Those on legacy benefits will have benefited from the 1.7% uplift as part of the annual upratings. Depending on individual circumstances, they may have also benefited from the changes to the local housing allowance; the increases in discretionary housing support; the various employment support schemes; and the additional discretionary support administered via local authorities. This year alone we anticipate expenditure on disability benefits to increase by nearly 5%.
Covid-19: Disabled People — House of Commons, 2020-11-25
Topic: Social Welfare
Justin Paul Tomlinson (Conservative, Centre-right): The Government are committed to supporting disabled people affected by the covid-19 outbreak. We are ensuring that disabled people continue to have access to employment support, disability benefits, financial support, food, medicines, accessible communications and updated guidance.
Covid-19: Disabled People — House of Commons, 2020-11-25
Topic: Labor
Justin Paul Tomlinson (Conservative, Centre-right): I put on the record a tribute to the proactive and constructive work of Scope and many other organisations to support our efforts, which have resulted in record disability employment—up 1.3 million since 2010. Yes, these are unprecedented times, but we have made sure that all the schemes in our £30 billion plan for jobs have disability provision embedded. We will continue with our ambition to have 1 million more disabled people in work by 2027—nothing has changed.
Institutional Racism — House of Commons, 2020-11-25
Topic: Education
Olukemi Olufunto Badenoch (Conservative, Centre-right): I have not seen the report that the hon. Lady refers to, but I will look at it with interest, decide, from an equalities perspective, whether I agree with the conclusions that have been made, and then speak to the Secretary of State for Education about it.
Covid-19: Childcare — House of Commons, 2020-11-25
Topic: Social Welfare
Paul Stuart Scully (Conservative, Centre-right): The Government are supporting childcare provision during the pandemic by funding the free childcare entitlement for two, three and four-year-olds with £3.6 billion in 2020-21. We are giving grants and loans to businesses and ensuring that childcare providers can access the coronavirus job retention scheme, where necessary.
Covid-19: Childcare — House of Commons, 2020-11-25
Topic: Social Welfare
Paul Stuart Scully (Conservative, Centre-right): The Government have introduced 30 hours of free childcare for eligible working parents of three and four-year-olds. We have ensured that the childcare sector has been able to stay open to support parents to continue to work. We are investing £1 billion from 2021 to help to create more high-quality, wraparound and holiday childcare places, both before and after school, and we will continue to push the fact that childcare needs to be distributed equally between both parents.
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2020-11-25
Topic: Social Welfare
Elizabeth Mary Truss (Conservative, Centre-right): We are concerned about domestic abuse during the pandemic. That is why we have provided an extra £76 million to support vulnerable people, including domestic abuse victims, and we have recently made available a further £11 million to support domestic abuse services as they continue to manage the impacts of the pandemic.
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2020-11-25
Topic: Labor
Elizabeth Mary Truss (Conservative, Centre-right): Our focus is on making sure that we are helping women during the coronavirus crisis, through the furlough scheme, through making sure that there is flexible working and childcare support available and through making sure that we get more women into jobs. My view is that we need to address the causes of the gender pay gap, including getting more girls and women studying science, technology, engineering and maths subjects, so that they are able to earn higher amounts in their careers.
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2020-11-25
Topic: Labor
Andrew Hanson Jones (Conservative, Centre-right): The impact of the pandemic on unemployment is being felt in every constituency. It is more important than ever to ensure that those living with disabilities are treated equally in the recruitment process, so what steps is my right hon. Friend taking to ensure that protections that support equality throughout the recruitment process stay prominent as we focus now on recovery?
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2020-11-25
Topic: Labor
Justin Paul Tomlinson (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank my hon. Friend who is a real champion for disability employment opportunities in his constituency. As part of our £30 billion plan for jobs, disability provision is embedded throughout our schemes, including in kick-start, the job entry targeted support scheme, sector-based academies, apprenticeships, the health and work programme, intensive personalised employment support and access to work. We remind employers that, under the Equality Act 2010, they must focus on ability, not health or disability.
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2020-11-25
Topic: Education
Olukemi Olufunto Badenoch (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank the hon. Gentleman for his question. As I said in a recent debate on this topic, we do not accept the premise that the curriculum in this country is colonised. While I am always very interested in hearing the viewpoints about how we can improve the curriculum, there are certain premises that we simply will not accept.