argyrotsipi/train-dataset huggingface dataset:
Local Government Funding — House of Commons, 2018-04-30
Topic: Government Operations
James Peter Brokenshire (Conservative, Centre-right): I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for his welcome. In some ways, local government is in my blood: my father was the chief executive of a council, and some of the current debates about councils are ones that I had as a boy, believe it or not.
Local Government Funding — House of Commons, 2018-04-30
Topic: Social Welfare
James Peter Brokenshire (Conservative, Centre-right): Let’s not overdo it, Mr Speaker I hoped that the hon. Member for Denton and Reddish (Andrew Gwynne) would welcome the additional funds that have been given to councils for core spending. They constitute an important statement from the Government, who have given councils a real-terms increase in recognition of the challenges that they face. I hope the hon. Gentleman will also note the forthcoming social care Green Paper, which will enable us to engage in a further and broader debate about long-term funding for social care.
Midlands Engine — House of Commons, 2018-04-30
Topic: Macroeconomics
Edmund Francis Hughes (Conservative, Centre-right): The midlands seem to be leading the way in economic growth and job creation. Will the Secretary of State join me in celebrating, with Andy Street, the West Midlands combined authority and the midlands engine, the local achievement of 6.8% of gross value added, given that the national figure is 2.4%?
One Yorkshire — House of Commons, 2018-04-30
Topic: Government Operations
James Jacob Gilchrist Berry (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Gentleman is something of a Mystic Meg of the Labour party. Unlike him, I want the people of South Yorkshire to have their say in the elections next Thursday. The Conservative candidate, Ian Walker, has said: "This is a golden opportunity to show what South Yorkshire can do." The Labour candidate thinks that it should be a part-time job, and the Labour authorities are fighting with each other so much that they cannot agree on what power or money the mayor of South Yorkshire should have.
One Yorkshire — House of Commons, 2018-04-30
Topic: Government Operations
Philip Andrew Davies (Conservative, Centre-right): As the Minister will know, Yorkshire is a massive county—by far the biggest in the country. What assessment has he made of the ability of one mayor to cover effectively the whole of such a big county? My dad had the privilege of being the Mayor of Doncaster for a while, and that was a pretty full-on job for him, so how on earth can one person do the job effectively and look after the interests of the whole of Yorkshire? What level of bureaucracy and cost would be incurred by a single mayoral office for the whole of Yorkshire?
One Yorkshire — House of Commons, 2018-04-30
Topic: Government Operations
James Jacob Gilchrist Berry (Conservative, Centre-right): I would not like to be drawn on responding to the high-level proposals we have received, but I will say this: later this year, the city of Leeds will be the only core city in the north of England that has not benefited from devolution, and that is a terrible shame for everyone who lives in West Yorkshire.
One Yorkshire — House of Commons, 2018-04-30
Topic: Government Operations
James Jacob Gilchrist Berry (Conservative, Centre-right): All these devolution deals are ground-up, and if people from Hull and the Humber come to the Government with proposals for devolution for that area, the Government will of course look at them in the way that they do all devolution proposals.
High-rise Buildings: Cladding — House of Commons, 2018-04-30
Topic: Social Welfare
James Peter Brokenshire (Conservative, Centre-right): I understand the reasons for the hon. Gentleman making those points. At the outset, I want to underline my commitment to giving priority to these issues. This has been an utter tragedy, and our priority has to be—as it was with my predecessor—to ensure that survivors and communities receive all the support that they need. He will be aware that the Hackitt review is looking at a range of issues, and I would not want to prejudge that review, but he makes an important point and I am sure that it will be examined.
Local Authority Finances — House of Commons, 2018-04-30
Topic: Government Operations
Neil John O'Brien (Conservative, Centre-right): If Leicestershire was as well funded as London’s Camden Council, it would be £350 million a year better off. Does the Minister agree that the only way of making good councils financially sustainable is to have a fair funding formula, with transparent formulae and up-to-date data? Will he look closely at the Leicestershire model for bringing that about?
Local Authority Finances — House of Commons, 2018-04-30
Topic: Government Operations
Rishi Sunak (Conservative, Centre-right): I could not agree more, and it was a pleasure to meet his local council to understand its model. It has a lot to commend it, and we will consider it as part of our fair funding consultation.
Local Authority Finances — House of Commons, 2018-04-30
Topic: Government Operations
Rishi Sunak (Conservative, Centre-right): It is worth pointing out that council reserves across the country have actually increased over the past few years and that it is of course for local authorities to decide what prudent level of drawing down may be possible in any given year.
Local Authority Finances — House of Commons, 2018-04-30
Topic: Macroeconomics
Rishi Sunak (Conservative, Centre-right): It was a pleasure to work with the hon. Gentleman’s Committee, and I look forward to reading its report in detail.—I thank the Committee for its work. As for the quantum of funding, he tempts me to pre-empt the results of the spending review, which is due next year. That will be the time to consider his point.
Homelessness — House of Commons, 2018-04-30
Topic: Government Operations
Heather Kay Wheeler (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank the hon. Lady for that rant. Unfortunately, I have a feeling that she might be—what is the word we are looking for? [Interruption.] Some of the most important parts of the Act will be implemented in October, so councils have six months to get their places in order.
Adult Social Care — House of Commons, 2018-04-30
Topic: Social Welfare
Rishi Sunak (Conservative, Centre-right): Through the social care precept, the spring Budget last year and the recent local government finance settlement, councils will have access to £9.4 billion in dedicated funding for adult social care over the three years 2017 to 2020.
Adult Social Care — House of Commons, 2018-04-30
Topic: Social Welfare
Rishi Sunak (Conservative, Centre-right): I gently remind the hon. Gentleman of my earlier answer, which was that council reserves are some £20 billion across the country and are actually higher today than they were when we came into office. Councils will be able to increase spending on social care in real terms every year up to the end of this Parliament, and we are already seeing the results in action: delayed transfers of care are down by 34% in England. This is a Government who are delivering for people across the country.
Adult Social Care — House of Commons, 2018-04-30
Topic: Social Welfare
Rishi Sunak (Conservative, Centre-right): I am sure my hon. Friend will forgive me for not being drawn on Northamptonshire specifically, given the circumstances there and the decision to be made. In general, he is absolutely right to highlight the importance of getting people swiftly transferred to appropriate social care. That has been a focus of the funding that the Government have put in, and the better care fund is ensuring that joined-up care is happening. As I have said, delayed transfers of care are down by almost a third in the past year.
Northern Powerhouse — House of Commons, 2018-04-30
Topic: Macroeconomics
James Jacob Gilchrist Berry (Conservative, Centre-right): Growing the whole north is crucial to the delivery of our northern powerhouse. Since the northern powerhouse strategy was launched, direct foreign investment in the north has increased at a rate double that of the national average, and unemployment throughout the north is now lower than the national average.
Northern Powerhouse — House of Commons, 2018-04-30
Topic: Macroeconomics
Questions: Although the people of northern Lincolnshire want nothing to do with the recreation of County Humberside or being linked into Yorkshire, they are very happy to be part of the northern powerhouse initiative. What specific proposals does the Minister have that would benefit my constituency?
James Jacob Gilchrist Berry (Conservative, Centre-right): We are already investing some £67 million in the Humber and the Greater Lincolnshire local enterprise partnership, and I note that £20 million of that is going into my hon. Friend’s constituency. He will be aware that we committed in the industrial strategy to work on a business case for a Grimsby and Cleethorpes town deal. I hope that, in demonstrating that success, we can put our northern power towns at the heart of the northern powerhouse.
Northern Powerhouse — House of Commons, 2018-04-30
Topic: Transportation
Questions: Although the people of northern Lincolnshire want nothing to do with the recreation of County Humberside or being linked into Yorkshire, they are very happy to be part of the northern powerhouse initiative. What specific proposals does the Minister have that would benefit my constituency?
James Jacob Gilchrist Berry (Conservative, Centre-right): I am certainly not going to take any lectures on the northern powerhouse from the hon. Gentleman, because after his election he described it as the "northern poorhouse". Unlike Opposition Members, the Government are behind the north, not least by investing £13 billion in northern transport—more than any Government in history, including the Labour Government.
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2018-04-30
Topic: Social Welfare
Questions: The potholes in Kettering and across Northamptonshire are absolutely terrible. What role does the Minister’s Department have in liaising with the Department for Transport to ensure that the millions of extra pounds that local councils have been given to fill in potholes are actually being spent and used correctly?
Rishi Sunak (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Lady is right to point out the important work that social workers do across the country in caring for some of the more vulnerable in our society. I know that our colleagues in the Department of Health and Social Care are examining the exact issue that she mentions, and I am sure they will be making a report in due course.
Sainsbury and Asda Merger — House of Commons, 2018-04-30
Topic: Labor
Robert Henry Halfon (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank my hon. Friend for his statement. In Harlow, we have an Asda and a Sainsbury’s, and many hundreds of local jobs depend on those supermarkets. Although the companies say today that there will be no job losses, my concern is that in a year or so’s time, when this has all been forgotten about, hundreds of jobs will suddenly be lost not just in stores, but in logistics centres, distribution centres and so on. We need guarantees that those jobs will not be lost.
Sainsbury and Asda Merger — House of Commons, 2018-04-30
Topic: Labor
Andrew James Griffiths (Conservative, Centre-right): My right hon. Friend is a doughty fighter for his constituents, and I understand that he will be lobbying hard to ensure that there are no job losses. I reassure him that some 330,000 people are employed by this joint, merged organisation. It is a huge employer. It has given us very strong reassurances about jobs in stores. I urge him to engage not only with the CMA in relation to this investigation, but with both Asda and Sainsbury’s to make those points strongly and forcefully, as he always does.
Sainsbury and Asda Merger — House of Commons, 2018-04-30
Topic: International Affairs
John Simon Bercow (Conservative, Centre-right): Order. As always, I am keen to seek to accommodate the extent of colleagues’ interest in an urgent question, but I remind the House that there is a further urgent question to follow this and thereafter, a statement by the Secretary of State for International Development on the situation in Syria, which, judging by precedent, I anticipate to evoke much interest. Therefore, there is a premium on brevity from Back and Front Benchers alike.
Sainsbury and Asda Merger — House of Commons, 2018-04-30
Topic: Agriculture
Antoinette Geraldine Sherratt (Sandbach) (Conservative, Centre-right): Dairy farmers in my constituency supply milk to both Asda and Sainsbury’s. Will there be an easy way for those family-run businesses to be able to feed into potential efficiencies that may threaten the supply chain?
Sainsbury and Asda Merger — House of Commons, 2018-04-30
Topic: Agriculture
Andrew James Griffiths (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend makes an important point—I have dairy farmers in my constituency—and this is one of the issues that I have raised with Christine Tacon, the Groceries Code Adjudicator. My hon. Friend will know that in the last few weeks, in conjunction with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Groceries Code Adjudicator and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, we have brought forward new proposals on dairy contracts to help exactly the kind of small suppliers that she talks about. In conversations with Sainsbury’s and Asda, both of them talk about the very real relationships that they have with their suppliers—with their dairy farmers. I hope that we can get some assurances to protect those relationships.
Sainsbury and Asda Merger — House of Commons, 2018-04-30
Topic: Macroeconomics
Christopher James Skidmore (Conservative, Centre-right): Asda in Longwell Green and Sainsbury’s in Emersons Green have been huge economic success stories in recent years, taking on hundreds of extra jobs since 2010 without Government interference. Will the Minister confirm that it is not the Government’s duty to be heavy-handed about the business interests of companies, but instead to create the right economic climate that will create jobs for the future?
Sainsbury and Asda Merger — House of Commons, 2018-04-30
Topic: Agriculture
Stephen Charles Kerr (Conservative, Centre-right): Following on from the Minister’s last comments, it is right that concerns be raised about jobs and consumer choice, but will he confirm that producers will be able to provide evidence to the CMA on the potentially devastating effect of this concentration of market power through this market consolidation?
Sainsbury and Asda Merger — House of Commons, 2018-04-30
Topic: Agriculture
Andrew James Griffiths (Conservative, Centre-right): Not only can I confirm to my hon. Friend that producers’ voices will be heard in the CMA deliberation—this six-month detailed process that will consider all the aspects, vertical and horizontal, of the merger—but I positively urge him to go back to his constituency, engage with his dairy farmers and small suppliers, and make sure they contribute to it to guarantee that their voices are heard.
Sainsbury and Asda Merger — House of Commons, 2018-04-30
Topic: Agriculture
Andrew James Griffiths (Conservative, Centre-right): Clearly, the hon. Gentleman has a great deal of experience in this area—I know that his constituency was badly affected by the foot and mouth outbreak and that he did a very good job at the time. The correct formula for finding a resolution for his dairy farmers and the supply chain is through the Groceries Code Adjudicator. She has proved to be incredibly effective in standing up for the supply chain—not just for the small dairy farmers, but for the wider industry. If he has concerns, I know she will take them very seriously, so I urge him to take them up with her.
Sainsbury and Asda Merger — House of Commons, 2018-04-30
Topic: Labor
Andrew James Griffiths (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend is absolutely right. Huge strides forward were made in getting these jobs out of London and further north, and I know he has done a very good job in representing employees’ views. I can reassure him that their voices will be heard. He should convene a meeting, talk to the workforce and encourage them to contribute to the CMA inquiry.
Sainsbury and Asda Merger — House of Commons, 2018-04-30
Topic: Labor
Andrew James Griffiths (Conservative, Centre-right): I understand the hon. Gentleman’s points, which is why one of the first things I did after being made Minister was to pick up the phone to the union representatives he talks about. We want to make sure that employees’ voices are heard and that there is proper engagement over the merger. It is clear, though, that in no way is this a response to Brexit. These are businesses based in the UK and competing in the UK, and the business will continue to be listed on the London stock exchange post the merger. I recognise the hon. Gentleman’s concerns, which he raises on behalf of his constituents, but perhaps we should stop playing politics with Brexit.
Sainsbury and Asda Merger — House of Commons, 2018-04-30
Topic: Agriculture
Andrew Hanson Jones (Conservative, Centre-right): Having previously been a supplier to both companies, I read about the proposed deal with much interest. Can my hon. Friend confirm that the implications for all parties will be considered—particularly the implications for the smaller regional food producers?
Sainsbury and Asda Merger — House of Commons, 2018-04-30
Topic: Agriculture
Caroline Elizabeth Johnson (Conservative, Centre-right): The Minister said that he had had discussions with the National Farmers Union. Many in the agricultural sector already think that the large supermarkets have too much power over buying and prices. What assurances can the Minister give the farmers, growers and food producers in my constituency—[Interruption.] What assurances can the Minister give them that they will be able to work on a level playing field and obtain fair prices for their produce?
Sainsbury and Asda Merger — House of Commons, 2018-04-30
Topic: Agriculture
Andrew James Griffiths (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend can hear for herself the support that there is in the House for the suppliers, growers and farmers in her constituency Let me clarify one issue. I did not say that I had spoken to the NFU; I said that I had urged both Sainsbury’s and Asda to engage with the NFU to understand the position properly. As I have said, the CMA will be concerned about the impact on the supply chain, but, just as important, the Groceries Code Adjudicator will also be there to champion the small producers to whom my hon. Friend has referred.
Sainsbury and Asda Merger — House of Commons, 2018-04-30
Topic: Labor
Andrew James Griffiths (Conservative, Centre-right): I can honestly say that Tesco’s loss is the House’s gain I recognise that this is an uncertain time for workers—that is why we have engaged with the unions to try to give them as much reassurance as we can—but this is clearly a complicated and complex process. These are huge businesses, and we need to understand properly the impacts that the merger will have—not just on jobs in those businesses, but on the supply chain and competition throughout the country. While I am keen for us to secure a resolution as quickly as possible, I think that, unfortunately, we must let the process run its course.
Sainsbury and Asda Merger — House of Commons, 2018-04-30
Topic: Law and Crime
Andrew James Griffiths (Conservative, Centre-right): Those are important questions. If there is a phase 1 investigation, that will take 40 days. As I have said, both parties are urging the CMA to consider a fast-track approach. If it does that, phase 2 could be completed in six months. I can reassure my hon. Friend that the CMA will take very seriously the other issues he raises.
Sainsbury and Asda Merger — House of Commons, 2018-04-30
Topic: Agriculture
Andrew James Griffiths (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank the hon. Gentleman for his concern and recognise his passion as a previous trade union representative. He asks about the validity and veracity of the assurances given so far by Sainsbury’s and Asda. It is early days—we are not even at day one into this process—so we will see how that develops. On his aspiration that we protect the farmers and small suppliers, I gently point out that it was this Government who introduced the Groceries Code Adjudicator and brought in those tough measures and protections to help our farmers and the supply chain.
Sainsbury and Asda Merger — House of Commons, 2018-04-30
Topic: Government Operations
Andrew James Griffiths (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend raises important points, and I know that his constituents will be concerned. I can assure him that the CMA will take representations. If he would like to meet personally with the CMA, I would be delighted to try to help facilitate that.
Sainsbury and Asda Merger — House of Commons, 2018-04-30
Topic: Labor
Andrew James Griffiths (Conservative, Centre-right): We have engaged with Sainsbury’s and Asda to urge them to speak to their staff, and we have also engaged very openly and honestly with the trade unions. We want to see proper and early engagement and consultation in this process to ensure that the workforce is protected, but the public assurances that both Sainsbury’s and Asda are giving at present are that all the stores, and all the jobs in the stores, will be protected.
Windrush — House of Commons, 2018-04-30
Topic: Law and Crime
Sajid Javid (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank my hon. Friend for his remarks. I know Home Secretary sounds very similar to Housing Secretary, but it is Home Secretary. He is right about making the right assumptions. The taskforce is making the process of helping some people to find the right documentation a lot quicker, and this is being done in a way where we are able to act much more subjectively, taking into account all the evidence that has been put in front of us.
Windrush — House of Commons, 2018-04-30
Topic: Law and Crime
Sajid Javid (Conservative, Centre-right): I listened carefully to what the hon. Lady said, and she makes an important point about legal aid more generally and when it can and cannot be provided. That is why my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Justice is currently conducting a review of legal aid. A consultation is open and the hon. Lady should contribute to it.
Windrush — House of Commons, 2018-04-30
Topic: International Affairs
Sajid Javid (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Gentleman makes a good point about other members of the Commonwealth, to which I referred briefly a moment ago. I want to ensure that we are looking at this carefully to see whether we need to take further steps where people are affected. The hon. Gentleman will know about the taskforce that we set up for the Windrush generation. I will not hesitate in taking any further steps that would help.
Windrush — House of Commons, 2018-04-30
Topic: Social Welfare
Robert Henry Halfon (Conservative, Centre-right): Just as my right hon. Friend did in his previous Department in fighting anti-Semitism, looking after the victims of Grenfell and championing affordable housing, will he make social justice a defining part of his mission in his new role, so that something like the Windrush saga can never happen again?
Windrush — House of Commons, 2018-04-30
Topic: Social Welfare
Sajid Javid (Conservative, Centre-right): I agree with my hon. Friend. It is important that we do not rush to judgment about how the compensation scheme should work and that we listen in particular to those who have been affected. That is why it is right to have a consultation on the compensation scheme.