argyrotsipi/train-dataset huggingface dataset:
State Pension Eligibility — House of Commons, 2016-02-01
Topic: Labor
Questions: What support his Department has made available to women born in the 1950s who are affected by recent changes in the age at which they become eligible for the state pension.; What support his Department has made available to women born in the 1950s who are affected by recent changes in the age at which they become eligible for the state pension.; What support his Department has made available to women born in the 1950s who are affected by recent changes in the age at which they become eligible for the state pension.; If his Department will make an assessment of the merits of options for transitional protection for women who will adversely be affected by the acceleration of increases in the state pension age.
Shailesh Lakhman Vara (Conservative, Centre-right): Perhaps an apology should come from the hon. Lady about the fact that there was no element of communication when her people were in power for 13 years. Let us not forget—[Interruption.] Precisely! The hon. Lady mentions 1995; she will recall that within two years there was a Labour Government, who were around for 13 years. As I have said, there was no communication from any of the 10 Pensions Ministers. As far as the transitional arrangements are concerned, I responded to the hon. Member for Leeds West (Rachel Reeves) that a concession worth £1 billion was made, and the time period was reduced.
State Pension Eligibility — House of Commons, 2016-02-01
Topic: Social Welfare
Questions: What support his Department has made available to women born in the 1950s who are affected by recent changes in the age at which they become eligible for the state pension.; What support his Department has made available to women born in the 1950s who are affected by recent changes in the age at which they become eligible for the state pension.; What support his Department has made available to women born in the 1950s who are affected by recent changes in the age at which they become eligible for the state pension.; If his Department will make an assessment of the merits of options for transitional protection for women who will adversely be affected by the acceleration of increases in the state pension age.
Edward Julian Egerton Leigh (Conservative, Centre-right): I am not sure that it helps these ladies, some of whom are in very difficult circumstances, for both Front-Bench teams to trade insults. Although everybody accepts that there should be equalisation, I want to mention the case of a widow who came to see me on Friday, who has worked hard all her life but has no occupational pension. Because she paid into the state earnings-related pension scheme, she says that she will lose up to £55,000. That is a real blow for her, because she has little in the way of savings. Is there no way in which we could look at further transitional concessions, or perhaps a cap, so that we could help some of these disadvantaged ladies?
State Pension Eligibility — House of Commons, 2016-02-01
Topic: Labor
Questions: What support his Department has made available to women born in the 1950s who are affected by recent changes in the age at which they become eligible for the state pension.; What support his Department has made available to women born in the 1950s who are affected by recent changes in the age at which they become eligible for the state pension.; What support his Department has made available to women born in the 1950s who are affected by recent changes in the age at which they become eligible for the state pension.; If his Department will make an assessment of the merits of options for transitional protection for women who will adversely be affected by the acceleration of increases in the state pension age.
Shailesh Lakhman Vara (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend is absolutely right that we need to discuss the matter in a measured way, but that means that we need to look at it in a broad context. A whole lot of other benefits are available to the women who may be affected—for example, jobseeker’s allowance, employment and support allowance, income support, carer’s allowance and personal independence payment Let us not forget that pensions will be uprated. There is the triple lock, and the simplified new state pension will be introduced in April. Pension freedom allows those who have a pension some flexibility. There has been a permanent increase in cold weather payments. Winter fuel payment has been protected, and more than 12 million pensioners benefited from it last year. As far as female employment is concerned, I have mentioned a number of benefits that we have brought in for female employees. It is important that we look at things in a broad context, rather than simply looking at people in the narrow confines that Members prefer to debate in this Chamber.
State Pension Eligibility — House of Commons, 2016-02-01
Topic: Labor
Questions: What support his Department has made available to women born in the 1950s who are affected by recent changes in the age at which they become eligible for the state pension.; What support his Department has made available to women born in the 1950s who are affected by recent changes in the age at which they become eligible for the state pension.; What support his Department has made available to women born in the 1950s who are affected by recent changes in the age at which they become eligible for the state pension.; If his Department will make an assessment of the merits of options for transitional protection for women who will adversely be affected by the acceleration of increases in the state pension age.
Shailesh Lakhman Vara (Conservative, Centre-right): The general trend for longevity is increasing. The new state pension will ensure that 650,000 women will receive £8 extra a week. Women live longer and, in the longer run, they will benefit a lot more.
State Pension Eligibility — House of Commons, 2016-02-01
Topic: Labor
Questions: What support his Department has made available to women born in the 1950s who are affected by recent changes in the age at which they become eligible for the state pension.; What support his Department has made available to women born in the 1950s who are affected by recent changes in the age at which they become eligible for the state pension.; What support his Department has made available to women born in the 1950s who are affected by recent changes in the age at which they become eligible for the state pension.; If his Department will make an assessment of the merits of options for transitional protection for women who will adversely be affected by the acceleration of increases in the state pension age.
Ben Howlett (Conservative, Centre-right): Although I appreciate that emotions are high on both sides, it is important to ask why, in 13 years of government, the Labour party did nothing to address the issue, especially since they knew that women were living longer. Does the Minister agree that a triple-lock single flat-rate pension would be much fairer to women than the old system?
State Pension Eligibility — House of Commons, 2016-02-01
Topic: Labor
Questions: What support his Department has made available to women born in the 1950s who are affected by recent changes in the age at which they become eligible for the state pension.; What support his Department has made available to women born in the 1950s who are affected by recent changes in the age at which they become eligible for the state pension.; What support his Department has made available to women born in the 1950s who are affected by recent changes in the age at which they become eligible for the state pension.; If his Department will make an assessment of the merits of options for transitional protection for women who will adversely be affected by the acceleration of increases in the state pension age.
Shailesh Lakhman Vara (Conservative, Centre-right): Absolutely. Such a pension will be much fairer. When such passionate comments come up at oral questions and in the various debates we are having on this issue, it is worth remembering that not one party—neither the Scottish National party nor the Labour party—put such a measure in its manifesto. That is because simply to reverse the 2011 measures would cost over £30 billion, and it would cost countless billions more to reverse the change made in 1995. Those parties should be mindful of the fact that the issue was in not in either of their manifestos.
Private Sector Jobs — House of Commons, 2016-02-01
Topic: Labor
Damian Noel Thomas Collins (Conservative, Centre-right): Will the Secretary of State join me in welcoming the fact that the unemployment rate in my constituency has fallen by 48% since 2010? Does he agree that the roll-out of universal credit, which came to my constituency on 25 January, is a further fundamental part of our welfare reforms to make sure that everyone can benefit from work?
Private Sector Jobs — House of Commons, 2016-02-01
Topic: Labor
George Iain Duncan Smith (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend is right that universal credit provides the support and incentives that people need to get back into work. Evidence released a few weeks ago shows that universal credit claimants are more likely to have been in employment, spent a longer time in employment, done more job-search activity and earned more than those on jobseeker’s allowance. It is also important to note that, as part of the national roll-out, universal credit has now been rolled out across the whole county of Kent, which includes my hon. Friend’s constituency.
Private Sector Jobs — House of Commons, 2016-02-01
Topic: Labor
James Roger Cartlidge (Conservative, Centre-right): I very much welcome the fact that youth unemployment has halved in South Suffolk in the past 12 months and that long-term unemployment is down by over a third. Does my right hon. Friend agree that we cannot be complacent, and that there is an important role for community initiatives? Such an initiative is In2BK2, run by Kingfisher HR in Long Melford in South Suffolk, which takes local small business volunteers to help even more young people and the long-term unemployed back into work.
Private Sector Jobs — House of Commons, 2016-02-01
Topic: Social Welfare
George Iain Duncan Smith (Conservative, Centre-right): I commend my hon. Friend for working for such organisations, about which he has spoken to me in the past. A huge amount of progress has taken place in this area, as he maintains. It is worth noting that, as a result of what we have been doing with the reforms and in working with organisations such as the one he mentions, the youth claimant count is at its lowest level since the mid-1970s, the number of those unemployed is down nearly 300,000 since 2010 and, most importantly, the unemployment rate for those not in education is 5.8%—pretty near the lowest it has ever been. We will carry on trying to get this right, but this is good evidence that welfare reform is working.
Private Sector Jobs — House of Commons, 2016-02-01
Topic: Labor
Questions: In Worcester, unemployment overall is down two thirds and youth unemployment is down three quarters since it peaked under the previous Labour Government. How can we go further and achieve the Prime Minister’s aim of eliminating youth unemployment over the long term, and what role can apprenticeships play in delivering that goal?
George Iain Duncan Smith (Conservative, Centre-right): There are two elements. The first is that, as my hon. Friend knows, we have introduced a work experience programme, which has been hugely successful in getting young people back into work. When we came into office, people could take work experience through a jobcentre for only two weeks, but we have now increased that to two months—or three months for people who get the chance to have an apprenticeship. Over 50% of those who do work experience have gone back to work My hon. Friend is absolutely right that the huge increase in apprenticeships we are now planning will reskill our young people and ensure that the work they do is high skilled, high value and well paid.
Life Chances Strategy — House of Commons, 2016-02-01
Topic: Social Welfare
Questions: What contribution his Department plans to make to the strategy announced by the Prime Minister in January 2016 to ensure that people from all parts of society have equal life chances.; What contribution his Department plans to make to the strategy announced by the Prime Minister in January 2016 to ensure that people from all parts of society have equal life chances.
George Iain Duncan Smith (Conservative, Centre-right): My Department is leading the development of the life chances strategy. The strategy marks our commitment to transforming children’s lives by tackling the root causes of poverty—worklessness, poor educational attainment, family breakdown, problem debt and addiction.
Life Chances Strategy — House of Commons, 2016-02-01
Topic: Social Welfare
Questions: What contribution his Department plans to make to the strategy announced by the Prime Minister in January 2016 to ensure that people from all parts of society have equal life chances.; What contribution his Department plans to make to the strategy announced by the Prime Minister in January 2016 to ensure that people from all parts of society have equal life chances.
George Iain Duncan Smith (Conservative, Centre-right): I fully agree with my hon. Friend. In the last Parliament, the Department did a huge amount to get better advice and support for those who are thinking about breaking up. We invested over £30 million in relationship support over the last Parliament, which meant that about 160,000 people had access to preventive support. As the Prime Minister announced recently, we are doubling the funding available over the next five years to £70 million. The life chances strategy includes the important aim of strengthening and stabilising family life.
Life Chances Strategy — House of Commons, 2016-02-01
Topic: Labor
Questions: What contribution his Department plans to make to the strategy announced by the Prime Minister in January 2016 to ensure that people from all parts of society have equal life chances.; What contribution his Department plans to make to the strategy announced by the Prime Minister in January 2016 to ensure that people from all parts of society have equal life chances.
George Iain Duncan Smith (Conservative, Centre-right): I will certainly look at that request. The door is open to the Chairman of the Select Committee on Work and Pensions. He has had a huge part to play. One of his recommendations, which is quite legitimate, is that we look at how we incorporate early years into the life chances measures. We are looking at that and would be happy to discuss it further with him.
Life Chances Strategy — House of Commons, 2016-02-01
Topic: Social Welfare
Questions: What contribution his Department plans to make to the strategy announced by the Prime Minister in January 2016 to ensure that people from all parts of society have equal life chances.; What contribution his Department plans to make to the strategy announced by the Prime Minister in January 2016 to ensure that people from all parts of society have equal life chances.; There is increasing inequality across society for those who are disabled and need access to aids and adaptations. Those who can afford to buy them are fine, but there is a postcode lottery of availability. Is it not unfair, therefore, to look at aids and adaptations in assessments for the personal independence payment? Will the Secretary of State withdraw them from the PIP assessment?
George Iain Duncan Smith (Conservative, Centre-right): I say to the hon. Lady, whom I respect enormously, that we are consulting on what changes are necessary to aids and adaptations to ensure that the support, which was always bound into the personal independence payment, gets to those who need it most. That is the critical point. All of us should want to ensure that people get the support they need for the things they need most to get by. The door is always open to her, as it always has been, and I would be happy to discuss this matter further in light of the consultation.
Life Chances Strategy — House of Commons, 2016-02-01
Topic: Social Welfare
Questions: What contribution his Department plans to make to the strategy announced by the Prime Minister in January 2016 to ensure that people from all parts of society have equal life chances.; What contribution his Department plans to make to the strategy announced by the Prime Minister in January 2016 to ensure that people from all parts of society have equal life chances.; There is increasing inequality across society for those who are disabled and need access to aids and adaptations. Those who can afford to buy them are fine, but there is a postcode lottery of availability. Is it not unfair, therefore, to look at aids and adaptations in assessments for the personal independence payment? Will the Secretary of State withdraw them from the PIP assessment?
Chloe Rebecca Smith (Conservative, Centre-right): My right hon. Friend will be aware of the index published by the Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission over the weekend and will share my concern that children growing up in the Norwich City Council area have some of the lowest chances of doing well in life. Does he agree that we should have the highest possible ambition for Norwich children? What does he suggest could be done locally to target that?
Life Chances Strategy — House of Commons, 2016-02-01
Topic: Social Welfare
Questions: What contribution his Department plans to make to the strategy announced by the Prime Minister in January 2016 to ensure that people from all parts of society have equal life chances.; What contribution his Department plans to make to the strategy announced by the Prime Minister in January 2016 to ensure that people from all parts of society have equal life chances.; There is increasing inequality across society for those who are disabled and need access to aids and adaptations. Those who can afford to buy them are fine, but there is a postcode lottery of availability. Is it not unfair, therefore, to look at aids and adaptations in assessments for the personal independence payment? Will the Secretary of State withdraw them from the PIP assessment?
George Iain Duncan Smith (Conservative, Centre-right): A huge amount can be done locally. Universal support, which is now part of universal credit, is being trialled with a lot of councils to look at the families with the greatest difficulties. It involves councils in getting financial support to those families and in helping them to sort out drug and alcohol abuse. As they receive the special payments, we expect councils to work with us to ensure that their problems are put right, rather than ignored and left to one side.
Life Chances Strategy — House of Commons, 2016-02-01
Topic: Social Welfare
Questions: What contribution his Department plans to make to the strategy announced by the Prime Minister in January 2016 to ensure that people from all parts of society have equal life chances.; What contribution his Department plans to make to the strategy announced by the Prime Minister in January 2016 to ensure that people from all parts of society have equal life chances.; There is increasing inequality across society for those who are disabled and need access to aids and adaptations. Those who can afford to buy them are fine, but there is a postcode lottery of availability. Is it not unfair, therefore, to look at aids and adaptations in assessments for the personal independence payment? Will the Secretary of State withdraw them from the PIP assessment?
George Iain Duncan Smith (Conservative, Centre-right): Even though we have created a new benefit—I believe that PIP is a better benefit than the DLA, and it is far better for those with mental health problems, as many charities and support groups have admitted—we must constantly keep it under review to ensure that the money allocated for it goes to those who need it most. As the hon. Lady knows, a recent court case widened the whole element of aids and adaptations, which would mean that fewer people got the kind of money that they needed. We believe that the personal independence payment is far better, and that it will deliver exactly what we expect to those who need it most. Our job is to support those who need it. The Government that the hon. Lady was part of did absolutely nothing to sort out the mess of the disability living allowance in the whole time they were in power.
Single-tier Pension — House of Commons, 2016-02-01
Topic: Labor
Shailesh Lakhman Vara (Conservative, Centre-right): Provided that people have at least 10 national insurance qualifying years, they will not receive a lower pension under the new state pension based on their own national insurance contributions than they would have already built up under the current system.
Single-tier Pension — House of Commons, 2016-02-01
Topic: Labor
Shailesh Lakhman Vara (Conservative, Centre-right): It is important that the hon. Gentleman appreciates that the new state pension is based on national insurance contributions. He will be aware that for many years many people have contracted out, and a small portion of their national insurance has gone towards a work pension or a private pension. If they add the new state pension to their other pension, which was paid for by national insurance contributions, they will find that in many cases they will be better off than they would be under the new state pension, which is £155.65.
Single-tier Pension — House of Commons, 2016-02-01
Topic: Labor
Shailesh Lakhman Vara (Conservative, Centre-right): Absolutely. As of April this year, with a new state pension and the triple lock, people will be £1,000 better off than they would have been under the old system whereby pensions were uprated. The triple lock will benefit people by £1,000 by April this year.
Under-occupancy Penalty — House of Commons, 2016-02-01
Topic: Government Operations
Justin Paul Tomlinson (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank my hon. Friend for raising that point, which goes to the very heart of it: it provides the flexibility to allow local authorities to work with organisations such as the police, social services and medical professionals. The Local Government Association recently said: "Councils can bring local services together in a way central government will never be able to in order to ensure no-one falls through the cracks."
Under-occupancy Penalty — House of Commons, 2016-02-01
Topic: Macroeconomics
David Nuttall (Conservative, Centre-right): Does my hon. Friend agree that one effect of this policy is that it saves taxpayers about £500 million a year, and that it is incumbent on those who suggest reversing the policy to explain where they would find that money?
Under-occupancy Penalty — House of Commons, 2016-02-01
Topic: Social Welfare
Justin Paul Tomlinson (Conservative, Centre-right): This is about doing the right thing and having the flexibility so that people do not fall beneath an artificial line. If this is so wrong, why did Labour Members not introduce this when they brought in the measures for the private sector? It is right to make sure that those who need the support—the vulnerable in society—are given the right support.
Pensioners’ Incomes — House of Commons, 2016-02-01
Topic: Social Welfare
Shailesh Lakhman Vara (Conservative, Centre-right): The Government will triple lock the basic and new state pension, top up income to a guaranteed minimum level for the poorest pensioners, and protect benefits for older people, including free eye tests, NHS prescriptions, bus passes, television licences for those aged 75 and over, and winter fuel payments.