argyrotsipi/train-dataset huggingface dataset:
Outcome of the EU Referendum — House of Commons, 2016-06-27
Topic: International Affairs
Kirsten Frances Oswald (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): European citizens living in my constituency are anxious because of the despicable messages of the leave campaign— horrible incidents since the referendum and a lack of clarity now. The Prime Minister has just said there will be no immediate change to their circumstances. Does he recognise how little reassurance this brings?
Outcome of the EU Referendum — House of Commons, 2016-06-27
Topic: International Affairs
Patricia Gibson (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): Does the Prime Minister agree that if 55% of people in Scotland voting against independence was enough to keep Scotland in the Union, 63% voting to remain a member of the EU should be enough to keep Scotland in the European Union?
Outcome of the EU Referendum — House of Commons, 2016-06-27
Topic: International Affairs
Thomas Sheppard (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): If mechanisms, as yet unseen, were to emerge that would allow Scotland to remain in the European Union while allowing England and Wales to leave, would the Prime Minister facilitate such an approach or would he prefer to fuel the appetite of the Scottish people for their own self-government?
Outcome of the EU Referendum — House of Commons, 2016-06-27
Topic: International Affairs
Ian Blackford (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): Is this not the biggest foreign policy disaster for a Conservative Prime Minister since Eden and Suez? Specifically on the Scottish question, if the Scottish Parliament, backed by the Scottish people, calls for a referendum on Scotland’s independence in Europe, will the right hon. Gentleman leave a note for the next Prime Minister to say, "You must accede to the wishes of the Scottish people and allow that referendum"?
Outcome of the EU Referendum — House of Commons, 2016-06-27
Topic: International Affairs
Alan Brown (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): I fail to see how a Prime Minister who is working his notice can actually guarantee the continued involvement of the devolved Administrations for what is possibly a two-year period. However, can he confirm that the Scottish Government’s initial involvement will mean that they are able to represent the will of Scotland, which is to stay in Europe?
Outcome of the EU Referendum — House of Commons, 2016-06-27
Topic: International Affairs
Steven Alexander Paterson (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): The constituency I represent voted by over 67% to remain, and in Scotland, of course, the figure was 62%. Can the Prime Minister understand the democratic deficit that exists in Scotland, where we are being dragged out of Europe against our will?
Outcome of the EU Referendum — House of Commons, 2016-06-27
Topic: Macroeconomics
Neil Charles Gray (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): Earlier in his statement the Prime Minister described the financial and economic reaction to Brexit as an "adjustment". I presume that was a euphemism. Does he believe that trillions of pounds being wiped off the share value of global companies, the pound at a 31-year low, and the threat of tens of thousands of jobs moving to the continent is just an "adjustment"?
Outcome of the EU Referendum — House of Commons, 2016-06-27
Topic: International Affairs
Martin John Docherty-Hughes (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): Earlier this year, Mr Speaker, you gave me and my community the great honour of commemorating the Clydebank blitz in your own home. Since that period in 1941, NATO and what became the European Union have delivered military and economic peace and prosperity for Europe. Do not the British Government, led by this Prime Minister, agree with my community that he has delivered us from peace into unparalleled chaos?
Outcome of the EU Referendum — House of Commons, 2016-06-27
Topic: International Affairs
Stuart Blair Donaldson (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): Young people across the UK voted overwhelmingly to remain in the EU, so what specifically will the Prime Minister do to reassure and support young people now that the opportunities to live, learn and work across the EU have been taken away from them?
Points of Order — House of Commons, 2016-06-27
Topic: Macroeconomics
William Arthur Roger Mullin (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): On a point of order, Mr Speaker. This morning, the Chancellor indicated two contrary views. One was that we face great turbulence in the immediate days and weeks, and the other was that he would postpone the emergency Budget until after the Tory leadership crisis has been resolved. Much of what we face during this crisis will have an impact on the Government’s finances, including issues covered by the Finance Bill. Should we not have greater clarity before we undertake scrutiny of this Finance Bill?
Finance Bill — House of Commons, 2016-06-27
Topic: Macroeconomics
Stewart Hosie (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): We understand the argument the Government are making against a review, but given that the Minister suggests that this will save the taxpayer—or, to put it another way, cost individuals £600 million over the lifetime of this Government—will he be prepared at least to concede that should the tax yield go up dramatically, taking yet more from the self-employed and contracting community, he might want to revisit the decision he is taking today?
Finance Bill — House of Commons, 2016-06-27
Topic: Macroeconomics
William Arthur Roger Mullin (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): I rise to speak to amendment 180 and new clause 1, and to indicate our support for the Opposition on amendment 2. The hon. Member for Wolverhampton South West (Rob Marris) gave his reasoning behind amendment 2 with such typical eloquence that I have nothing of any substance to add to his remarks, other than to say that we will support the amendment when it is pressed to a vote Earlier, I raised a point of order with the Speaker, who encouraged me to say a few words at the beginning of my speech in this debate, so I hope you will indulge me, Sir Roger. We have just had an extraordinary and historic statement from the Prime Minister, in terms of the economy and Government finances, that served merely to clarify the fact that there is no clarity. We know that we face great challenges that will be relevant to much of the Bill, yet we do not know the detail of what the Treasury and its Ministers plan to do or how their actions are likely to affect the measures in the Bill.
Finance Bill — House of Commons, 2016-06-27
Topic: Labor
William Arthur Roger Mullin (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): I agree with the hon. Gentleman that it would be better for some in this community to achieve traditional forms of employment, but that is not the situation for the in excess of 1 million people in the UK who fall into this category Despite the Minister’s warm words, we intend to press new clause 1. It relates to a matter of some real import for the communities and the economy of Scotland. I have indicated that we are simply speaking to amendment 180, which we will not press, and we will support the Opposition’s amendment 2.
Finance Bill — House of Commons, 2016-06-27
Topic: Macroeconomics
Kirsty Ann Blackman (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): I shall be brief, as I know nobody wants a lengthy debate tonight. I have a couple of specific points to make about reviewing the income tax treatment of workers who provide services through intermediaries. We are asking for a review. I understand the Government’s point that they feel that their approach is sensible for the majority of workers and that it is levelling the playing field for the majority of people, but there will be unintended consequences on specific issues and in specific areas, and they are going to be a major problem We have mentioned that this will have a disproportionate impact on rural communities. That is partly because of geography, as those communities are further away and it is more difficult for people to make cheap travel arrangements to go there and for people to find reasonably priced overnight accommodation. That will have a disproportionate financial impact. We do not want specialist contractors to choose not to go to a rural community on the basis that it will disproportionately cost them money, as that will mean our rural communities will lose out; they will not have the ability to get whatever it is that needs to be done in that community because the contractor will choose to go somewhere cheaper. That is a major issue, particularly in the oil industry, as has been said, and in the whisky industry. The whisky industry may have specialist contractors that need to go to rural locations in order to do things, and we do not want those areas to be disproportionately affected.
Finance Bill — House of Commons, 2016-06-27
Topic: Government Operations
William Arthur Roger Mullin (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): The only time in my life I had to operate through an umbrella company and would have been caught by these changes was when it was at the requirement of the Government because of the way in which they had constructed a contract. Do they intend going through every Department of the UK Government to ensure they no longer contract in this way?
Finance Bill — House of Commons, 2016-06-27
Topic: Energy
Kirsty Ann Blackman (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): I rise to support amendment 183 on the changes to the climate change levy. The UK Government’s idea to have a climate change levy was admirable. It was introduced in 2001, and it has been a positive step. It is completely reasonable that companies should be made to think about their energy usage, and the best way to do that is to tax them on it. The hon. Member for Salford and Eccles (Rebecca Long Bailey) made a wide-ranging speech on a series of matters, some of which I was going to speak about, so I will curtail my speech somewhat Although reducing companies’ energy consumption and usage is a great idea, it fails to take into account the fact that some methods of generating electricity are better than others, particularly in terms of climate change. We cannot tax energy usage across the board given that energy generated from, say, onshore wind is much cleaner and better than energy generated from, say, a coal-fired power station. Those two things are very different, and it is completely reasonable to have variable tax rates for those two things The hon. Lady spoke about some of the impacts that the Government’s energy policy is having on low-carbon energy. This Government do not have a good record on supporting low-carbon energy. Their support for nuclear has been widely reported, but the situation is very difficult for companies that are innovating in providing other forms of low-carbon energy in this ever-changing climate and in the UK Government’s current policy framework It was announced in June that the Scottish Government had managed to meet their target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 2014. The target was a reduction of 42%, and it happened six years early. That was an excellent achievement for the Scottish Government and for Scotland as a whole, with everyone working together to reach it. However, it will be very difficult for us to keep up that level of achievement with the UK Government’s current energy policy. For example, there is no clarity about when there will be a new pot 1 for contracts for difference. That pot is for onshore wind, which is very important. It is very clear that onshore wind is an established technology for generating electricity cleanly, and the UK Government need to provide greater clarity about when the next CFD round for it will be With Brexit, Scotland will have a major problem in that the funding for low-carbon energy and low-carbon energy projects, particularly the groundbreaking ones, has come from the EU. I know that this is slightly outside the remit of this debate, but I would appreciate it if the UK Government looked at whether this funding will continue to be provided because we should continue to innovate in low-carbon energy in Scotland, which has massive natural resources.
Student Loan Repayments — House of Commons, 2016-06-27
Topic: Education
Patrick John Grady (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): I congratulate the hon. Lady on securing the debate. I declare an interest because, despite having graduated in 2001, I am still paying off student loans, although I fall under the old system, where the threshold is the median wage. However, that means that payments can go up or down, depending on someone’s earnings. I have paid off student debts for a while, gone back down below the median and then re-accumulated interest, which has negated the payments I previously made. However, does the hon. Lady share my concern about the Government’s continual selling-off of student loans? It seems to be a never-ending chain, and it is not entirely clear who benefits, other than the private companies that own these loans.
EU Referendum: Discussions with Business — House of Commons, 2016-09-13
Topic: Foreign Trade
Questions: Secretary of State, may I ask you whether you agree that free trade is at the heart of a prosperous economy? Will you and your Front-Bench colleagues be resisting any attempts to impose any form of protectionism when we come to negotiating future trade arrangements?; Cambridgeshire is a net contributor to the Treasury, with 20,000 businesses generating revenues of over £30 billion. As local politicians, we have had cross-party meetings with business leaders about the implications of Brexit for our local economy. Will the Secretary of State visit the Cambridge Science Park in my constituency to discuss the implications?
Callum McCaig (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): I, too, welcome the Secretary of State and his team to their positions. I agree that there are some challenges, one of which is the ballooning trade deficit that, in quarter 2 of this year, increased to £12.3 billion. This is a problem that is unlikely to be solved by withdrawal from the single market. Scotland voted to remain. Scottish business wants unhindered access to that single market. Will the Secretary of State support that, or is he in favour of the full English Brexit?
EU Referendum: Discussions with Business — House of Commons, 2016-09-13
Topic: International Affairs
Questions: Secretary of State, may I ask you whether you agree that free trade is at the heart of a prosperous economy? Will you and your Front-Bench colleagues be resisting any attempts to impose any form of protectionism when we come to negotiating future trade arrangements?; Cambridgeshire is a net contributor to the Treasury, with 20,000 businesses generating revenues of over £30 billion. As local politicians, we have had cross-party meetings with business leaders about the implications of Brexit for our local economy. Will the Secretary of State visit the Cambridge Science Park in my constituency to discuss the implications?
Callum McCaig (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): I thank the Secretary of State for that answer. The Scottish Government analysis of UK withdrawal from the European Union is that it could cost the Scottish economy at best £1.7 billion a year and at worst £11.2 billion a year. I repeat: will he make the case from his Department for continued membership of the single European market?
Hinkley Point C — House of Commons, 2016-09-13
Topic: Energy
Thomas Sheppard (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): Given that the Brexit vote has thrown the energy sector into further uncertainty and given that we know that energy from renewable sources will be cheaper than nuclear by the time Hinkley is completed, is it not now time for the UK Government to follow Scotland’s example, end this unreasonable love affair with nuclear energy and embrace cheaper, safer and more plentiful alternatives?
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2016-09-13
Topic: Energy
Questions: On Thursday, I will be chairing a panel at the enterprise, innovation and northern powerhouse conference at Huddersfield university. Does the Secretary of State agree that in developing an industrial strategy, we need to do more to win hearts and minds for big projects in the north, with more examples of regional procurement, such as the High Speed 2 college in Doncaster, and more jobs in the north, perhaps with HS2 starting from the north?; The current review of network charging for small embedded generators such as Slough Heat and Power will mean huge increases in costs for them. Is the Department determined to make energy generation the preserve of big businesses only?; As we approach European negotiations, can the Secretary of State assure me that the Government will seek to enhance and promote British strengths in financial services, science and the digital, creative, cultural and tourism sectors, which are particularly important to my constituency?; Last week, the Government committed to ratifying the Paris climate agreement. Will they commit to doing so before the next United Nations framework convention on climate change conference of parties in Morocco, so that they can play a full and leading role at that summit?; Britain is undoubtedly a world leader in scientific research. With that in mind, will my hon. Friend detail what role bioscience will play in the Government’s industrial strategy?; The Secretary of State is a thoughtful man who I believe is serious about regional growth. Will he assure me that I am right in that understanding by cancelling his predecessor’s decision to centralise his Department’s policy functions in London? Among other things, that would maintain and build on its important presence in Sheffield.; The expansion of Heathrow would create a demand for 370,000 tonnes of steel and secure 700 steel jobs, so it is not only in the interests of the UK economy more generally that we expand Heathrow but specifically in the interests of the manufacturing sector. Why do we not just get on with it, have the vote here in the Chamber and get on with the building of the third runway?; The huge Hanjin Shipping line has gone into receivership, leaving between £12 billion and £16 billion-worth of goods at sea. The inability to dock is projected to have an impact on UK retail, particularly during Christmas trading. More importantly, UK seafarers—
Ian Blackford (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): Does the Minister accept that the changes to subsidy for the biomass combined heat and power plants have been brought in too quickly, and that a longer grace period should have been granted before implementation? BSW Timber in my constituency, which is doing what the Government want by investing in renewable technology, stands to lose up to £3 million in support. Will the Minister meet me to discuss these changes and talk about what—
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2016-09-13
Topic: Energy
Questions: On Thursday, I will be chairing a panel at the enterprise, innovation and northern powerhouse conference at Huddersfield university. Does the Secretary of State agree that in developing an industrial strategy, we need to do more to win hearts and minds for big projects in the north, with more examples of regional procurement, such as the High Speed 2 college in Doncaster, and more jobs in the north, perhaps with HS2 starting from the north?; The current review of network charging for small embedded generators such as Slough Heat and Power will mean huge increases in costs for them. Is the Department determined to make energy generation the preserve of big businesses only?; As we approach European negotiations, can the Secretary of State assure me that the Government will seek to enhance and promote British strengths in financial services, science and the digital, creative, cultural and tourism sectors, which are particularly important to my constituency?; Last week, the Government committed to ratifying the Paris climate agreement. Will they commit to doing so before the next United Nations framework convention on climate change conference of parties in Morocco, so that they can play a full and leading role at that summit?; Britain is undoubtedly a world leader in scientific research. With that in mind, will my hon. Friend detail what role bioscience will play in the Government’s industrial strategy?; The Secretary of State is a thoughtful man who I believe is serious about regional growth. Will he assure me that I am right in that understanding by cancelling his predecessor’s decision to centralise his Department’s policy functions in London? Among other things, that would maintain and build on its important presence in Sheffield.; The expansion of Heathrow would create a demand for 370,000 tonnes of steel and secure 700 steel jobs, so it is not only in the interests of the UK economy more generally that we expand Heathrow but specifically in the interests of the manufacturing sector. Why do we not just get on with it, have the vote here in the Chamber and get on with the building of the third runway?; The huge Hanjin Shipping line has gone into receivership, leaving between £12 billion and £16 billion-worth of goods at sea. The inability to dock is projected to have an impact on UK retail, particularly during Christmas trading. More importantly, UK seafarers—
Hannah Mary Bardell (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): I welcome the Secretary of State to his place, as I do my hon. Friend the Member for Aberdeen South (Callum McCaig), who I know will be a doughty champion for his new brief A new report from Professor Alex Kemp of Aberdeen University suggests that the re-engineering of the UK continental shelf fiscal regime may be necessary before we can reach the North sea’s full potential. What further support will the Government offer the oil and gas sector in the autumn statement?
Digital Economy Bill — House of Commons, 2016-09-13
Topic: Technology
Calum Robert Kerr (Scottish National Party, Centre-left): I welcome the opportunity to speak about such an important Bill, which contains several measures that SNP Members welcome. We welcome long overdue changes in provisions such as the electronic communications code, moves towards greater consumer protections, and steps that are designed to promote more connectivity. However, I know I am not alone in thinking that the Bill’s title is a bit of a misnomer. At a time when the British economy, with its woeful record on productivity, is crying out for a vision to ride the wave of technological change, we have a Bill that is somewhat cobbled together, and is vague and unambitious. Although it contains several welcome measures, it offers little in the way of direction or strategy. The Conservative manifesto pledged to make the United Kingdom a world leader in digital provision—a place where technology would ceaselessly transform the economy, society and government. I ask all Members to consider whether the Bill really lives up to that vision We really should contemplate the remarkable next phase of the information revolution. Phenomenal access speeds through fibre and 5G will allow us to realise the potential that is the internet of things. If we get this right and make the most of these opportunities, technology truly can power our economy. In Scotland, the moves that we are making on that front are strong and unequivocal. The SNP is committed to a manifesto pledge of 100% superfast connectivity. We do not see any reason why connectivity—which is of even greater significance in a country like Scotland, which has a low population density—should be determined on the basis of whether people live in rural or urban areas.