argyrotsipi/train-dataset huggingface dataset:
National Debt — House of Commons, 2017-07-18
Topic: Macroeconomics
Philip Hammond (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Gentleman will know—I say that, but perhaps he will not—that public sector net debt will continue to grow until the deficit is eliminated. That is a simple arithmetic fact. His Government pushed our deficit up to almost 10% of GDP, and we have spent the past seven years getting it down to 2.4% of GDP. We will carry on getting the deficit down so that this country’s public finances get back into balance. We are a responsible Government, planning for Britain’s future.
Infrastructure: Private Sector Investment — House of Commons, 2017-07-18
Topic: Transportation
Andrew Hanson Jones (Conservative, Centre-right): I simply do not recognise what the hon. Gentleman says; investment in our infrastructure is at a record high. We are seeing investment in roads, rail and south-east air capacity—in all modes of transport. The point is how we deliver that investment, and it is a combination of public and private. He is clearly right to champion the requirement for infrastructure in his area and to highlight its impact on the economy, but to say we are not doing anything is just factually wrong.
Infrastructure: Private Sector Investment — House of Commons, 2017-07-18
Topic: Transportation
Robert James MacGillivray Neill (Conservative, Centre-right): One disincentive for the private sector to invest in infrastructure is the delay that sometimes occurs in bringing major projects through to completion and commencement. The private sector is already committed to making a significant contribution to the funding package for Crossrail, but we have been waiting since March for a decision to take it forward. Will the Minister do all he can, across government, to speed up that regional and national infrastructure project?
Infrastructure: Private Sector Investment — House of Commons, 2017-07-18
Topic: Transportation
Andrew Hanson Jones (Conservative, Centre-right): I see significant merits in Crossrail 2, just as I see them in northern powerhouse rail and projects right across our country. I will of course take on board my hon. Friend’s point and relay it to the Transport Secretary.
Infrastructure: Government Investment — House of Commons, 2017-07-18
Topic: Macroeconomics
Andrew Hanson Jones (Conservative, Centre-right): Infrastructure is at the heart of this Government’s economic strategy, and our investments will boost productivity and growth. Since 2010, more than a quarter of a trillion pounds has been invested by the public and private sectors, about 3,000 individual projects have been completed, we have almost completed Crossrail, and more than 4 million homes accessed superfast broadband for the first time.
Infrastructure: Government Investment — House of Commons, 2017-07-18
Topic: Technology
Victoria Grace Ford (Conservative, Centre-right): Nearly 100 years ago, the world’s first radio broadcast was sent out from Britain—from Chelmsford. Does my hon. Friend agree that the digital infrastructure investment fund will give a massive boost to fibre and superfast broadband so that the UK can continue to lead the world in the digital and communications sectors?
Infrastructure: Government Investment — House of Commons, 2017-07-18
Topic: Technology
Andrew Hanson Jones (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank my hon. Friend for that question. I have just learned something about Chelmsford and its history in the development of our digital and radio infrastructure. The investment will boost Britain’s internet, making it more reliable and consistent and easier for people to live and work more flexibly, which will of course boost productivity right across the UK. Fibre is the technology of the future, just as radio was 100 years ago, and this fund will significantly assist small and medium-sized enterprises with capital to roll it out, with both Chelmsford and the UK benefiting.
Infrastructure: Government Investment — House of Commons, 2017-07-18
Topic: Transportation
Miriam Jane Alice Davies (Conservative, Centre-right): Investment and infrastructure projects are absolutely key to keeping our nation moving. As the Minister knows, Chickenhall link road and Botley bypass in my constituency were helped to do just that and to improve the quality of life of my constituents. I welcome road funding through the national productivity investment fund. Will Ministers meet me to discuss the delivery of those projects, which will affect my constituency in Eastleigh?
Infrastructure: Government Investment — House of Commons, 2017-07-18
Topic: Transportation
Andrew Hanson Jones (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend is a great champion for her constituency and for these projects. I have absolutely no doubt about the importance of them locally. If nothing else, we have met on the subject a number of times, and she is very tenacious. These projects not only open up opportunities for development, but help to relieve the congestion in the heart of her constituency. I will of course ensure that she meets the Transport team as soon as possible to progress those projects.
Infrastructure: Government Investment — House of Commons, 2017-07-18
Topic: Transportation
Andrew Hanson Jones (Conservative, Centre-right): The efficiency in the way that we deliver our infrastructure is a critical consideration when the Government are putting in so much money to transform our infrastructure. The points that the hon. Gentleman makes about Network Rail will have been heard by my hon. Friends in the Transport team, and I will highlight his comments to them.
Corporation Tax — House of Commons, 2017-07-18
Topic: Macroeconomics
Questions: What assessment he has made of how to balance the needs of (a) business and (b) the Exchequer in setting the corporation tax rate.
Melvyn John Stride (Conservative, Centre-right): This Government believe in a tax regime that is fair and competitive. Since 2010, we have reduced the headline corporation tax rate from 28% to 19%, allowing companies, big and small, to invest in expanding their business, boost wages, create jobs and lower prices. Onshore corporation tax receipts have also increased by over 50% despite the rate being lowered.
Corporation Tax — House of Commons, 2017-07-18
Topic: Macroeconomics
Questions: What assessment he has made of how to balance the needs of (a) business and (b) the Exchequer in setting the corporation tax rate.
Melvyn John Stride (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend is entirely right. It is important to remember that the burden of corporation tax does not just fall on shareholders. If we were to follow Labour’s policy of increasing corporation tax, we would see less investment, lower growth, lower productivity and, as the Institute for Fiscal Studies has said, lower wages and indeed higher prices.
Corporation Tax — House of Commons, 2017-07-18
Topic: Macroeconomics
Questions: What assessment he has made of how to balance the needs of (a) business and (b) the Exchequer in setting the corporation tax rate.
Melvyn John Stride (Conservative, Centre-right): This Government have done a great deal in terms of providing business rate reliefs, which were announced in previous Budgets and are, I think, well known to the House. There will be more to come on that in the Finance Bill.
Corporation Tax — House of Commons, 2017-07-18
Topic: Macroeconomics
Questions: What assessment he has made of how to balance the needs of (a) business and (b) the Exchequer in setting the corporation tax rate.
Melvyn John Stride (Conservative, Centre-right): This is an important point. As the corporation tax rate has decreased to 19%—it will go down further to 17%—we have seen a 50% increase in the take, which is an amount in the order of £18 billion.
Corporation Tax — House of Commons, 2017-07-18
Topic: Macroeconomics
Questions: What assessment he has made of how to balance the needs of (a) business and (b) the Exchequer in setting the corporation tax rate.
Melvyn John Stride (Conservative, Centre-right): We have seen a huge increase in employment in this country to a record level, and a record drop in unemployment to the lowest level since the mid-1970s. A lot of that has been driven by business. If the hon. Lady is seriously suggesting that the recipe for increasing the confidence of business is putting up its corporation tax to 26%, she has, I am afraid, missed the point.
Economic Growth — House of Commons, 2017-07-18
Topic: Macroeconomics
Philip Hammond (Conservative, Centre-right): Short-term indicators of growth are volatile. Quarterly growth was 0.2% in the first quarter of this year, but this followed strong growth of 0.7% in the quarter before. The underlying economy is robust, thanks to record employment levels. Although a recent rise in inflation, caused mainly by the depreciation of sterling last year, may temporarily dampen consumer spending—today’s inflation figure for June is a little lower at 2.6%—there are signs from surveys of business that export orders and business investment intentions are up.
Economic Growth — House of Commons, 2017-07-18
Topic: Macroeconomics
Nicky Morgan (Conservative, Centre-right): Thank you, Mr Speaker. Would the Chancellor not agree that a growing economy is necessary to pay for our essential public services? The Office for Budget Responsibility’s "Fiscal risks report", which has already been referred to, says that "governments should expect nasty fiscal surprises from time to time"— I am not referring to the shadow Chancellor there—and "plan accordingly", but this Government also have to manage the uncertainties posed by Brexit. Should not a responsible Government not worsen uncertainties and risks by the decisions that they take?
Economic Growth — House of Commons, 2017-07-18
Topic: Macroeconomics
Philip Hammond (Conservative, Centre-right): Let me first congratulate my right hon. Friend; it was remiss of me not to do so in my first answer. I very much welcome her to her role on the Treasury Committee, and I look forward to being grilled or toasted by her, or whatever the correct expression is. She is of course exactly right: the only way to build resilience into the economy is to have strong public finances, and the only way to have a sustainably growing standard of living is to have rising productivity over the medium and long term, and that is what the Government’s policy is focused towards.
Economic Growth — House of Commons, 2017-07-18
Topic: Macroeconomics
Andrew Campbell Bowie (Conservative, Centre-right): These are obviously still worrying times for many in north-east Scotland, with the continued low oil price still causing concern, but does my right hon. Friend agree that the strength of the United Kingdom’s economy, now the second highest growing in the G7, has enabled this Government to provide over £2.6 billion of support to the industry, securing jobs in West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine?
Economic Growth — House of Commons, 2017-07-18
Topic: Energy
Philip Hammond (Conservative, Centre-right): Yes. The UK oil and gas sector has made a huge contribution to the UK economy, having paid over £330 billion in total in production taxes to date, and supporting over 300,000 jobs. In the next phase of the life of the North sea basin, as many fields come towards the end of their life, we are working with the industry to ensure that we extract every drop of oil and gas that it is economic to extract, that we enable decommissioning, and enable end-of-life fields to be operated in the most effective way.
Economic Growth — House of Commons, 2017-07-18
Topic: Foreign Trade
Questions: Much of the growth is due to the fact that we are spending more on imports, due to the low cost of the pound. The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics reveal that our trade in goods deficit has risen by £2.6 billion over the past quarter and now stands at a staggering £34.4 billion. Does not the extra cost of imports have an impact on the cost of our exports and affect our productivity?
Philip Hammond (Conservative, Centre-right): As I am sure the hon. Gentleman will know, the short-run effect of a depreciation in sterling would be expected to be a decline in our trade balance performance as we suck in more expensive imports, in sterling terms. But over time the economy will adjust—there are signs that this is happening now—with exporters increasing their output to take advantage of weaker sterling and their greater competitiveness in international markets, and indeed not just exporters, but those who would substitute imported products with domestically produced products, which is often the best way forward for smaller companies.
Economic Growth — House of Commons, 2017-07-18
Topic: Macroeconomics
Questions: Much of the growth is due to the fact that we are spending more on imports, due to the low cost of the pound. The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics reveal that our trade in goods deficit has risen by £2.6 billion over the past quarter and now stands at a staggering £34.4 billion. Does not the extra cost of imports have an impact on the cost of our exports and affect our productivity?
Philip Hammond (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Gentleman is exactly right; those who talk the economy and its prospects down are not doing the country any favours. It is not about borrowing more or taxing more; it is about growing our economy faster and increasing productivity so that we can have sustainable jobs and economic growth that produces the taxation to support our public services as well as rising living standards for our population.
Youth Unemployment — House of Commons, 2017-07-18
Topic: Labor
Luke Patrick Graham (Conservative, Centre-right): Although I welcome the record unemployment figures that the Minister has given this morning, youth unemployment is still higher in my constituency and in Scotland than the UK average, so will he work with me and others across the House to encourage more investment in my constituency and in Scotland as a whole?
Youth Unemployment — House of Commons, 2017-07-18
Topic: Social Welfare
Stephen Paul Barclay (Conservative, Centre-right): I will be very happy to work with my hon. Friend, because we recognise that work is the best route out of poverty. Indeed, unemployed households are 13 times more likely to be in relative poverty than those with people in full-time work.
Youth Unemployment — House of Commons, 2017-07-18
Topic: Labor
Stephen Paul Barclay (Conservative, Centre-right): We can see the effects, were we to follow the hon. Lady’s policy, by looking at youth unemployment rates elsewhere in Europe. In Greece it is 45.9%, and even in France it is 22%. The best way of addressing poverty is by keeping young people in work.
Youth Unemployment — House of Commons, 2017-07-18
Topic: Technology
Questions: Government investment in Cheltenham’s cyber-accelerator since 2015 is now yielding results, with numerous cyber start-ups benefiting from local mentoring from experts at GCHQ. Does my hon. Friend agree that mobilising the UK’s sovereign expertise in areas such as cyber boosts jobs for young people and opportunity in places such as Cheltenham?
Andrew Hanson Jones (Conservative, Centre-right): The GCHQ cyber-accelerator in Cheltenham is part of the Government’s £1.9 billion cyber-security strategy. It allows business start-ups to gain access to GCHQ’s world-class personnel and expertise, and the accelerator helps these businesses to expand, contributing to jobs and opportunities, including in Cheltenham, and it makes the UK a safer place online. I know that my hon. Friend has worked very hard on this for a considerable period of time. He makes an important point as he speaks up for his constituency, and how it is leading in the UK and across the world.
Rooftop Solar — House of Commons, 2017-07-18
Topic: Energy
Andrew Hanson Jones (Conservative, Centre-right): Immaculate parliamentary manners, but not immaculate parliamentary procedure—sorry about that, Mr Speaker; I thought we had moved on from that question Solar is a UK success story. In 2013, solar capacity was expected to reach between 10 and 12 GW by 2020; we now expect Government support to bring forward about 13 GW by then. Feed-in tariffs provide an incentive for businesses to invest in rooftop solar.
Rooftop Solar — House of Commons, 2017-07-18
Topic: Energy
Andrew Hanson Jones (Conservative, Centre-right): The Government are continuing to support the take-up of solar panels through business rates by maintaining the exemption for new installations of solar power generating less than 50 kilowatts of power; of course, we also have all the transitional relief schemes and the cut in business rates announced in the Budget last year, which cost nearly £9 billion. The Government have listened to the voice from solar. We are keen to see progress on solar, and these schemes will help that.
Rooftop Solar — House of Commons, 2017-07-18
Topic: Energy
Jacob William Rees-Mogg (Conservative, Centre-right): Will not the roll-out of solar panels be greatly helped by Brexit, when the very high tariffs imposed on cheaper Chinese photovoltaic cells are removed and we will no longer be protecting the inefficient German industry?
Rooftop Solar — House of Commons, 2017-07-18
Topic: Energy
Andrew Hanson Jones (Conservative, Centre-right): I thought my hon. Friend was going to say that the sun may be shining more brightly post-Brexit. We are very keen to see the progress of solar as well as all other renewables. We will have to see what happens with pricing, but the key thing is that we will be supporting solar, as it is a key part of our power mix for the future.
Rooftop Solar — House of Commons, 2017-07-18
Topic: Energy
Andrew Hanson Jones (Conservative, Centre-right): The support for solar comes directly from people’s bills. When the costs of installation and generation come down, through efficiencies and economies of scale and production, so should support. We are taking steps to control the cost of support schemes and putting solar on the path to delivery without subsidy.
Tax Avoidance and Evasion — House of Commons, 2017-07-18
Topic: Macroeconomics
Melvyn John Stride (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Lady asks if enough is being done to clamp down on tax avoidance. I can assure her that it certainly is. Since 2010, we have raised £160 billion by way of clamping down on exactly those behaviours. In the forthcoming Finance Bill there will be further measures to make sure that over the scorecard period we are bringing in between £7 billion and £8 billion in addition, in corporate tax avoidance measures.
Tax Avoidance and Evasion — House of Commons, 2017-07-18
Topic: Macroeconomics
Robert Alexander Courts (Conservative, Centre-right): Will the Minister confirm that due to steps taken by this Government, the top 1% of people now pay 27% of income tax, and that that is a higher proportion than under the previous Labour Government?
Tax Avoidance and Evasion — House of Commons, 2017-07-18
Topic: Macroeconomics
Melvyn John Stride (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend is entirely right. The Labour party would constantly have us believe that somehow we are being soft on the wealthy and hard on the less well-off when the precise opposite is true. The top 1% pay over 27% of tax, and the wealthiest 3,000 people in our country pay as much as the poorest 9 million. Under Labour, the poor paid more tax relative to the wealthy, not less. No wonder that under our policies income inequality is at a 30-year low.
Income Tax/National Insurance — House of Commons, 2017-07-18
Topic: Macroeconomics
Melvyn John Stride (Conservative, Centre-right): The Government are committed to simplifying the tax system. In 2015, we asked the Office of Tax Simplification to provide an independent assessment of the alignment of income tax and national insurance contributions. We have already taken action in a number of places highlighted by the report. However, alignment now would cause significant upheaval for millions. Now is not the right time for further reform in this area.
Income Tax/National Insurance — House of Commons, 2017-07-18
Topic: Macroeconomics
Neil Quentin Gordon Parish (Conservative, Centre-right): I welcome my right hon. Friend to his new ministerial role. Last year the Office of Tax Simplification said that bringing national insurance and income tax closer together would create a simpler and fairer system for business and taxpayers. As national insurance and income tax revenues go into the same pot, would it not be simpler and clearer to merge the two and have one single income tax?
Income Tax/National Insurance — House of Commons, 2017-07-18
Topic: Macroeconomics
Melvyn John Stride (Conservative, Centre-right): As I said, we recognise the value of merging national insurance and income tax where that is practical and achievable, and there are some measures coming up in the Bills in the autumn that will address that in certain circumstances, but to do it right across the piece at this stage is perhaps a long-term aspiration rather than one we will be addressing in the short term.
Income Tax/National Insurance — House of Commons, 2017-07-18
Topic: Macroeconomics
Melvyn John Stride (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Gentleman needs to recognise that national insurance and income tax function in different ways and have different roles in the tax system. We have one of the most progressive tax systems in the entire country. If we look at, for example, those earning above—[Interruption.] Well, by raising the personal tax allowance we have taken 3 million to 4 million people out of income tax altogether. For those earning over £100,000, where we removed the allowance, that, plus national insurance, means that the marginal rates are up to 62% at that level of income.
Public Sector Pay — House of Commons, 2017-07-18
Topic: Labor
Elizabeth Mary Truss (Conservative, Centre-right): We do take notice of what the independent pay review bodies say. We have just approved the recommendations of the teachers pay review body and of the nurses pay review body. Listening to their recommendations, the pay review body for the NHS said: "We do not see significant short-term nationwide recruitment and retention issues that are linked to pay." We followed that advice and gave the pay accordingly.
Public Sector Pay — House of Commons, 2017-07-18
Topic: Macroeconomics
Alan Mak (Conservative, Centre-right): Increases in the tax-free personal allowance since 2010 have put £1,000 into the pocket of each basic rate taxpayer, including those who work across the public sector. Will the Chief Secretary continue to help public sector workers to keep the money they earn, through lower taxes?
Public Sector Pay — House of Commons, 2017-07-18
Topic: Macroeconomics
Elizabeth Mary Truss (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend is absolutely right. The worst thing that we could do is to support the Labour party’s policies, which would, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies, lead to the highest levels of taxation in peacetime history.
Public Sector Pay — House of Commons, 2017-07-18
Topic: Labor
Questions: I think the Treasury response today to the questions about the 1% pay cap are profoundly disappointing. This is the single biggest thing ensuring that inflation erodes living standards. It is impoverishing workers, and it is driving up consumer debt. When will the Treasury agree with the Foreign Secretary that the time has come to end this cap?
Elizabeth Mary Truss (Conservative, Centre-right): I point out to the hon. Gentleman that, in fact, teachers have seen a 3% pay rise, many nurses get progression pay and people in the armed forces get an X-factor supplement that is worth 2.4% a year. Their salaries are in line with private sector salaries. It would be wrong to have a significant differential between the public and private sectors, because we need businesses to thrive in addition to having well-funded public services.