argyrotsipi/train-dataset huggingface dataset:
Leaving the EU: Business Consultation — House of Commons, 2017-06-27
Topic: Energy
Gregory David Clark (Conservative, Centre-right): I will indeed. My hon. Friend is a great champion of the sector. In our negotiations, we want to ensure that we can continue these successful collaborations, as well as making further investment in the future of research through our industrial strategy. The House may be interested to know that I can announce today that the Government’s commitment to underwrite the UK’s fair share for the Joint European Torus costs—the leading nuclear fusion facility in Oxfordshire, supporting 1,300 jobs—will be made. The facility is funded through a contract between the European Commission and the UK Atomic Energy Authority. In making this commitment, the Government hope to provide the certainty and reassurance needed for a mutually beneficial extension of the contract.
Leaving the EU: Business Consultation — House of Commons, 2017-06-27
Topic: Foreign Trade
Gregory David Clark (Conservative, Centre-right): I have always been clear, as have the Government, that we want not only no tariffs, but no bureaucratic impediments of the type described by the hon. Lady. That is one of the objectives set out by the business organisations. As she knows, the negotiations have just started, but we are clear that that is our objective.
Leaving the EU: Business Consultation — House of Commons, 2017-06-27
Topic: International Affairs
Gregory David Clark (Conservative, Centre-right): I am sure that my hon. Friend will be an assiduous contributor to the scrutiny of the repeal Bill. The approach is to transfer into UK law that which was part of EU law precisely so that this House can scrutinise and consider what should be continued.
Electric Cars — House of Commons, 2017-06-27
Topic: Energy
Questions: What steps he is taking to ensure that the electric grid is able to support the charging of the number of electric cars estimated to be in use by 2020.
Claire Louise Perry (Conservative, Centre-right): I congratulate my hon. Friend on his pathfinding work in this area. I understand he is a proud owner of a Nissan Leaf—an electric vehicle made in the UK. He will therefore know that this is an exceptionally important point for us. I am very proud of the Government’s ambition for almost all cars on our roads to be zero-emissions by 2050, and also of our success in positioning the UK as a leading destination for the manufacture of and research into these vehicles. He will be reassured to know that good progress is being made with grid-readiness, and the upcoming smart systems plan and the automated and electric vehicles Bill will ensure that electric vehicle demands are managed efficiently, and the roll-out of electric vehicles is accelerated.
Electric Cars — House of Commons, 2017-06-27
Topic: Energy
Questions: What steps he is taking to ensure that the electric grid is able to support the charging of the number of electric cars estimated to be in use by 2020.
Jeremy John Elton Lefroy (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank the Minister for her response, and I am glad to hear that, because a study of the impact of electric vehicles on the UK’s distribution network has estimated that "voltage imbalances, coupled with overloaded distribution transformers could…impair power lines." How quickly can we have a report on that, given that the usage of such vehicles is likely to rise substantially in the coming years?
Electric Cars — House of Commons, 2017-06-27
Topic: Energy
Questions: What steps he is taking to ensure that the electric grid is able to support the charging of the number of electric cars estimated to be in use by 2020.
Claire Louise Perry (Conservative, Centre-right): I think my hon. Friend is right. With policies to really accelerate the usage of electric vehicles, this is a critical thing. He will know that Ofgem has approved business plans for the local network companies, which already bake in billions of pounds of investment, to ensure that the expected demands on the grid can be met. But, equally, it is not just about raw investment in cables; it is actually about changing consumers’ behaviour to ensure they can charge their vehicles at a time that puts least demand on the grid and perhaps saves them money. I refer back to our plan and to the Bill, which will enable smart charging and help people to charge their vehicles at a time when it puts least demand on the network.
Electric Cars — House of Commons, 2017-06-27
Topic: Transportation
Questions: What steps he is taking to ensure that the electric grid is able to support the charging of the number of electric cars estimated to be in use by 2020.
Claire Louise Perry (Conservative, Centre-right): I would define seeing you in an electric vehicle, Mr Speaker, as a success in my new role. We can have a conversation afterwards The hon. Gentleman will know that I think that upgrading our rail and road networks is one way to reduce congestion on the roads and to open up business opportunities and create potential new capacity for things such as electric rail freight, which has been severely neglected by successive Governments over many years. That is why we want to position ourselves not only as a leading manufacturer of electric vehicles—one in five electric vehicles sold in the EU are made in Britain—but as a hub for innovation. We are putting millions of pounds into innovation studies and research, to see how those new technologies can work together to ultimately achieve the aim of zero emissions by 2050.
Electric Cars — House of Commons, 2017-06-27
Topic: Energy
Questions: What steps he is taking to ensure that the electric grid is able to support the charging of the number of electric cars estimated to be in use by 2020.
Claire Louise Perry (Conservative, Centre-right): As the hon. Gentleman knows, I like to do these things seriously. We are already funding pilots to see how peer-to-peer exchange of power can work, and how further to improve community generation and storage of energy.
Thames Gateway: SMEs — House of Commons, 2017-06-27
Topic: Transportation
Gareth Alan Johnson (Conservative, Centre-right): The lack of connectivity between Kent and Essex frustrates commerce between those two counties. The lower Thames crossing will help with that, but it will take some years for it to be built. Will the Minister use that time to work with local businesses in the area to unlock its huge potential, which has yet to be fully realised?
Gas Storage Facilities — House of Commons, 2017-06-27
Topic: Energy
Richard Harrington (Conservative, Centre-right): There has been significant investment in the UK’s natural gas supply infrastructure over the past decade. It is highly complex, because we benefit from highly diverse and flexible sources of natural gas. They include: indigenous production from the North sea; six international gas pipelines with Norway, Belgium and the Netherlands; three liquefied natural gas terminals that can bring supply from anywhere in the world; and a number of modern, responsive gas storage facilities. We are confident that market-led investment will continue to deliver secure gas supplies, but I will continue to monitor the position.
Business Confidence — House of Commons, 2017-06-27
Topic: Macroeconomics
Gregory David Clark (Conservative, Centre-right): The industrial strategy Green Paper was launched on 23 January and has been warmly received across the country. We have received over 1,900 responses to the consultation, with respondents from every part of the United Kingdom. I look forward to taking our modern industrial strategy forward, with the involvement of all Members of this House, in the months ahead.
Business Confidence — House of Commons, 2017-06-27
Topic: Labor
Gregory David Clark (Conservative, Centre-right): Of course we want to avoid industrial action. I am not aware of the particular circumstances, but I am very happy to meet the hon. Gentleman so he can inform me of them in more detail.
Business Confidence — House of Commons, 2017-06-27
Topic: Government Operations
Gregory David Clark (Conservative, Centre-right): I am very surprised to hear that question from the right hon. Gentleman. Of all the people in this House, he was a great proponent of a city deal and a devolution deal for Birmingham and the west midlands, the value of which is over £1 billion. Looking around the Chamber, there are many Opposition Members who have made precisely such a case that we should invest in areas of the country, outside of national programmes. It seems to me to be reasonable to continue that programme.
Business Confidence — House of Commons, 2017-06-27
Topic: Labor
Mark Julian Francis Pawsey (Conservative, Centre-right): I took soundings from small businesses in Rugby at a small business expo run by the Federation of Small Businesses on Friday. Their single biggest concern related to the recruitment of staff, in that the skills they are looking for often are not available among local jobseekers. Given those instances, will the Secretary of State reassure us about the training of young people and the ability to recruit staff from the EU moving forward?
Business Confidence — House of Commons, 2017-06-27
Topic: Education
Gregory David Clark (Conservative, Centre-right): I will indeed. One of the big findings, which has been reinforced by the consultation on the industrial strategy, is that we need to ramp up the level of skills and technical education and training in this country. We will respond to the consultation in the weeks ahead, but my hon. Friend can rest assured that that will be one of its key pillars.
Business Confidence — House of Commons, 2017-06-27
Topic: Macroeconomics
Gregory David Clark (Conservative, Centre-right): I do indeed. Having visited Cannock Chase with my hon. Friend, I know that she is a great champion of the businesses there. It is fair to reflect that the confidence of manufacturers and employers in other sectors is high. As the CBI attested this week, it is high across the country, including in Cannock Chase.
Euratom Treaty — House of Commons, 2017-06-27
Topic: Energy
Questions: What discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues and other key stakeholders on the potential effect of the UK leaving the Euratom treaty on energy suppliers and on the availability of radioisotopes for the NHS.
Jo Johnson (Conservative, Centre-right): We have discussed the UK’s exit from Euratom across the Government and with key stakeholders. Our objective is to ensure that leaving Euratom has no adverse impact on energy suppliers or on our international commitments on nuclear non-proliferation. Medical radioisotopes are not special fissile nuclear material, and are not subject to international nuclear safeguards. Therefore, their availability should not be impacted by the UK’s exit from Euratom. As the hon. Lady will have seen, the Queen’s Speech announced the Government’s intention to legislate to establish a domestic nuclear safeguards regime.
Euratom Treaty — House of Commons, 2017-06-27
Topic: Energy
Questions: What discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues and other key stakeholders on the potential effect of the UK leaving the Euratom treaty on energy suppliers and on the availability of radioisotopes for the NHS.
Jo Johnson (Conservative, Centre-right): I should have welcomed the hon. Lady to her place in the House. Our objective in these proceedings is clear: we want to maintain the UK’s leading role as a responsible nuclear state, with world-leading nuclear research and development and a flourishing nuclear power industry. We will establish a regime that ensures that nothing changes in that regard as we leave Euratom.
Zero-hours Contracts — House of Commons, 2017-06-27
Topic: Labor
Margot Cathleen James (Conservative, Centre-right): I welcome the hon. Gentleman to the House, along with the considerable expertise he brings on labour market issues from his former employment Zero-hours contracts allow people to access the labour market who cannot or do not want to commit to standard, regular work. The Government recognise the concerns about employers who may be breaching the rules or otherwise exploiting their position. We want to make sure that everyone is paid properly and receives the employment rights to which they are entitled.
Zero-hours Contracts — House of Commons, 2017-06-27
Topic: Labor
Margot Cathleen James (Conservative, Centre-right): The Government believe that people are entitled to be treated fairly at work, regardless of what type of contract they have with the company for which they work. The Prime Minister commissioned Matthew Taylor to undertake a review of the rights of employees. He will report on the ways in which employment regulations need to keep pace with changes in the labour market very shortly.
Zero-hours Contracts — House of Commons, 2017-06-27
Topic: Labor
Margot Cathleen James (Conservative, Centre-right): Employment tribunals are a matter for the Ministry of Justice, but I am in discussions with it over the review of employment tribunals that it has undertaken and we keep a watching brief on the matters the hon. Lady raises.
Zero-hours Contracts — House of Commons, 2017-06-27
Topic: Labor
Margot Cathleen James (Conservative, Centre-right): I think we should have perspective on these matters, because less than 3% of the UK workforce are actually on zero-hours contracts, and according to the most recent research 70% of those people are content with the number of hours they are working. I do accept the hon. Gentleman’s point about his constituent, however, and that is precisely the scenario that Matthew Taylor has reviewed and will report on very soon.
Leaving the EU: Small Businesses — House of Commons, 2017-06-27
Topic: Foreign Trade
Margot Cathleen James (Conservative, Centre-right): The Government are committed to negotiating a full and open trade agreement with the European Union on our departure. As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State said earlier, we are aiming for a situation in which no tariffs are applied to SMEs that export into the single market and there is no unnecessary bureaucracy.
Leaving the EU: Small Businesses — House of Commons, 2017-06-27
Topic: Foreign Trade
Margot Cathleen James (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Gentleman’s points are valid, but they are part of the ongoing negotiations, which, as he knows, have some way to go. However, we are defending our position as the No. 1 destination for foreign direct investment, and we will ensure that SMEs have a strong position in global supply chains into the future.
Energy Price Cap — House of Commons, 2017-06-27
Topic: Energy
Gregory David Clark (Conservative, Centre-right): I welcome the hon. Lady to the House; she follows a distinguished predecessor. I would perhaps invite her to reflect on her own party’s history in this matter—the former Leader of the Opposition was the Energy Secretary and failed to do anything whatever about it. I have been clear about the commitment that we have made, and we will see it through.
Energy Price Cap — House of Commons, 2017-06-27
Topic: Energy
Gregory David Clark (Conservative, Centre-right): I welcome the hon. Gentleman back. What he describes as an energy price cap was launched as an energy price freeze. The problem with that was that as energy prices fell, consumers would be paying more than they needed to. That would have been disastrous for them, which is why the proposal that we have made, in response to the Competition and Markets Authority analysis, is a much more sensible approach than we got from Labour.
Energy Price Cap — House of Commons, 2017-06-27
Topic: Energy
Gregory David Clark (Conservative, Centre-right): I welcome the hon. Lady back. It is very good to see her back in her place. I did not hear her name chanted at Glastonbury and it is probably unparliamentary to do it here, but I warmly welcome her back. I have been very clear and the Queen’s Speech is very clear. It said, in terms: "My government will ensure fairer markets for consumers, this will include bringing forward measures to help tackle unfair practices in the energy market to…reduce energy bills."
Industrial Strategy — House of Commons, 2017-06-27
Topic: Macroeconomics
Gregory David Clark (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Lady knows as well as anyone in this House the commitment that this Government, and I in particular, have made to devolving funds to Hull and the Humber. They have benefited considerably, first from a city deal and then from a growth deal. That has contributed to the increased prosperity in her city, which I would have thought she would welcome.
Industrial Strategy — House of Commons, 2017-06-27
Topic: Government Operations
Gregory David Clark (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend is absolutely right. One of the aspects of the progress made around the Humber is the close working relationships that have been established by businesses and council leaders north and south of the Humber with the Government. I look forward to visiting the area again—I am a regular visitor—so that we can have further devolution of funds and powers there
Industrial Strategy — House of Commons, 2017-06-27
Topic: Agriculture
Gregory David Clark (Conservative, Centre-right): I should be very happy to do that. Nestlé is, of course, a major employer, and there is a cluster of food and drink and agriculture businesses in and around York. It has been identified in the industrial strategy as an area of real potential, and I look forward to working with the hon. Lady to realise that potential.
Industrial Strategy — House of Commons, 2017-06-27
Topic: Education
Gregory David Clark (Conservative, Centre-right): I will indeed. As I said in an earlier answer, the importance of upgrading our skills education is vital in all parts of the country, including Torbay, and institutes of technology are a way of making sure that industries can benefit from the particular skills that they need.
Industrial Strategy — House of Commons, 2017-06-27
Topic: Macroeconomics
Gregory David Clark (Conservative, Centre-right): Again, that was a disappointing response. The hon. Lady knows, and the leaders of her local councils know, how important initiatives such as the city deal and the growth deal have been in the north-east. If she looks around the country, she will see that, whereas in past years most jobs were created in London and the south-east, that situation has been transformed, and the north-east of England is one of the areas that have created jobs at a more rapid rate than anywhere else in the country. She should commend that development.
Carbon Reduction Plan — House of Commons, 2017-06-27
Topic: Environment
Claire Louise Perry (Conservative, Centre-right): I welcome the hon. Lady to her new job. I also have a new job, and, since taking on the role I have been incredibly impressed by the progress that the United Kingdom has made, both in meeting its own climate emissions targets and in exercising international leadership in that regard. I want the carbon growth plan to be as ambitious, robust and clear a blueprint as it can be, so that we can continue to deliver on this hugely vital piece of domestic and international policy. I am therefore taking the time to ensure that the draft could be extended to become more ambitious, and I intend to publish the plan when Parliament sits again after the summer recess.
Carbon Reduction Plan — House of Commons, 2017-06-27
Topic: Environment
Claire Louise Perry (Conservative, Centre-right): I am, of course, delighted to welcome that incredibly innovative partnership, which was launched in 2002 and is making real progress in working out how we can naturally store carbon in the peat environment that the hon. Lady now represents. As I have said, I intend to publish the clean growth plan when Parliament returns from the summer recess. I look forward to cross-party discussion and, hopefully, consensus on a document that is hugely important both for Britain’s domestic future and for our international leadership.
Carbon Reduction Plan — House of Commons, 2017-06-27
Topic: Environment
Claire Louise Perry (Conservative, Centre-right): May I gently say to the hon. Gentleman that, as the proud MP for the constituency that has Britain’s leading carbon capture and storage research facility, he ought to welcome the progress that successive Governments have made on this agenda? We were the first country in the world to set binding carbon budgets, and we have over-achieved on the first and second ones. Our full intention is to engage the whole of Government and industry in delivering on the upcoming budgets.
Carbon Reduction Plan — House of Commons, 2017-06-27
Topic: Macroeconomics
Claire Louise Perry (Conservative, Centre-right): I welcome the hon. Gentleman to his place. He will know that we are talking about setting a trajectory of budgets from 2022 and beyond. The progress we are making is absolutely exceptional, both domestically and internationally. Perhaps he is new in his place, but he could look in his diary and check when the House returns from the summer recess. My intention is to publish the plan when the House returns from the summer recess.
Carbon Reduction Plan — House of Commons, 2017-06-27
Topic: Energy
Desmond Angus Swayne (Conservative, Centre-right): The Minister spoke of peer-to-peer exchanges of energy. I have no idea what they are, but given the enthusiasm she has brought to her brief I believe that we all deserve a tutorial. Could that be arranged?
Carbon Reduction Plan — House of Commons, 2017-06-27
Topic: Environment
Rebecca Faye Clark (Pow) (Conservative, Centre-right): I would like to applaud this Government’s record on tackling carbon emissions. Our carbon reduction plan, alongside investment in new technologies and ratification of the Paris agreement, will make us world leaders in this field and create many more jobs—particularly, I hope, in Taunton Deane, with spin-offs from Hinkley Point, the lowest carbon energy development in Europe. Can the Minister give any further indications of how the Government are responding to the United States’ withdrawal from the Paris climate change agreement?
Carbon Reduction Plan — House of Commons, 2017-06-27
Topic: International Affairs
Claire Louise Perry (Conservative, Centre-right): Even those who do not think that this is a pressing international issue must surely welcome the fact that there are now more than 400,000 people employed in this industry—more than in the aerospace sector. Britain has shown, in the G7 and the Environment Council meetings, that we are absolutely prepared to stand shoulder to shoulder with our European and international partners to make up any deficit caused by Mr Trump’s withdrawal.
Carbon Reduction Plan — House of Commons, 2017-06-27
Topic: Environment
Claire Louise Perry (Conservative, Centre-right): I would have expected more from the hon. Gentleman. Let me just remind him what has happened since the Committee on Climate Change’s report was produced. We have had Brexit, we have had a general election and we have had the withdrawal of the USA from the Paris climate change agreement. I want to take the time to ensure that this report exceeds his expectations. I will take no lessons from those on the Opposition Front Bench, who have consistently failed to welcome this country’s progress, which the right hon. Member for Doncaster North (Edward Miliband)—who is, sadly, not in his place—was sensible enough to kick off in 2009. I believe in delivery, not promises, unlike the Labour party’s manifesto.