argyrotsipi/train-dataset huggingface dataset:
Royal Bank of Scotland — House of Commons, 2015-06-11
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Harriett Mary Morison Baldwin (Conservative, Centre-right): I simply do not accept the hon. Gentleman’s line of argument. If he is such a Mystic Meg, perhaps he will tell me the date on which the price of this bank, which has been completely restructured over the last few years, will change. Rothschild has provided an estimate of the current state of the overall portfolio of bank interventions. I remind the hon. Gentleman that while in 2009 everyone—including Her Majesty’s Treasury—expected that these interventions would cost the taxpayer between £20 billion and £50 billion, evidence today suggests that it will be of overall benefit to the taxpayer.
Royal Bank of Scotland — House of Commons, 2015-06-11
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Harriett Mary Morison Baldwin (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank my constituency neighbour for his question. As he rightly acknowledges, neither he, his constituents, the Government or the market have perfect foresight into whether the shares will go up or down. They will go up or down, and it will be a phased programme for reducing the holdings. Today we are announcing the decision point and the potential for an initial sale.
Royal Bank of Scotland — House of Commons, 2015-06-11
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Harriett Mary Morison Baldwin (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank the hon. Lady for her kind words. She is absolutely right to highlight this country’s challenge on access to finance, particularly for the small and fast-growing sector for which bank finance might be appropriate, but it might want to move on to something else. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills is looking at a package of measures to make sure that businesses in Hull and elsewhere are able to have a wider range of choice in accessing finance.
Royal Bank of Scotland — House of Commons, 2015-06-11
Topic: Domestic Commerce
David Mowat (Conservative, Centre-right): As far as I can make out, the position of the Opposition is that if we delay this sale, the shares might go up by 35%, and they might break even, which would be a good thing. Of course, though, they might go down. Does the Minister agree that they have no right to speculate with other people’s money, particularly when financed by an overdraft? If they believe this, they should buy some shares themselves.
Royal Bank of Scotland — House of Commons, 2015-06-11
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Harriett Mary Morison Baldwin (Conservative, Centre-right): There seems to be no pleasing Opposition Members. They are not happy when Royal Mail shares go up and we sell them for more money; and they are not happy when the RBS share price is where it is today. They seem to argue that the best thing to do, in all these situations, is to borrow more, spend more and invest more in the banking sector.
Royal Bank of Scotland — House of Commons, 2015-06-11
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Harriett Mary Morison Baldwin (Conservative, Centre-right): I welcome my hon. Friend’s question, and he is absolutely right that the Governor made a powerful speech yesterday, outlining the steps he and the regulators are taking to end the age of irresponsibility. The Government welcome the recommendations of the FEMA—fair and effective markets—review and hope that they will be taken forward internationally via the Bank for International Settlements and under the Governor’s leadership.
Royal Bank of Scotland — House of Commons, 2015-06-11
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Harriett Mary Morison Baldwin (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank the hon. Lady for her warm words. The Government noted the points made by HSBC in its report this week. We are proud of the fact that the UK remains one of the most attractive and competitive places in which to locate a financial services company and a bank. It is essential, in making us fully competitive in that regard, that we take the steps we are announcing today.
Royal Bank of Scotland — House of Commons, 2015-06-11
Topic: Domestic Commerce
David Nuttall (Conservative, Centre-right): The Minister experienced the singular disadvantage of being my Whip in the last Parliament. I am pleased to welcome her to her new position I regard this share sale as a tremendous opportunity for the Government to widen share ownership, just as the Government of the late Lady Thatcher did in the 1980s. May I urge the Minister to make as many shares as possible available to small investors, to make the application process as simple as possible, and to set the minimum level as low as reasonably possible?
Royal Bank of Scotland — House of Commons, 2015-06-11
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Harriett Mary Morison Baldwin (Conservative, Centre-right): I welcome my hon. Friend back to this place. Let me say what a joy it was to be his Whip for so many years. One always knew where one stood with him, and that also applies to the very sensible question that he has just asked. I think, though, that he needs to hold his horses in relation to RBS. As he will know, the manifesto on which he stood committed us to a wide retail offer of Lloyds Bank shares at some time in the not too distant future, and we will be dealing with that sale first.
Royal Bank of Scotland — House of Commons, 2015-06-11
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Harriett Mary Morison Baldwin (Conservative, Centre-right): I welcome my hon. Friend to the House. He is right: over the past five years, we have taken painstaking steps to establish a system of regulation in the financial services industry that will ensure that never again will the taxpayer be forced to bail out a bank.
Royal Bank of Scotland — House of Commons, 2015-06-11
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Richard Quentin Fuller (Conservative, Centre-right): As my hon. Friend will know, there is a direct connection between the tolerance of reckless and illegal activities in financial institutions and the destruction of valuable banks such as RBS. Will she confirm that she will allow the Government to give full force to any recommendations concerning the fair and effective markets reform that was announced by the Governor of the Bank of England yesterday? Will she also confirm that unlike the last Government, who showered honours on bankers who were reckless, this Government will bring the full force of the law to bear?
Royal Bank of Scotland — House of Commons, 2015-06-11
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Harriett Mary Morison Baldwin (Conservative, Centre-right): I am pleased to welcome my hon. Friend back to the House. He has made an important point. In his speech, the Governor said that it was right to fine many financial services organisations that had behaved badly in both the recent and the distant past, because such behaviour reduces banks’ capital. Responsibility needs to fall on the individuals who are culpable, and also on the management of those individuals. Reducing the capital that is available through regulatory actions contracts the supply of lending to small businesses.
Royal Bank of Scotland — House of Commons, 2015-06-11
Topic: Other
Harriett Mary Morison Baldwin (Conservative, Centre-right): I welcome my hon. Friend to the House. He speaks with great knowledge and eloquence about the real experience of the hundreds and thousands of men and women up and down the land on whom we rely every day for our post. I am delighted to be part of a Government who have enabled them to own shares in the organisation for which they work.
European Union (Finance) Bill — House of Commons, 2015-06-11
Topic: Mixed Topics
Christopher Heaton-Harris (Conservative, Centre-right): Excellent. If we are going back in history, I guess I should share with the hon. Lady the fact that from 1999 to 2009 I was not in this House, but in the European Parliament. I sat on the budget and budgetary control committees, watching Labour Members of Parliament and Labour Ministers at the time not particularly bothering at all about EU spending, so I am delighted with the change of heart, because there is a need for focus on this area. I do not intend to speak for too long because I know that a number of hon. Members want to make their maiden speeches. Small though the Bill is, it is, however, important and it deserves to have a decent amount of scrutiny by the House, which I am pleased to see that it will receive. The sole purpose of the Bill is to approve and implement the EU’s own resources decision, setting into legislation how the EU budget is to be funded, including the EU rebate. That is a big deal for us, because we stick in a massive contribution to the European Union. The Office for Budget Responsibility’s March 2015 economic and fiscal outlook report gives the net contribution figures for our country to the European Union. I had a debate in the Tea Room with my right hon. Friend the Member for Wokingham (John Redwood), who thinks that the figures are downplayed slightly, but they are the ones that I have to hand at the moment The net contribution for 2013-14 from Great Britain to the European Union was £10.2 billion; for 2014-15 it was £9.2 billion; and for 2015-16 it was £9.9 billion. Those are significant sums of money.
European Union (Finance) Bill — House of Commons, 2015-06-11
Topic: Mixed Topics
Graham Charles Stuart (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Lady is being very generous. A lot of the debate on this in the past has been a bit overdone, as though there would be no trade between the EU and the UK if we were to leave. What assessment has the hon. Lady made of what the impact would be? I am sure that there would be costs, but perhaps we need to avoid exaggerating or suggesting that somehow all trade would cease or that there would be massive walls put up when there will not. What is her assessment of the likely impact on trade if we did depart?
Mental Health (Higher Education Institutions) — House of Commons, 2015-06-11
Topic: Mixed Topics
Jo Johnson (Conservative, Centre-right): It is important throughout the education system that proper attention be given to mental health issues, and that includes the secondary education system as much as higher education I was mentioning some of the examples of good practice across our higher education system, and I want to cite work by the University of Wolverhampton, close to the hon. Lady’s constituency, which has recently appointed a mental health adviser. It also offers a counselling service that runs "dealing with students in distress" workshops as part of the university’s annual staff development programme. This is available to all staff, including front-line staff The University of Salford works with a number of services in the community, including mental health teams and charities, such as Mind in Salford, Self Help in Greater Manchester and early intervention teams. The University of Sheffield has developed postcards on which is written, "Worried about another student?". These are aimed at supporting mental health and wellbeing and are distributed through their residences, timed for when students return in January and at the start of first semester exams.
Bridge — House of Commons, 2015-06-04
Topic: Mixed Topics
Tracey Elizabeth Anne Crouch (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend will know that bridge is not currently designated as a sport. The High Court will consider a judicial review on the definition of sport from the English Bridge Union in September, to which the Government will respond accordingly.
Bridge — House of Commons, 2015-06-04
Topic: Mixed Topics
Robert John Blackman (Conservative, Centre-right): I welcome my hon. Friend to her post. Her prowess on the football field is well known, but I wish to address the issue of mind sports. At the moment, Sport England refuses to fund bridge, chess, go and other mind sports. Her predecessor was investigating this, but will she update us on what progress has been made to ensure that Sport England does recognise mind sports for their ability to train the mind?
Bridge — House of Commons, 2015-06-04
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Tracey Elizabeth Anne Crouch (Conservative, Centre-right): I am grateful to my hon. Friend for his kind words. As he rightly said, Sport England does not currently recognise the term "mind sports" and does not provide funding to games such as bridge and chess. As I mentioned, the High Court is considering a judicial review of the definition of "sport" from the English Bridge Union. I recognise that many of these games are enjoyed by many people and that the mental agility required in this activity can help with conditions, bringing many health or wellbeing benefits. I therefore suggest that if he would like to seek funding support for these games, he does so through the Department for Education or the Department of Health.
Battle of Waterloo — House of Commons, 2015-06-04
Topic: Public Lands
Tracey Elizabeth Anne Crouch (Conservative, Centre-right): I am sure that my right hon. Friend will agree that this has been an exciting project. In addition to the service at St Paul’s, Waterloo 200 has planned an education programme in 200 schools, to introduce children to the history of the battle, and a descendants campaign. They are also involved with the planned re-enactment of the battle in Belgium. In addition, a number of exhibitions are being held in the United Kingdom and Europe, and I am pleased that many of the events have benefited from heritage lottery funding.
Battle of Waterloo — House of Commons, 2015-06-04
Topic: Other
Tracey Elizabeth Anne Crouch (Conservative, Centre-right): I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for his comments. Of course, he will know that there is a very good picture of the battle in the Royal Gallery, which for reasons of sensitivity we occasionally have to cover. I am sure that all the planned events will be much appreciated.
Syria and Iraq (Cultural Heritage) — House of Commons, 2015-06-04
Topic: Mixed Topics
Questions: What recent discussions he has had with the Foreign Secretary on the effect of the political and security situation in Syria and Iraq on the cultural heritage of those countries.
Edward Vaizey (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend is absolutely right to say that we have to stop that illicit trade. We work with partners in the global coalition to put in place international sanctions to prevent the illegal trading of Syrian and Iraqi antiquities. We also have an effective legal framework to tackle the illicit trade, including specific legislation for antiquities from Iraq and Syria.
Syria and Iraq (Cultural Heritage) — House of Commons, 2015-06-04
Topic: Mixed Topics
Questions: What recent discussions he has had with the Foreign Secretary on the effect of the political and security situation in Syria and Iraq on the cultural heritage of those countries.; In 2008, the Select Committee welcomed the Cultural Property (Armed Conflicts) Bill and considered that the ratification of The Hague convention would strengthen our commitment to the protection of our cultural heritage. Seven years on, cultural heritage is being pillaged at an alarming rate and the EU directive is due to be implemented by the end of the year. When will the Government get on with it?
Edward Vaizey (Conservative, Centre-right): I hope that we will get on with it very soon, to be frank. I spend my time making the case to ministerial colleagues for introducing that important legislation to allow us to ratify the convention at the earliest opportunity. The destruction in Iraq and Syria highlights the importance that we must place on safeguarding cultural artefacts from armed conflict.
Welsh Language and Culture — House of Commons, 2015-06-04
Topic: Other
Edward Vaizey (Conservative, Centre-right): I gather that my hon. Friend is now one of seven Davieses sitting on our Benches, but for me he will always be primus inter Davieses. If I get an invitation from him, I shall certainly accept it.
Union Flag — House of Commons, 2015-06-04
Topic: Mixed Topics
Tracey Elizabeth Anne Crouch (Conservative, Centre-right): Mr Speaker, as you and, indeed, my hon. Friend will be aware, the state opening of Parliament is a designated day for flying the Union flag on Government buildings, but not Parliament Square. The ceremonial arrangements for the state opening of Parliament are a matter for the Palace of Westminster and the Earl Marshal, and any changes cannot be made without their approval.
Union Flag — House of Commons, 2015-06-04
Topic: Mixed Topics
Tracey Elizabeth Anne Crouch (Conservative, Centre-right): I would like to say that I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for asking that question, but that would not be true. Designated days for flying the Union flag are decided by Her Majesty the Queen, and any changes to designated days are for Her Majesty to make. It would therefore be an issue for the Department to discuss with Her Majesty.
FIFA World Cup — House of Commons, 2015-06-04
Topic: Domestic Commerce
John Flasby Lawrance Whittingdale (Conservative, Centre-right): I have no plans to meet FIFA officials at this stage. However, I did meet the chairman and the chief executive of the English Football Association yesterday, and I intend to keep in close touch with them on this matter and, indeed, on other matters relating to football in this country.
FIFA World Cup — House of Commons, 2015-06-04
Topic: Mixed Topics
John Flasby Lawrance Whittingdale (Conservative, Centre-right): I agree with my hon. Friend. In order to achieve the reforms that all of us believe are vitally necessary in FIFA, the first requirement was a change in leadership. We have now obtained that, but that is the beginning of the process and certainly not the end of it. It is for the football associations of the home nations to work with other football associations that are equally determined to see change, in order to ensure that the new leadership is properly committed to achieving those changes In response to my hon. Friend’s second question, on Qatar, that is a separate matter. The Swiss authorities are continuing to investigate the bidding process that resulted in the decision to give the 2018 games to Russia and the 2022 games to Qatar, and we await the outcome of those investigations.
FIFA World Cup — House of Commons, 2015-06-04
Topic: Domestic Commerce
John Flasby Lawrance Whittingdale (Conservative, Centre-right): In the first instance, that is obviously a matter for the Serious Fraud Office and other investigatory bodies in this country, but I have spoken to the Attorney General about it. We will of course ensure that all the resources necessary to carry out a thorough investigation are available to those bodies and we will work closely with the Swiss and American authorities, which are leading on this matter On the reforms necessary in FIFA, we are absolutely committed to working through the FA and other football associations to ensure that the new leadership of FIFA is utterly committed to carrying out the sweeping reforms that are so obviously necessary.
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2015-06-04
Topic: Mixed Topics
John Flasby Lawrance Whittingdale (Conservative, Centre-right): This has been a turbulent week for football, with the allegations of corruption eventually leading to the long overdue resignation of Sepp Blatter, and there have obviously been continuing revelations, even today. However, this weekend we once again get to concentrate on what makes the game great, as the women’s World cup kicks off in Canada. I am sure I speak for everyone present, even some of the newly elected Opposition Members, in wishing England the very best of luck ahead of their first game on Tuesday.
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2015-06-04
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Richard Michael John Ogilvie Graham (Conservative, Centre-right): I congratulate the Secretary of State on his response to and leadership on the FIFA governance crisis, which is in stark contrast to the efficient arrangements for the world’s third largest sporting event, the rugby world cup—coming soon to great venues such as Kingsholm in Gloucester. If FIFA decides in its wisdom that the winter World cup proposed in Qatar should not go ahead, will my right hon. Friend confirm that our nation would be in a position to host it here?
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2015-06-04
Topic: Mixed Topics
John Flasby Lawrance Whittingdale (Conservative, Centre-right): First, I join my hon. Friend in looking forward to the rugby world cup, which many Members are anticipating with eager excitement. On his second question about the decision to hold the 2022 World cup in Qatar, obviously we are watching the investigation, but at the moment that decision stands. If it were decided to change that, I think that, as the chairman of the English FA observed, if Russia hosts the World Cup in 2018, it seems very unlikely that another European country would host it in 2022. However, if FIFA came forward and asked us to consider hosting it, we have the facilities in this country, and of course we did mount a very impressive, if unsuccessful, bid to host the 2018 World cup.
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2015-06-04
Topic: Domestic Commerce
John Flasby Lawrance Whittingdale (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank the hon. Gentleman and welcome the love-in between the two Front Benches, but I am sure it will not last I share the hon. Gentleman’s astonishment that, even today, there are new claims being made by Jack Warner. This saga becomes more murky and distasteful by the day. As I said earlier, however, the World cup is a separate matter and we await the outcome of the investigations. If there is evidence that the bid process was corrupt, the case for rerunning it will be strong. However, if the World cup goes ahead, it would be unfair to tell English fans, and indeed fans of the other home nations if their sides qualify, that they cannot watch their sides compete in the World cup because the broadcasters will not purchase the sports rights to cover it. That is a separate matter. The important thing is that we get this all cleared up long before the World cup in 2018.
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2015-06-04
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Questions: Cleethorpes is a thriving, successful seaside resort, but additional help is always useful. Will the Minister outline what support the Government intend to give to our seaside resorts?
Tracey Elizabeth Anne Crouch (Conservative, Centre-right): I have fond memories of my time in Cleethorpes while I was at Hull University. Towns like Cleethorpes contribute a great deal to the tourism economy. We will continue to promote such areas through various marketing campaigns, and will create sustainable growth and jobs through the coastal communities fund.
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2015-06-04
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Questions: Cleethorpes is a thriving, successful seaside resort, but additional help is always useful. Will the Minister outline what support the Government intend to give to our seaside resorts?; Will the Secretary of State update the House on the details of the Government’s plans for the review of the secondary ticketing market, which was set up under the Consumer Rights Act 2015?
John Flasby Lawrance Whittingdale (Conservative, Centre-right): I am aware of the hon. Lady’s long-standing interest in this matter. She and I share a determination to ensure that fraudulent ticket sites are cracked down on. Measures have been taken to do that. She is right to refer to the statutory review, which was set up as a result of legislation. It has to report within a year and we await its findings with considerable interest.