argyrotsipi/train-dataset huggingface dataset:
Universal Credit (Reducing Poverty) — House of Commons, 2020-06-29
Topic: Social Welfare
William James Quince (Conservative, Centre-right): As I just said, in 2020-21, we will spend more than £120 billion on benefits for working-age people. We spend more on family benefits than any other country in the G7 at 3.5% of GDP. The measure that the hon. Gentleman raises would alone add another several billion to that bill. We will continue to reform the welfare system so that it encourages work while supporting those who need help. It is an approach that is based on the clear evidence that work offers families the best opportunity to get out of poverty.
Universal Credit (Reducing Poverty) — House of Commons, 2020-06-29
Topic: Social Welfare
William James Quince (Conservative, Centre-right): For a start, the hon. Gentleman knows that that is well above my pay grade, but I gently remind him that universal credit will be over £2 billion a year more generous when fully rolled out compared with the legacy benefits system that it replaces. He also fails to recognise the £6.5 billion to £7 billion that this Government have put in place to support people through covid-19. As the Chancellor has said, we will do "whatever it takes", and this Government are doing that: we are supporting people and this Department is getting that support to those who need it quickly.
Supporting Employment After Covid-19 — House of Commons, 2020-06-29
Topic: Labor
Thérèse Anne Coffey (Conservative, Centre-right): I am already actively working with a number of my Cabinet colleagues, particularly the Chancellor and the Secretaries of State for Education, for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, for Transport, and for Housing, Communities and Local Government—and of course the Prime Minister. This is a joined-up Government that is working hard to help people, in these challenging times, to get back into work as soon as possible.
Supporting Employment After Covid-19 — House of Commons, 2020-06-29
Topic: Labor
Huw William Merriman (Conservative, Centre-right): Many of us are concerned about jobs in the aviation sector, particularly British Airways, which is not only making up to 12,500 redundancies but firing and rehiring virtually the remainder of the workforce, despite its group putting €1 billion into a new airline and BA staff putting 66% of profits into that group. What can the Government do to ensure that our employers do the right thing by the workforce who have previously delivered those profits?
Supporting Employment After Covid-19 — House of Commons, 2020-06-29
Topic: Labor
Thérèse Anne Coffey (Conservative, Centre-right): As my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has previously said to my hon. Friend, we are concerned about the way that some companies are treating their workforce and we are actively looking into the issue. The furlough scheme has been a huge success in keeping over 9 million employees connected to their jobs, but companies should not be using it cynically to keep people on their books just to then get rid of them. The whole point of the furlough scheme is to help people to get back into their jobs and the country back on its feet.
Supporting Employment After Covid-19 — House of Commons, 2020-06-29
Topic: Labor
Thérèse Anne Coffey (Conservative, Centre-right): I think the hon. Lady is confusing the element in the Select Committee report with the emergency contingency plan, which is an operational document that is prepared by all Departments in the event of the sort of emergency that requires, for example, redeployment within the Department. In terms of her broader question on what I think she was really referring to, I assure her that, as I pointed out, I am actively working with Ministers across the Government to make sure that we will be there to help people get into the new jobs that we rely on the private sector to create, but will be working across the public sector too.
Employment Support (Local Labour Market Conditions) — House of Commons, 2020-06-29
Topic: Labor
Miriam Jane Alice Davies (Conservative, Centre-right): As the Minister responsible for this evolving labour market, I can say that the DWP is working hard to identify the most effective ways to support people back into work. We are clear that we are taking a targeted, place-based approach. I have attended regional stocktakes with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government economic recovery working group, which brings together mayors, local enterprise partnerships and other vital partners to share local knowledge.
Employment Support (Local Labour Market Conditions) — House of Commons, 2020-06-29
Topic: Agriculture
Dehenna Sheridan Fareham (Conservative, Centre-right): I welcome not only the Government’s strong, effective measures on supporting employment through the job retention scheme but the extensive range of employment and support benefits. With that in mind, does the Minister agree that we need to support our next generation of agricultural workers, such as our farmers across Teesdale, whom we rely on not just to feed ourselves but for the future of our food security?
Employment Support (Local Labour Market Conditions) — House of Commons, 2020-06-29
Topic: Agriculture
Miriam Jane Alice Davies (Conservative, Centre-right): I absolutely agree with my hon. Friend: we should recognise the areas that have a proud history of agriculture, such as Teesdale. Our farmers have done and continue to do a fantastic job feeding the nation during this challenging time. Alongside the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the DWP has used our "job help" campaign to encourage farmers and employment agencies to use the Pick for Britain website to help them fill their vacancies.
Employment Support (Local Labour Market Conditions) — House of Commons, 2020-06-29
Topic: International Affairs
Marco Longhi (Conservative, Centre-right): One does not need to look much further than my own constituency of Dudley North—and those of my hon. Friends the Members for West Bromwich West (Shaun Bailey), for Wolverhampton South West (Stuart Anderson) and, indeed, for Walsall North (Eddie Hughes)—to see the terrible effects over a couple of decades of globalisation. Will the Minister reassure me and the House, despite the challenges posed by this pandemic, of her commitment and her Department’s commitment to the levelling-up agenda?
Employment Support (Local Labour Market Conditions) — House of Commons, 2020-06-29
Topic: Labor
Miriam Jane Alice Davies (Conservative, Centre-right): Our network of jobcentres is local and regional by design, and I mentioned earlier the place-based approach. We are ensuring that work coaches are ready to provide individualised support for claimants. The levelling-up agenda is a priority for this Government, and we have been building this into our discussions and plans when meeting Mayors, such as Andy Street, to get Britain back into work.
Employment Support (Local Labour Market Conditions) — House of Commons, 2020-06-29
Topic: Labor
Shaun Stephen Bailey (Conservative, Centre-right): For my communities in Wednesbury, Oldbury and Tipton, jobs are going to be at the centre of this recovery. Can I ask my hon. Friend to elaborate a bit more on the work that she has been undertaking across Government and locally with local partners, and will she agree to meet me to discuss a Black Country jobs strategy as we move out of this pandemic?
Employment Support (Local Labour Market Conditions) — House of Commons, 2020-06-29
Topic: Labor
Miriam Jane Alice Davies (Conservative, Centre-right): Of course, I am very happy to meet my hon. Friend and continue to engage with him on developing these local, place-based recovery plans. As I have said, we have been working closely with the West Midlands Combined Authority, building, importantly, on our learning from the employment and skills framework, which underpins the current joint approach to supporting people locally back into work in the Black Country.
Employment Support (Local Labour Market Conditions) — House of Commons, 2020-06-29
Topic: Labor
Duncan Charles Baker (Conservative, Centre-right): My constituency of North Norfolk is rural, and it faces many challenges. It is heavily reliant on the tourism sector, and without the fat of a full summer season, it could struggle to get through the winter. What steps can the Minister take to see a wider compulsory offering of apprenticeship schemes to enable younger people to stay in a good job, and to stay in the area where they grew up—a longing that all of us recognise?
Employment Support (Local Labour Market Conditions) — House of Commons, 2020-06-29
Topic: Education
Miriam Jane Alice Davies (Conservative, Centre-right): Supporting our young people is a priority for me in this job. Apprenticeships are a great way for young people to start their careers, giving them that crucial opportunity to earn while they learn. Alongside the Department for Education, we at the DWP are supporting employers, especially small businesses, to take on new apprentices this year, and we will provide further detail in due course. We will also ensure that there is sufficient funding this year to support small businesses wanting to take this up.
Covid-19: Support for People Self-isolating — House of Commons, 2020-06-29
Topic: Social Welfare
Justin Paul Tomlinson (Conservative, Centre-right): We have made changes so that statutory sick pay and employment and support allowance are payable to people who are self-isolating, including those who are shielding and who satisfy the conditions of entitlement. We have removed the waiting days, so these are paid from day one, and households may also be able to claim universal credit.
Covid-19: Support for People Self-isolating — House of Commons, 2020-06-29
Topic: Labor
Justin Paul Tomlinson (Conservative, Centre-right): In addition to providing support through statutory sick pay, we are expecting employers to do the right thing, and we will be working with employers to make sure employees can transition back to work safely. That is underpinned by the Equality Act 2010, and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and the Health and Safety Executive will continue to provide proactive guidance to employers.
Covid-19: Support for People Self-isolating — House of Commons, 2020-06-29
Topic: Social Welfare
Justin Paul Tomlinson (Conservative, Centre-right): As a Department, we have rightly put an additional £6.5 billion into welfare support, on top of the £500 million hardship fund provided to local authorities. I welcome the further additional £63 million to boost council welfare support so that no one goes without food and other basic necessities in the coming months.
Covid-19: Promotion of Employment Opportunities — House of Commons, 2020-06-29
Topic: Labor
Miriam Jane Alice Davies (Conservative, Centre-right): We have launched A Good Place to Start, a new labour market campaign that includes two key websites—Job help and Employer help—which provide additional information, tools and links to other sites, including DWP’s Find a job service, for current vacancies, and the Department for Education’s Skills Toolkit.
Covid-19: Promotion of Employment Opportunities — House of Commons, 2020-06-29
Topic: Labor
Scott Lloyd Benton (Conservative, Centre-right): My constituency currently has the highest claimant count in the whole UK, as the crisis has exposed the dependence of my local economy on tourism and insecure seasonal work. What steps is my hon. Friend taking to support those in communities such as Blackpool who are currently out of work to retrain and acquire the skills needed to find future employment?
Covid-19: Promotion of Employment Opportunities — House of Commons, 2020-06-29
Topic: Labor
Miriam Jane Alice Davies (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank my hon. Friend for raising this important issue. I highlight the work that our staff in jobcentres are doing tirelessly to support people with their claims throughout the pandemic, and that work continues. Indeed, our work coaches have made more than a quarter of a million outbound customer-support calls each week, and they are also organising virtual job fairs. In Blackpool, they are working with the local authority on a virtual adult learning and education programme, hosted online and through Google Classroom. Upcoming from 4 July is a sector-based work academy for recruitment around the pleasure beach, and we are also training people through our mentoring circles. I encourage every Member in the House to contact their local jobcentre to find out about what we are already doing to support their local community.
Covid-19: Promotion of Employment Opportunities — House of Commons, 2020-06-29
Topic: Labor
Andrew Hanson Jones (Conservative, Centre-right): As the economy reopens, it will look different. One sector that has grown fast and will continue to grow is the digital sector. The Federation of Small Businesses in North Yorkshire has told me that a key need of its members is increased digital skills—it wants to see more training. How will my hon. Friend ensure that as they work to match people with vacancies, jobcentres are handling the changing needs of employers in the digital economy?
Covid-19: Promotion of Employment Opportunities — House of Commons, 2020-06-29
Topic: Labor
Miriam Jane Alice Davies (Conservative, Centre-right): I regularly meet Ministers from DFE and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy to ensure that we are doing exactly that. Work includes figuring out how claimants can be supported to gain those key skills and to pivot into those sectors where there are vacancies as the economy recovers. Jobcentres work with their local training providers to ensure that a range of courses is available to help claimants to find that new opportunity or some better-paid work.
Covid-19: Food Insecurity — House of Commons, 2020-06-29
Topic: Social Welfare
William James Quince (Conservative, Centre-right): I regularly engage with my counterpart in DEFRA, the Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Banbury (Victoria Prentis), on this issue and participate in the food and essential supplies to the vulnerable ministerial taskforce. In addition to welfare changes worth more than £6.5 billion, Departments have worked together throughout this period to ensure support for the most vulnerable. Funding of up to £16 million, including the £3.5 million food charities grant fund, is available so that charities can continue to provide food for those in need.
Covid-19: Food Insecurity — House of Commons, 2020-06-29
Topic: Social Welfare
William James Quince (Conservative, Centre-right): Over and above the £6.5 billion we have pumped into our welfare system, there is the more than £16 million for food redistribution charities, the £3.5 million for the food charities fund, which offers grants of up to £100,000 to support those charities, the £63 million local welfare assistance fund through local authorities that the Prime Minister announced two weeks ago and, of course, the free school meals voucher scheme. However, the hon. Gentleman raises a good point. We want to better understand food insecurity in this country. That is why we commissioned extra questions for the family resources survey. I look forward to looking at the results of that in great detail.
Covid-19: Food Insecurity — House of Commons, 2020-06-29
Topic: Social Welfare
Thérèse Anne Coffey (Conservative, Centre-right): The benefit cap does play an important part, but the hon. Gentleman may not aware of the exemptions to it. New and existing claimants can benefit from a nine-month grace period when their benefit will not be capped if they have a sustained work history. Since 2013, nearly 220,000 households which were subject to the benefit cap are now no longer capped.
Benefits for People with Severe Disabilities — House of Commons, 2020-06-29
Topic: Social Welfare
Neil John O'Brien (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank the Minister for his advice the other day regarding my disabled constituent Tom Hipgrave. Although the support provided by PIP is vital, what more is my hon. Friend doing to help those with severe disabilities, like Tom?
Women: State Pension Uplift — House of Commons, 2020-06-29
Topic: Labor
Guy Thomas Opperman (Conservative, Centre-right): We are aware of a number of cases where individuals have been underpaid category BL basic state pension. The Department has already taken action to correct our records, and we reimbursed those affected as soon as any errors were identified.
Women: State Pension Uplift — House of Commons, 2020-06-29
Topic: Labor
Guy Thomas Opperman (Conservative, Centre-right): I note the hon. Gentleman’s comments, and we invite anyone who thinks that they have failed to claim a state pension increase that they are eligible for to contact the Department through the Pension Service helpline. Alternatively, Pension Wise can assist.[Official Report, 8 July 2020, Vol. 678, c. 4MC.]
Women: State Pension Uplift — House of Commons, 2020-06-29
Topic: Labor
Guy Thomas Opperman (Conservative, Centre-right): As the hon. Gentleman is aware, this dates from March 2008, when married women receiving a low-level state pension based on their national insurance record should have had their entitlement reviewed when their husband reached state pension age. The Department for Work and Pensions is looking into the matter, and we invite any individual who feels that they are affected to claim a state pension increase by contacting the Pension Service helpline or Pension Wise.[Official Report, 8 July 2020, Vol. 678, c. 4MC.]
Extended Income Support: Seasonal Industries — House of Commons, 2020-06-29
Topic: Labor
Thérèse Anne Coffey (Conservative, Centre-right): I have regular conversations with my right hon. Friend the Chancellor, who is responsible for the coronavirus job retention scheme and the self-employment income support scheme, which have supported 9.2 million and 2.6 million people respectively—nearly 12 million people in total. He has set out how the schemes will be phased out during the autumn. The furlough scheme continues until the end of October.
Covid-19: Support for Pensioners — House of Commons, 2020-06-29
Topic: Social Welfare
Thérèse Anne Coffey (Conservative, Centre-right): To echo my hon. Friend, the Government are committed to ensuring that older people are able to live with the dignity and respect that they deserve. The state pension is a foundation of state support. In April, full amounts of the basic and new state pensions increased by 3.9% to £134.25 and £175.20 per week respectively. We continue to work with the Post Office to ensure that vulnerable customers have access to cash when shielding.
Covid-19: Support for Pensioners — House of Commons, 2020-06-29
Topic: Labor
Darren George Henry (Conservative, Centre-right): People in Broxtowe affected by the closure of Equitable Life are increasingly worried as they approach retirement age. Can my right hon. Friend tell me what measures the Government will take to ensure that soon-to-be pensioners get the compensation they deserve and are supported in their old age?
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2020-06-29
Topic: Labor
Thérèse Anne Coffey (Conservative, Centre-right): As I outlined to the House earlier, I am really pleased with the massive efforts that have been undertaken by members of the Department for Work and Pensions in responding to public needs during this important emergency. We are starting to return to normal and I look forward to jobcentres fully reopening so that they can help people to get ready again for the world of work.
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2020-06-29
Topic: Labor
Joy Inboden Morrissey (Conservative, Centre-right): Does my right hon. Friend agree on the importance of jobcentres and businesses working closely together to support employment and economic recovery, and will she join me in praising Pinewood studios in my constituency, which is a shining example of such practices?
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2020-06-29
Topic: Labor
Thérèse Anne Coffey (Conservative, Centre-right): As I outlined earlier, we want to ensure that we have that ongoing local support between jobcentres and businesses. I know that in Beaconsfield the local jobcentre staff are working with the local enterprise partnership to explore how they can collaboratively support people back into work. I am sure that the company to which my hon. Friend refers will also be looking at the Employer Help website, which provides a range of guidance and advice, including on identifying transferable skills, promoting opportunities to work in different sectors of the economy, and supporting staff.
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2020-06-29
Topic: Labor
Thérèse Anne Coffey (Conservative, Centre-right): The independent Pensions Regulator published guidance on an interim regime for pensions superfunds. I want to stress that this is an interim regime, and that the Government will continue to develop the permanent regime before legislating with full and proper parliamentary scrutiny in the usual way. Market participants are well aware that they should not assume that the interim regime will automatically transfer into the permanent regime.
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2020-06-29
Topic: Labor
James Michael Davies (Conservative, Centre-right): Not-for-profit organisations such as RCS Wales in Rhyl have provided critical employment support throughout the outbreak. Will my right hon. Friend do what she can to support such organisations and ensure that people with mental health difficulties are not left behind as they look for sustainable employment?
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2020-06-29
Topic: Labor
Miriam Jane Alice Davies (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank everyone who works in our jobcentres. Our Secretary of State has committed to doubling the number of work coaches. We take an individual focus on our claimants, and we will take a place-based approach to helping people into work. We are actively working with our operations to ensure that this is done safely so that people can get back into work.
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2020-06-29
Topic: Social Welfare
William James Quince (Conservative, Centre-right): We keep all policy under review. The particular policy change the hon. Lady references would not only cost around £2 billion a year but could not be operationalised now even if we wanted to, because all the focus is rightly on the Department’s response to covid-19. I say to her gently, though, that it is a policy based on fairness; those in receipt of benefits are faced with the same choices in life as those not in receipt of benefits.
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2020-06-29
Topic: Labor
Miriam Jane Alice Davies (Conservative, Centre-right): We are actively working with colleagues across Government, including the Business Secretary, with whom I have had several roundtable discussions, to get people back into work and open up as soon as possible. The Government are committed to reopening businesses in a phased approach, guided by the science, when it is safe to do so; I confess an absolute personal need for these sectors to reopen. However, where there are job losses, DWP staff are on hand to work with claimants to support them to get back into work.
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2020-06-29
Topic: Labor
Greg Smith (Conservative, Centre-right): Schemes such as Access to Work are vital in helping many disabled people start and remain in work. Will my hon. Friend outline how the Department is flexing existing support to help those disabled people, many of whom are now required to work from home?
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2020-06-29
Topic: Labor
Justin Paul Tomlinson (Conservative, Centre-right): That is a very important point. We are looking at additional ways we can support people, through Access to Work, to travel to and from their home to work and in terms of their ability to work from home. There are opportunities for us to make some of those changes more permanent as we start to return to normality.