The
Labour Party is calling on the Secretary of State for the Department of Work
and Pensions, David Gauke MP, to come before Parliament to explain why the
Government has failed to implement recommendations from a United Nations report
into the rights of disabled people, which has resulted in the chair of the UN’s
Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities describing the situation
as a ‘human catastrophe’ for disabled people.

Following
the first ever investigation into a breach of their convention protecting
disabled people’s rights last year, the UN found that the UK Government has
committed ‘grave and systematic violations’, and set out a number of measures
they needed to take to improve.

As
yesterday’s review described, implementation of the initial recommendations has
been ‘uneven’ and ‘insufficient’. Despite having months to improve, the
Government is still failing to understand, adapt to or apply a human rights
model of disability; to properly consult disabled people in the implementation
of the convention; and to address concerns about the impact of austerity
measures which have increased levels of poverty among disabled people.

Debbie
Abrahams MP, Labour’s Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, said:

“Yesterday’s
damning report highlights the complete failure of this Tory Government to
listen to the UN, and to take action to guarantee the basic rights of disabled
people.

“Their
lack of progress across almost all of the UN Committee’s recommendations
reflects the Government’s refusal to accept the misery faced by disabled people
as a result of their failing austerity agenda.

“The
Secretary of State must come before the House at the earliest possible
opportunity to explain why the Government has refused to listen to the UN, and
instead continues to violate disabled people’s rights.

“The next
Labour Government will incorporate the UN CRPD fully into UK law.”

Debbie
Abrahams MP, Shadow Secretary of State
for Work and Pensions,
responded to the concluding observations by UN Committee on Rights of Persons
with Disabilities on the initial UK report, said:
 
“The UN Committee, in making such a high number of recommendations to a nation
state, has found that this Tory government is still failing sick and disabled
people. Their damning report highlights what many disabled people already
know to be true, that they are being forced to bear the brunt of
failed Tory austerity policies.  The Committee also expressed
concerns about future rights for disabled people after Brexit.

“This confirms what
Labour has been saying all along, that the lack of progress on all Convention
articles, including cruel changes to social security and the punitive
sanctions regime, are causing real misery for sick and disabled people. 
 
“Labour will transform our social security system in partnership with disabled
people to ensure that, like our NHS, it is there for us all in our time of
need.  The next Labour Government will incorporate the UN CRPD fully into
UK law and immediately reverse the PIP regulations, as called for by the UN.”

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Diane Abbott,
Labour’s Shadow Home Secretary, commenting on a letter from the UK
Statistics Authority to the Home Office, highlighting concerns over leaked  migration figures, said:

“Under
this Tory Government one of the great offices of state has been brought into
disrepute.

“Whether
it is letters being erroneously sent out to EU nationals in order to propagate
Theresa May’s risible “hostile environment”, or leaked national statistics
being used to mislead the British people about the shambles that is Tory
immigration policy, ministers face some serious questions.

“How
can the public trust a word the Tories say on immigration when they feel the
need to leak information to mask the failure of their policy?”

Keir Starmer MP, Labour’s Shadow
Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, commenting on David Davis and
Michel Barnier’s joint press conference, said:

“After three rounds of
negotiations, real progress should have been made and in principle agreements
reached on all phase one issues. Instead, the two sides appear to be getting
further apart. 

"The
risk of not reaching the October deadline to move on to the main negotiations
is now very real; which increases the risk of Britain leaving with “no deal” in
March 2019.

"No
deal would be the worst possible outcome for the British people.

"Both
sides need to redouble efforts and work together to reach a strong Article 50
deal and a close future partnership. If more negotiating sessions need to be
added between now and the October deadline, they should be. Substantive
progress and clear outcomes are urgently needed.”

Tom
Watson MP, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and
Sport, commenting
on online gambling firm 888 being ordered to pay a record £7.8m penalty by the
Gambling Commission, said:

“This
outrageous case is more evidence of a gambling industry that needs to do more to
protect vulnerable customers – not exploit them. With 430,000 problem gamblers
in the UK, and over 2 million more at risk of addiction, the sector has to take
responsibility and help people not to bet more than they can afford.”