Diane Abbott MP, Labour’s Shadow
Home Secretary, speaking in response to comments from the independent
anti-slavery commissioner, said:

“The criticisms
of the National Crime Agency’s failure to tackle slavery are very serious.

“The claim that modern
slavery offences are just lying dormant on the NCA database because these
crimes are not taken seriously is deeply troubling. The NCA is accountable for
its performance to the Home Secretary, so Amber Rudd has serious questions to answer.”

Diane Abbott MP, Labour’s Shadow Home Secretary, responding to
the comments from the Home Secretary on increased use of stop and search,
said: 

“Labour supports evidence-based stop and search, not a return to
the bad old days of discriminatory stops that focus on particular communities.

“Police officers should be confident in doing their job, but the
Tories have overseen a huge cut in police numbers. Simply granting police
additional powers won’t make up for that shortfall. Labour in government will
recruit 10,000 extra police officers to help tackle violent crime and keep the
public and our communities safe.

“The Government should stop trying to con the public by attempting
to cover up their failure to tackle rising violent crime – when the crime stats
were released they insisted crime was falling, but now want to increase stop
and search.“

Andrew Gwynne MP, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Communities
and Local Government, responding to analysis by the Local Government Association on
children’s social care budgets, said:

“The LGA, which represents councils from every part of the
country, has spoken with one voice and are telling us that children’s social
services are on the brink of collapse.

“This isn’t the view of a few local councils, these are local
authorities from every part of the country and they are reporting very serious
disparities in the care they can provide due to budget cuts.

“Councils have worked hard to make savings, but they are running
out of options. We all want every single child, no matter their geography or
family situation, to receive the best care and protection when needed, but
right now, that is not happening.

“This is yet another sign of the government’s misplaced priorities
– they can find a £1 billion bung for the DUP to stay in the job but are
failing to provide the funding children’s services desperately need.”

Diane
Abbott MP, Shadow Home Secretary, in response to figures that show just five per cent of refugees resettled under the
Governments refugee scheme have disabilities, despite estimates that more
than 1 in 5 escaping Syria is disabled, said:

“This is
truly appalling and an all new low in this government’s treatment of refugees.

“Just
over a year ago when Theresa May made her first speech as Prime Minister she
said “ a disability or a health condition should never dictate the path a
person is able to take”, but this has clearly been a factor blocking the
legitimate right of vulnerable refugees to seek asylum in this country.  

“We know
that offers from councils to host refugees have not been taken up in full, the
Dubs scheme has been halted and now this. This Tory government’s treatment of
refugees is simply not in line with British values.”

New
research published today by the Labour Party shows that nearly half of
England’s maternity units closed to new mothers at some point in 2016.

Data
obtained by Labour under the Freedom of Information Act shows:

·        
42 hospital trusts which responded to an
FOI request say they temporarily closed maternity wards to new admissions at
some point in 2016

·        
Some closures lasted more
than 24 hours, while over ten trusts shut temporarily on more than ten separate
occasions each

·        
In 2016 there were 382
occasions when units had to close their doors, a 70 per cent increase from 2014

·        
Hospitals report capacity
and staffing issues as most common reason for closures

Jonathan
Ashworth MP, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Health, said:

“These
findings show the devastating impact which Tory underfunding is having for
mothers and children across the country. It is staggering that almost half of
maternity units in England had to close to new mothers at some point in 2016.
The uncertainty for so many women just when they need the NHS most is
unthinkable. 

“Under
this Government, maternity units are understaffed and under pressure. It’s
shameful that pregnant women are being turned away due to staff shortages, and
shortages of beds and cots in maternity units.

“Families
are being sorely let down by this Government’s failure to recognise the crisis
facing our NHS. The Tories need to get a grip and take urgent action to make
sure closures like this don’t continue to happen.”