Labour

Peter Dowd MP, Labour’s Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury, commenting on the Public Accounts Committee report into Concentrix, said:

“The findings by the Public Accounts Committee reaffirms the Government’s continued inability to take responsibility for the shambolic decision to contract out tax credits to Concentrix. It is now crystal clear that Concentrix should never have been awarded the contact.

“This damning report reveals what many of us have long suspected, first that neither HMRC nor Concentrix bothered to check for error or fraud before suspending tax credits to some of the most vulnerable in our society.

“ Secondly, that Concentrix’s claims of mass savings were inflated from the start; they have barely recouped one fifth of their initial savings figure. Third, that HMRC is woefully ill-equipped to outsource such important decisions to the private sector, instead of penalising Concentrix for mistakes HMRC tripled its commission. 

“This whole saga makes a mockery of the current tendering process. Given these damning findings, Concentrix should be banned from any future Government contracts and the Government should seek to recoup the majority of its commission.”

Peter Dowd MP, Labour’s Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury, commenting on the Public Accounts Committee report into Concentrix, said:

“The findings by the Public Accounts Committee reaffirms the Government’s continued inability to take responsibility for the shambolic decision to contract out tax credits to Concentrix. It is now crystal clear that Concentrix should never have been awarded the contact.

“This damning report reveals what many of us have long suspected, first that neither HMRC nor Concentrix bothered to check for error or fraud before suspending tax credits to some of the most vulnerable in our society.

“ Secondly, that Concentrix’s claims of mass savings were inflated from the start; they have barely recouped one fifth of their initial savings figure. Third, that HMRC is woefully ill-equipped to outsource such important decisions to the private sector, instead of penalising Concentrix for mistakes HMRC tripled its commission. 

“This whole saga makes a mockery of the current tendering process. Given these damning findings, Concentrix should be banned from any future Government contracts and the Government should seek to recoup the majority of its commission.”

Paul Blomfield MP, Labour’s Shadow Minister for Exiting the European Union, commenting on the 6 percent fall in applications from non-UK European Union students, said:

“These latest UCAS figures show yet another drop in applications from non-UK EU students to our universities.

“The Government’s failure to provide certainty to non-UK European citizens living, working and studying here is harming our world-class universities.

“The Government urgently needs to provide answers on how it will keep the UK as an attractive university destination for EU students, as we leave the EU.

“Thousands of jobs depend on it, as well as the diversity of our campuses and cities.

“One of Labour’s six tests for the final Brexit deal is a strong and collaborative future relationship with the EU. Strengthening our education exports is a vital part of this.”

Paul Blomfield MP, Labour’s Shadow Minister for Exiting the European Union, commenting on the 6 percent fall in applications from non-UK European Union students, said:

“These latest UCAS figures show yet another drop in applications from non-UK EU students to our universities.

“The Government’s failure to provide certainty to non-UK European citizens living, working and studying here is harming our world-class universities.

“The Government urgently needs to provide answers on how it will keep the UK as an attractive university destination for EU students, as we leave the EU.

“Thousands of jobs depend on it, as well as the diversity of our campuses and cities.

“One of Labour’s six tests for the final Brexit deal is a strong and collaborative future relationship with the EU. Strengthening our education exports is a vital part of this.”

Debbie Abrahams MP, Labour’s Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, commenting on the Joseph Rowntree Foundation report, which shows the Tory Government’s two child benefit limit could push 200,000 children into poverty, said:

“Labour is calling on the Tories to scrap this inhumane policy, which will have a devastating impact upon many families on the lowest incomes in our society.

“An arbitrary cap on the number of children that the Government will help families to bring up is not only cruel, but is bad policy. This evidence shows that it will increase child poverty.

“As 90 per cent of lone parents are female it is a further example of how these six years of wasted austerity have been borne on the backs of low income mothers.

“That’s why Labour will stand up for low income families, including providing free school meals to all primary school children.”