Barbara
Keeley, Labour’s Shadow Cabinet Minister for Social Care, commenting on an
investigation by the Health Service Journal and Disability United, which
reveals that Clinical Commissioning Groups are drawing up new
restrictions governing care for older and disabled people, said:

“It
is deeply worrying that thousands of vulnerable people could be forced to move
into care homes against their will just because that is a cheaper option than
living at home.

“Evicting
older or disabled people from their homes due to decisions about the cost of
their care is unacceptable. This could also affect people who need care at home
at the end of their lives.

“Tory
Health Minsters should be acting to address the challenges on the costs of
care. The Government must ensure that the NHS and social care has the funding
it needs.”

Debbie
Abrahams MP, Labour’s Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, commenting on the
Government’s two child limit on tax credits, said:

“An arbitrary cap on the number of
children that the Government will support is not only cruel, but is bad policy.
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.

“Of equal concern is the lack of detail surrounding the so-called ‘rape
clause’. Should the burden of proof be placed upon survivors of rape by the
Department for Work and Pensions, this would constitute a wholly unacceptable
extension of the Department’s remit into deeply sensitive areas of women’s
lives.

“People would be right to feel little
confidence in the Government’s competence when approaching this highly
sensitive issue. More so when viewed in the context of the punitive DWP culture
fostered by this government.

“The sum of these deeply concerning
questions, which hang over the policy as a whole, suggests that the only
solution can be to scrap this policy once and for all. I urge the Prime
Minister to do so before it takes effect.”

Ends

John Healey MP, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Housing,
commenting on the latest rough sleeping statistics released today, said:

“It is a national scandal that in England in the 21^st
century the number of people forced to sleep rough on our streets is spiralling
upwards – and this is only the tip of the iceberg.

“These figures are a terrible reminder of the consequences of
Conservative Ministers’ seven years of failure on housing.

“The number of people sleeping rough fell under Labour but has
more than doubled since 2010, and has risen every year under the
Conservatives. 

“This is a direct result of decisions made by Conservative
Ministers: a steep drop in investment for affordable homes, crude cuts to
housing benefit, reduced funding for homelessness services, and a refusal to
help private renters.

“Ministers’ long-promised housing white paper will fall at the
first hurdle if it does not set out how they will end the national shame of
rough sleeping, as Labour has committed to do.”

Keir
Starmer MP, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, commenting on
the Government’s announcement that they will publish a White Paper, said:

“This
is a significant and welcome U-turn from the Prime Minister.

“Labour
has repeatedly called for the Government to publish a plan for Brexit before
Article 50 is triggered and we made clear Labour would table amendments on this
to the Article 50 Bill.

“This
U-turn comes just 24 hours after David Davis seemed to rule out a White Paper,
and failed to answer repeated questions from MPs on all sides of the House.

“The
Prime Minister now needs to confirm that this White Paper will be published in
time to inform the Article 50 process, and that it will clear up the
inconsistencies, gaps and risks outlined in her speech.”

Sarah Champion MP, Labour’s
Secretary of State for Women and Equalities, responding to a joint report from the parliamentary committees for
Petitions and for Women and Equalities, said:

“All
workers deserve dignity, safety and equality in the workplace and respectful
dress codes must be part of that.

“The
Government’s insistence that the status quo is adequate on this issue is
clearly not true. This report is clear that many women feel compelled to wear
discriminatory outfits at work or face disciplinary action.

“Labour
urges the Government to undertake its own review into lack of compliance
amongst employers in this area and to bring forward suggestions on how greater
equality in the workplace can be realised.”