Jack
Dromey MP, Shadow Minister for Labour, commenting on the Unpaid Work Experience
(Prohibition) Bill 2017-19 to limit unpaid internships to four weeks, said:

“Unpaid
internships disadvantage people from poorer families. It’s simply not fair for
some to get a leg up in their careers when others cannot afford the
opportunity. Labour will ban unpaid internships to ensure no one is prevented
from gaining professional experience because of their background.“

Rebecca
Long-Bailey MP, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Energy and
Industrial Strategy,
commenting on a survey by Santander and the Engineering Employers Federation,
said:

“This is
yet further evidence that the Government’s chaotic handling of the Brexit
negotiations is holding our economy back. 

“With the
Tory Cabinet too busy negotiating amongst themselves to make real progress in
the Brexit talks, it’s no wonder businesses are reluctant to invest. 

“The next
Labour government will introduce a bold industrial strategy, work with our European
neighbours to provide certainty for businesses and negotiate a jobs-first
Brexit that protects jobs, rights and living standards.”

Tracy
Brabin MP, Labour’s Shadow Early Years Minister, responding to
the poll by Action for Children on Children’s Centres, said:

“Tory
cuts to funding for children’s services are making it impossible for councils
to provide the support that children and families need.

“It
should shame ministers that they’re overseeing such a dramatic fall in these
services when nearly half of children fail to meet developmental milestones by
age five. It goes to show ‘social mobility’ is nothing but a catchphrase to
them.

“With
Sure Start Centres closing across the country at an alarming rate, as their
funding continues to be slashed, there are more and more children who need
support, but are not able to access it because of this Government.

“The
next Labour Government will provide these vital services with the funding they
need, including a ring-fenced grant of £500 million a year for Sure Start.”

Peter
Dowd MP, Labour’s Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury, responding to
reports that the Treasury sought to conceal pay statistics, said:

“The
Conservative Government’s divide and rule tactics must end.“

“Phillip
Hammond has sought to pit private sector workers against public sector workers,
to justify a pay cap which has seen real wages slashed in our public services.

“The
figures revealed by the GMB today show that last year public sector wages were
below the private sector, despite Hammond continuing to publicly demonise our
public servants.

“Hammond’s
subterfuge on public sector pay cannot be allowed to continue. Labour is
committed to seeing parliament and the hard working public sector workers
receive the answers they deserve around this Tory stitch-up.”

John Healey MP, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, responding to Sajid
Javid’s comments on the housing crisis on the Andrew Marr Show this morning,
said:

“If hot air built homes, Ministers would have fixed our
housing crisis. Any promise of new investment is welcome, but the reality
is spending on new affordable homes has been slashed since 2010
so new affordable housebuilding is at a 24 year low.

"Rather than set more targets they can’t meet,
Ministers should back Labour’s plan to build 100,000 genuinely affordable homes
a year, including the biggest council housebuilding programme in more than 30
years.”