Richard Burgon, Labour’s Shadow Justice
Secretary, commenting on HM Chief Inspector of Prisons’ Annual Report for
2016-17, said:

“This report makes it clear that the crisis in our prisons is
getting worse by the day.

“Our prisons are becoming ever more dangerous for prisoners and
staff alike. Assaults on staff are up by over a third and it is a stain on the
nation that not a single young offenders institute inspected was deemed safe.

“The Conservative Government’s failure to get a grip of this
crisis, including dropping prison reform from the Queen’s Speech, is making it
more difficult to turn prisoner’s lives around and to reduce risk to the
public.

“Drastic Conservative cuts to prison budgets and staff numbers are
driving this prisons crisis. Labour would tackle it by recruiting thousands of
new prisons officers and increasing staff retention by improving terms and
conditions.”

Paul Blomfield MP,
Labour’s Shadow Minister for Exiting the EU, commenting on the House of Lords EU
Committee report on Brexit: the EU data protection package, said:

“Labour has
repeatedly raised concerns about security information and data sharing, which
we heavily rely on to investigate and prevent terrorism. 

“It’s
clear that the Government has no idea what maintaining close criminal justice
and law enforcement ties with our European neighbours will look like, and no
plan to make data sharing work.

“The
Government’s chaotic approach to the Brexit negotiations and intransigent red
line on the European Court of Justice, meaning we could crash out without a
deal on anything, risks threatening our safety.”

Today, Labour’s Shadow Treasury
Team challenged the failing economic record of this anarchic Cabinet at the
final Treasury Questions of the parliamentary session.

The Chancellor and his team’s
performance proves beyond a doubt that he has no answer on low pay, no answer
on tackling tax avoidance and no answer on the disastrous impact that leaving
the EU without a transitional arrangement will have on British jobs.

It is clear Labour is ready as a
government-in-waiting – ready to replace a chaotic and bitterly divided
Conservative Party.

John McDonnell MP, Labour’s Shadow
Chancellor, speaking
after Treasury Questions, said:

“A multi-millionaire Chancellor,
on £145,000 a year, living in two grace and favour properties at taxpayers’
expense, and renting out another property for a reported £10,000 per month,
should not attack public sector workers – our hospital cleaners, nurses,
teachers and firefighters – as overpaid.

“Today, the out of touch
Chancellor has once again refused to take the opportunity to apologise to our
public sector workers. Millions of public sector workers will have been left
bitterly disappointed by the Chancellor’s failure to commit to doing the right
thing and adopt Labour’s proposals to lift the public sector pay cap.”

Jonathan Ashworth MP, Labour’s Shadow Health Secretary, commenting on the findings of Sir Michael Marmot, said:  

“The slowing rate of life expectancy improvement since 2010 is an alarming revelation which reflects this Government’s failings to improve the health of our nation.

“Sir Michael Marmot rightly raises his concerns around inadequate health and social care funding, especially compared with other Western European countries. Theresa May’s sustained underfunding of our health service is clearly damaging life chances of the most vulnerable in our society. 

“The next Labour Government will ensure our health and care system is properly funded so our children are given the best possible start in life, and older people are treated with the respect and dignity they deserve.”

Sharon
Hodgson MP, Labour’s Shadow Minister for Public Health, commenting on
the new Tobacco Control Plan, said:

“Labour
have long campaigned for a new Tobacco Control Plan, including a commitment in
our 2017 manifesto, while the Government have dithered and delayed for eighteen
months. In the House of Commons this month, in response to my question about
this, Ministers finally committed to publishing the plan this summer.

“Whilst
the plan sets out a bold approach to creating a smoke-free society, with a
shift from national action to local action, what it fails to do is recognise
the deep cuts being inflicted upon local councils who are seeing their public
health budgets slashed.

“This
plan can only be effective if the right level of funding is found to implement
it, otherwise it is doomed to fail. Ministers cannot go on any longer ignoring
the implications of their short-sighted cuts to public health budgets, which
are vital to improving our nation’s and our NHS’s health.”