Baroness
(Angela) Smith of Basildon, Labour’s Leader in the House of Lords, in response
to reports of potential government concessions on the Article 50 Bill, said:

“Reports
that the Government is considering a serious concession on parliamentary
engagement and a vote on the negotiations are welcome.

“What
happens next is a pivotal moment and will determine the tone and trust in the
weeks, months and years to come on this issue.

“Ministers
have rightly conceded the need for a vote before the deal is concluded and we
welcome that.

“Our
amendment on a vote on the outcome of negotiations has been drafted by taking
note of what happened in the Commons, including ministerial comments, as well
as expert advice from peers in the Lords debates. The Government will have
heard the senior cross bench peer and former Supreme Court judge Lord Hope’s
speech about the need for further
legislation should this Bill not be amended.

“We
believe we would win that vote. The Government of course could try to overturn
it in the Commons.

“But
rather than Ministers just holding to the line that they won’t amend the bill
but will make a statement on the record, it would be a positive and mature
signal for future progress of legislation if having accepted the principle they
write this into the bill.”

Ends

Richard
Burgon MP, Labour’s Shadow Justice Secretary, responding to the Government’s
Prison and Courts Bill, said:

“While
there are some welcome proposals, overall this is a damp squib from a Tory
Party who have no solutions to the problems they have created in the justice
system

“We
were promised the ‘biggest overhaul of prisons in a generation’ but there is no
plan to deal with understaffing and overcrowding – the two biggest challenges
facing the prison system.

“A
duty on prisons to reform is of course welcome. But without a plan to back it
up, this is simply a symbolic gesture.

“Labour
is open to Governors having greater autonomy, but this must not become a way
for Ministers to simply shift responsibility for their policy failures
elsewhere.

“And
the Chief Inspector of Prisons has already queried whether league tables could
be meaningful.

“Preventing
cross examination of victims of domestic violence by the perpetrator is
welcome. However, the Tories’ reckless cuts to legal aid have greatly
contributed to this unacceptable situation.”

Diane Abbott MP, Labour’s Shadow Home
Secretary, responding to the release of the
latest migration statistics, said:

“The Tories’ immigration policy is a
complete mess. Despite their claims, they are still nowhere near to achieving
their unworkable target.

“The Tories blame the EU for this,
but EU and non-EU long-term migration are the same, and each of them is way
over 100,000 by themselves. The ONS are clear there was no statistically
significant fall in net migration numbers. 

“The only significant drop was in
international students, who enrich our education system and the wider economy
and whose decline will make us all worse off.”

Paul
Blomfield MP, Shadow Brexit Minister, responding to a BMA report that reveals
more than four in ten European doctors are considering leaving the UK following
Brexit, said:

“Labour
has been warning the Government for months now that its failure to guarantee the
status of Europeans living and working here is not in the national interest.

“These
findings from the BMA are a stark wakeup call about the consequences of this
uncertainty for a health service already at breaking point.

“The
Government must act urgently and guarantee the status of Europeans – for our
health service, for our economy and to create goodwill amongst our future
negotiating partners.

“It’s
failure to do so is an act of self-harm.”

Andy
McDonald MP, Labour’s Shadow Transport Secretary, responding to
Transport Secretary Chris Grayling’s refusal to commit to delivering schemes in
the Government’s Road Investment Strategy at today’s Transport Questions, said:

“The
Office of Rail and Road report into Highways England showed the Government’s
Road Investment Strategy to be in chaos. The agency are over budget, behind
schedule and serious doubts have been cast on whether promised investment will
be delivered on time, if at all.

“The
Road Investment Strategy is beginning to look like a wish-list rather than a
deliverable plan to improve England’s road network. The government must
reassure the public that promised works won’t be cancelled or delayed, and they
should explain how they will guarantee road users’ safety following their
failure to manage investment in England’s roads.”