Andy
McDonald, Labour’s Shadow Transport Secretary, commenting on
reports that engineering firm CH2M has pulled out of a deal to provide rail
lines for phase 2b of HS2, said:

“It’s
remarkable the Department of Transport failed to do proper due diligence on
this multi-million pound bid.

“How
could ministers not realise giving CH2M a £170m contract when HS2’S new chief
executive and his predecessor both worked for the firm was a massive
conflict of interest?

“There
seems to have been a revolving door between CH2M and HS2 which must be
investigated. This is just as big a mess as the Department of Transport’s
mishandling of the West Coast franchise bid.

“Chris
Grayling must come to the House of Commons at the earliest opportunity to
explain how this bidding process was allowed to derail. They chose to bury the
bad news on Article 50 day. There must now be an inquiry into the serious
errors surrounding this bid and the Government must get the construction of
HS2, which Labour supports, back on track.”

Cat
Smith MP, Labour’s Shadow Minister for Voter Engagement and Youth Affairs, commenting on the
Association of Young People’s Health 2017 report, said:

“Labour
welcomes this report showing positive downward trends in teenage pregnancy and
substance use.

“However,
the Tories are short-changing young people when it comes to their mental
health. It is completely unacceptable that only 0.7 per cent of NHS funding is
spent on young people’s mental health while 11 per cent of the NHS budget is
spent on mental health services overall.

“I
urge this Government to end their distorted austerity agenda, which is hitting
young people disproportionately, and start promoting youth-friendly health
services.”

Richard
Burgon MP, Labour’s Shadow Justice Secretary, responding to recent comments from Lords Neuberger and Thomas before the
Lords Constitution Committee, said:

“Liz
Truss encouraged the judiciary to speak out and now two of them have – both to
criticise her failure to defend the job they do. Instead of deflecting and
ducking, the Justice Secretary should accept that she failed her first test in
the job and apologise.”

Teresa Pearce, Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local
Government, responding to the National Audit Office report on the 100 per cent
business rate retention scheme, said:

“Today’s report confirms what we have long suspected: the
Government is playing dangerous games with local government finances, and in
turn, is putting our vital public services in jeopardy.

“The NAO have stated that implementing 100 per cent business
rates retention before the Government’s Fair Funding Review has been published
will result in an untested and potentially unfair system being imposed on
already struggling councils. In the context of seven years of brutal and
relentless cuts to local government, that is a risk that councils cannot
afford. That is why Labour has continually called for 100 per cent
business rate retention to be delayed until after the Fair Funding Review is
complete.

“The report also finds that the research has not been
done into whether business rate retention is genuinely driving economic growth,
and the resources do not exist to do so sufficiently. As it stands, this scheme
is ideologically-driven but lacks any solid evidence base. 

“Local government is facing a £5.8billion funding gap by 2020.
There is a national crisis in social care with 1.2million frail elderly people
and one in five vulnerable disabled people being left lonely and isolated. Libraries,
youth centres and Sure Start centres have closed. Child protection services are
creaking, and homelessness is rising. Public services provided by local
councils are the lifeblood of our communities and the Government must think
more carefully before implementing these potentially catastrophic changes.”

Debbie
Abrahams MP, Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, commenting on
the Work and Pensions Select Committee’s report on the youth obligation, said:

“The
current headline employment figures mask shocking barriers faced by some groups
in our society trying to find a job. Sadly there is even evidence of direct
discrimination.”

“The
Government’s own statistics show a wide gap in employment between different
regions, and the evidence points to major disadvantages faced by women, BME
groups and disabled people.”

“The
Government should stop patting themselves on the back, fix their broken
Universal Credit roll out, tackle the ‘burning injustices’ many young people
face and get on with helping young people find a job.”