Rebecca Long-Bailey MP, Labour’s Shadow Secretary for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, commenting on today’s announcement that water bills are set to fall by up to £25 from 2020, said:

‘’Today’s announcement does not go far enough. The water industry is failing the majority of consumers, and only radical action can correct this market.

“In the last ten years, water companies have paid 1,000 times more in dividends to their shareholders than in tax. Some have even paid more in dividends than they have made in profit, running up debt which is passed on to bill payers.

"Labour will fix this broken system and bring the water companies back into public ownership ensuring savings of £100 per year on household bills.’’

John
Healey MP, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, responding to new statistics on the
replacement of homes sold under the right-to-buy, said:

“These
figures show only one in five council homes sold under the right-to-buy has
been replaced, despite the Conservatives promising one-for-one replacement.

“We
desperately need more genuinely affordable homes, but the Conservatives’
right-to-buy means council homes are being sold off and communities are losing
out. Too often these homes become buy-to-let investments rather than family
homes, with higher rents costing the taxpayer millions more in housing benefit.

“Labour
will invest in the biggest council house building programme in more than 30
years, and to ensure that areas can build and retain council homes for local
people we will suspend the right-to-buy, allowing councils to reinstate it only
if they can prove a plan to replace homes sold one-for-one and like-for-like.”

Ends

Debbie
Abrahams MP, Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, commenting on the
ONS Labour Market Statistics today, said:

“Today’s
figures are further evidence of Tory economic failure, only a day after
inflation rose to its highest level in over five-and-half years.

“Both
employment and real wages are falling while the price of household essentials
balloons, leaving millions of people worse off than they were in 2010.

“Eight
million people in working households live in poverty, and many will struggle
this Christmas as a direct result of this government’s austerity policies.

“Labour
will protect living standards by introducing a £10 an hour real Living Wage,
scrapping the public sector pay cap and reforming the government’s failing
Universal Credit programme.”

Ends

Tom
Watson, Shadow Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, commenting on new NAO report that
finds significantly reduced income for good causes from the National Lottery,
said:

“This
report should set serious alarm bells ringing for those who are supposed to act
as stewards for the National Lottery.  

“The point
of the Lottery is to maximise returns for good causes not maximise returns for
the company holding the operating licence.

“While
Camelot have seen their shareholder profits from the Lottery rocket since 2010
the amount going to good causes over the same period has risen by a measly 2%,
and the 15% drop in good causes income in the last year is particularly
worrying.

“If money
for good causes is being hit by consumers moving towards scratchcards and away
from lottery draws then Camelot needs to act to address this, not hide behind
it.

“It’s now
clear that good causes are losing out while Camelot continues to win the
jackpot. The Government must act urgently to ensure Camelot does better- and
quickly.”

Tom
Watson, Shadow Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, commenting on new NAO report that
finds significantly reduced income for good causes from the National Lottery,
said:

“This
report should set serious alarm bells ringing for those who are supposed to act
as stewards for the National Lottery.  

“The point
of the Lottery is to maximise returns for good causes not maximise returns for
the company holding the operating licence.

“While
Camelot have seen their shareholder profits from the Lottery rocket since 2010
the amount going to good causes over the same period has risen by a measly 2%,
and the 15% drop in good causes income in the last year is particularly
worrying.

“If money
for good causes is being hit by consumers moving towards scratchcards and away
from lottery draws then Camelot needs to act to address this, not hide behind
it.

“It’s now
clear that good causes are losing out while Camelot continues to win the
jackpot. The Government must act urgently to ensure Camelot does better- and
quickly.”