Commenting on today’s announcement by Alan Johnson on treating patients in mixed-sex accommodation, Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Secretary, Norman Lamb said: “The Government has shifted the goalposts on its promise to end mixed-sex wards.”

“Labour spin doctors are trying to cover up twelve years of empty promises by shifting the discussion to mixed accommodation.

“Today’s proposals are nothing more than a fig leaf to cover up ministers’ total failure to end mixed-sex wards in the NHS.”

Only one third of child maintenance arrears have been collected from non-resident parents in December under the schemes latest rules, down from 40% in the previous month, new analysis by the Liberal Democrats has highlighted.

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, Steve Webb said:

“The CSA is only collecting one pound in three of the money owed to families under its current rules.

“This failure will have a big impact on many of the poorest families who depend on maintenance payments to make ends meet.  

“The Government has trumpeted its plans to abolish child poverty, but these figures suggest that the situation could get worse, especially as the recession bites.  

“After a decade of botched reform, the CSA is still letting down vulnerable children. It is time ministers stopped talking tough and took effective action to sort out the shambles at the Child Support Agency.”

Commenting on today’s [Wednesday] Passenger Focus survey, which shows that less than half of all train passengers feel they are getting value for money, Liberal Democrat Shadow Transport Secretary, Norman Baker said: “Britain’s railways are the most expensive in Europe, so it is little wonder that passengers feel they are not getting value for money.”

“By forcing fares up above inflation year after year and demanding higher premiums from train companies, the Government is effectively demanding passengers pay a ticket tax.
 
“Travelling by train should be affordable and easy, so that people see it as a real alternative to polluting cars on congested roads.”

Commenting on today’s [Wednesday] Audit Commission report, Liberal Democrat Shadow Culture, Media and Sport Secretary, Don Foster said: “There are many hugely exciting projects helping to prevent anti-social behaviour and they should be applauded.”

“Sadly, many potentially beneficial schemes are being hampered by unnecessary red tape and a lack of clear information about the funding and support available.
 
“The Government must allow more people to make decisions at a local level, making it easier for organisations to find out what funding is available and act in partnership with other local organisations.”

Commenting on today’s [Wednesday] Daycare Trust report which reveals childcare costs have increased by 5% in the last year, Liberal Democrat Childrens Spokesperson, Annette Brooke said: “These rising costs will come as a real blow to the many families already struggling to make ends meet.”

“It is now becoming almost impossible to find good quality, flexible and affordable childcare.
 
“More support must be given to families as the recession really starts to bite. Liberal Democrat proposals would give all families access to free, good quality childcare.”

Commenting on today’s Commission for Social Care Inspection’s report that reveals a fifth of social care places purchased by councils were in poor or adequate adult care homes, Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Secretary, Norman Lamb said: “It is completely indefensible that people are still living in inadequate care homes.”

“Vast numbers of older and disabled people are being forced to live in unacceptable conditions.

“While the Government has focussed on increasing funding for the health service, social care has been neglected.

“Despite ministers’ rhetoric, reform is still moving at a snail’s pace.”

Commenting on today’s ONS figures which reveal older pensioners are spending 40% of their income on Council Tax and essentials such as food and heating, Liberal Democrat Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, Steve Webb said: “This Government has let pensioners down. Instead of enjoying their retirement many of Britain’s pensioners are struggling to pay their bills and have nothing left for the luxuries.”

“Ministers must restore the earnings link and scrap Council Tax to ease the burden on pensioners.”

The Government have introduced legislation making it harder for people to petition their local council. Over 8 pages of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill are dedicated to setting conditions on the form petitions to local councils can take. The section runs to 3,221 words of primary legislation, with further statutory guidance expected to follow.

Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords are mounting an attack on the Government’s ridiculous proposals to force local Councils in England and Wales to spend time and resources on setting up and managing these complicated bureaucratic procedures.

Commenting ahead of his attempt to remove the legislation from the Bill, Liberal Democrat Local Government Spokesperson Lord (Tony) Greaves said,

“This Bill gives councils the chance to throw out the vast majority of petitions they receive because they will not be ‘valid’ according to the bureaucratic and legalistic rules they want to set into law.

“Far from helping people to put forward their views, they will make it a lot harder.

“I have been an elected Councillor for about thirty years in total and I have been a member of the Lords for nearly nine years and I have never seen anything quite as silly as this.

“It’s Gulliver politics. This Lilliputian government is seeking to tie up Councils in red tape and detailed rules which will cover every single thing they do, just as Gulliver was tied up on the beach.”

“Instead of wasting councils’ time and resources, they should be freeing councils’ hands to provide support to local people during the economic crisis.”

Following the decision of the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) to halt funding decisions for college rebuilding, the Liberal Democrats have tabled a Parliamentary motion urging ministers to intervene as a matter of urgency.

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Shadow Innovations, University and Skills Secretary, Stephen Williams said:
 
“Putting such a large-scale construction project on hold flies in the face of the Government’s claims of investing to kick start the economy.  The very people meant to be implementing this programme are currently rowing in the opposite direction.
 
“Colleges have had to fork out large sums of their own money to make their applications to the LSC.  This delay is putting even greater strain on their already tight budgets.
 
“At a time when ministers should be looking to support the building industry, large scale projects are being put at risk. 
 
“The Government must now ensure that the LSC starts granting approval to existing applications as a matter of urgency.”

Commenting on today’s ONS statistics that reveal the death toll from alcohol has doubled since 1991, Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Secretary, Norman Lamb said: “Despite a slight improvement on last year, these shocking figures show that the Government’s strategy to tackle alcohol abuse is still failing.”

“The doubling of the death toll from alcohol since the 1990s is deeply disturbing.

“Ministers must stop neglecting alcohol treatment services and wake up to the devastating toll of this national epidemic.”