Commenting on Thursday’s votes on MPs pay, Liberal Democrat Shadow Leader of the House of Commons, Simon Hughes said:

"Today was a bad day for openness and accountability for MPs. The Commons had the chance to vote for proper auditing of all we do but an unholy coalition of Labour and Conservative MPs prevented it.

"Liberal Democrats strongly supported the recommendations of the Speaker’s Committee to tighten up on allowances and much regret that we were prevented from doing so."

Commenting on the US court ruling that Google must hand over all its YouTube user data to Viacom, Liberal Democrat Shadow Culture, Media and Sport Secretary, Don Foster said:

"This ruling sets a very worrying precedent for the future of the internet, with internet users’ personal details being passed around different corporations without consent.

"Action needs to be taken against piracy but this cannot be at the expense of internet users’ security.

"I am also deeply concerned about the implications this ruling has on UK consumers.

"If Google hands over information about its UK customers, it could contravene our data protection laws."

Commenting on today’s Taxpayers’ Alliance report on the costs of crime, Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne said:

"The costs of crime are shocking whether calculated financially, with violent crime accounting for half of the total at £8.5 billion, or in its human dimension.

"Ministers must stop directing the police from Whitehall and allow them to respond to the concerns of local people.

"Over-centralisation and the ridiculous targets system have left police forces unaccountable to local people and tangled in red tape."

Commenting on the report published today by education charity DEA, which finds that one in five schoolchildren are ‘globally illiterate’ due to a failure to teach them about world events, Liberal Democrat Shadow Children, Schools and Families Secretary, David Laws MP said:

"These are astonishing results given the huge range of modern technologies and access to information that are now available.

"Too much of what goes on in schools is dictated by Government ministers. This has made it very difficult for teachers to cover many topical subjects in the classroom.

"Teachers need the freedom to teach an engaging and relevant curriculum, which opens children’s minds and encourages them to be thoughtful and tolerant citizens."

Commenting on today’s RAC Foundation report calling for a root and branch review of motoring taxation, Liberal Democrat Shadow Transport Secretary, Norman Baker said:

"I support the RAC in its call for a review of motoring taxes.

"The current system isn’t working and hits those without a choice the hardest.

"We need a system that discourages environmentally damaging behaviour and makes sure that travellers without any other option than their car are not penalised unfairly.

"The Government should work towards introducing revenue neutral motorway and trunk road pricing by abolishing Vehicle Excise Duty and cutting fuel duty. This would encourage a switch from cars to trains, while saving rural drivers money."

Commenting on today’s NAO report on the MoD’s Defence Information Infrastructure Programme, which highlights delays and budget overruns, Liberal Democrat Shadow Defence Secretary, Nick Harvey said:

"This report is yet more evidence of the Government’s incompetence when it comes to the procurement of major IT contracts.

"It is especially worrying that the risk of escalating costs threatens the MoD’s ability to meet the programme’s requirements.

"At a time when our armed services are already massively overstretched abroad, Britain cannot afford a further drain on its defence budget."

Commenting on figures that show feasibility studies into aborted plans to buy two private jets to carry Gordon Brown and the Royal Family cost £1.25m, Liberal Democrat Shadow Transport Secretary, Norman Baker said:

"This is unbelievable and outrageous. Gordon Brown is burning money like a jet plane burns fuel.

"How on earth can it cost over £1 million just to decide whether or not to buy a plane? I could have told them the answer for nothing - don’t."

Commenting ahead of the International Cricket Council (ICC) meeting tomorrow, which is due to discuss Zimbabwe’s membership, Liberal Democrat Shadow Culture, Media and Sport Secretary, Don Foster said:

"It is extremely important that all members of the ICC recognise the appalling situation in Zimbabwe.

"The ICC must ban Zimbabwe’s cricket team from all international matches. It is unacceptable for Zimbabwe to be represented on the world stage while Mugabe’s tyranny continues.

"The cricket world should take a stand in order to register a protest against the abuses occurring there."

Responding to the Biometric Assurance Group’s (BAG) comments that officials could struggle to cope with the number of mismatched or unclear fingerprints, Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne said:

"Far from being the gold standard of identity as the Government claimed, the experts are now clear that the ID card scheme will be riddled with errors and vulnerable to fraud.

"If ministers lose your bank account and benefit details, these can be changed. If they lose your fingerprints, the cost of cosmetic surgery is in a different league.

"The Government has proved time and again that it cannot be trusted with sensitive data. Ministers will be totally incapable of maintaining the security of the enormous identity database. This unnecessary, intrusive and extravagant plan should be scrapped immediately."

New figures released today show that the Department for Work and Pensions has been forced to spend £52m compensating people for mistakes made over the last 6 years.

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, Jenny Willott said:

"These figures reveal how endemic and costly official error is at the DWP. Ministers have turned a blind eye as the cost of these mistakes has risen.

"Not only is it hurting the public purse, it is hurting those most in need who rely on these payments to make ends meet.

"The benefits system is so complex that even officials don’t understand it. It must be simplified to cut out the mistakes and fraud that are proving so costly to the taxpayer."