Baroness Kennedy of Cradley

We fully recognise the scale of challenges facing creative and cultural professionals wishing to tour and work in Europe. We appreciate that these challenges could not only deny European audiences the opportunity to experience British talent, but also limit opportunities for our artists to collaborate and build their careers. Cultural exchange has long been a cornerstone of the UK-EU relationship, which is why we have made a manifesto pledge to both help our touring artists and reset our wider relationship with the European Union.

We are already working collaboratively with our sectors to address key issues and are engaging with the EU and EU Member States, with a view to improving arrangements for artists working and touring across the European continent without seeing a return to free movement. This is a priority for the government.

The Government recognises the vital importance of culture and heritage in all parts of the country, particularly heritage in post-industrial towns where brass bands continue to play an important local role. We also remain fully committed to supporting music in all its forms and broadening people’s access to a diverse range of music genres.

Arts Council England, which is funded by taxpayers and National Lottery players, works with Brass Bands England who are a National Portfolio organisation in receipt of c.£406,000 of funding per annum to support the brass bands sector. A significant portion of their activity is focused on encouraging children and young people to participate in brass bands.

The Arts Council also funds The National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain (NYBBGB) via the National Portfolio with funding of c.£100,000 per annum. NYBBGB is the UK’s leading brass band charity for children and young people. They exist to give the brightest young brass and percussion musicians the opportunity to develop their musicianship and inspire others.

Between 2022 and 2024, Arts Council England will be investing over £4.5 million into organisations whose main focus is promoting Brass Bands.

The Government recognises the vital role that the arts, including theatre, play for people and communities in all parts of this country, and delivers funding to theatres primarily through Arts Council England (ACE).

Arts should not be the preserve of the privileged few. It is a priority for this government and ACE to support more people to access great theatre, via funding programmes such as Project Grants and the National Portfolio. ACE’s regional theatre National Portfolio Organisations (NPOs) are key to delivering this priority, with many of their funded venues delivering high quality productions every year.

Since 2022, the Arts Council has invested nearly £43 million into community theatres, supporting theatres like the award winning Little Bulb Theatre in Mendip, which receives £720,000 per annum which will help the theatre continue to engage with community groups close to its home base in rural Somerset; and the Royal & Derngate in Northampton, that received £300,000 towards costs and loss of income relating to RAAC (reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete) identified in the building and the mitigating actions it took in response.

We are dedicated to supporting every aspect of women’s sport and ensuring all women and girls, no matter their background, are able to participate in sport and physical activity.

Karen Carney OBE’s Review of Women’s Football set out a route to lift minimum standards and deliver bold and sustainable growth. It included recommendations on meaningful access to facilities, player welfare and development of the talent pathway for women and girls across the country. The Minister for Sport recently convened all parties with recommendations in the review to press them for tangible progress.

The Football Foundation, the charity funded by the Government, the Football Association and the Premier League, has committed to implementing recommendations from a recent independent review to ensure new minimum standards for women and girls at funded sites. This includes guaranteeing a share of priority slots to women’s and girls’ teams, setting up a new small grants programme, specifically targeted at creating female-friendly facilities off the pitch, and ensuring refreshed Local Football Facility Plans reflect the growth in women and girls' football.

Sport England’s ‘Accessible and Inclusive Sports Facilities’ guidance also supports grassroots sporting venues to provide well designed spaces for female users.

On 21 November, the Foreign Secretary launched his campaign to tackle illicit finance and corruption. Tackling financial secrecy by raising the bar on corporate transparency globally, including in partnership with the Overseas Territories, will be an important priority within this campaign.

At the Joint Ministerial Council last month, I confirmed the UK Government's expectation that OTs implement fully public registers of beneficial ownership. Fully public registers have already been introduced in Montserrat and Gibraltar, and commitments were made by the Falkland Islands and Saint Helena to introduce these by April 2025. Saint Helena has recently passed relevant legislation.

Anguilla, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands and the Turks and Caicos Islands committed to implement registers of beneficial ownership accessible to those with legitimate interest, which offer the maximum possible degree of access and transparency whilst containing the necessary safeguards to protect the right to privacy in line with respective constitutions, at the latest by June 2025.

FCDO Travel Advice provides information to British nationals on entry requirements for travelling overseas, including any visa requirements. Travel Advice pages are kept under regular review.

We continue to monitor the human rights situation in Zimbabwe. The UK continues to engage with the Government of Zimbabwe on the importance of upholding the rule of law, including constitutional rights to assembly and association and to ensure due process for all Zimbabweans. We are committed to maintaining a constructive dialogue with the Government of Zimbabwe which will enable us to pursue shared interests, support Zimbabwe's most vulnerable people, deepen our strong people-to-people links and raise issues relating to human rights.

On 5 November, at Côte d'Ivoire's Universal Periodic Review at the UN Human Rights Council, the UK pressed Côte d'Ivoire to improve rights of freedom of association, assembly and peaceful demonstration ahead of next year's Presidential elections. We also highlighted the need to protect civil society and the rights and physical safety of LGBT+ individuals who continue to face widespread discrimination. We do recognise however that Côte d'Ivoire has taken steps to improve its human rights situation in recent years, developing its legal and institutional framework for human rights and playing an active role on the UN's Human Rights Council. The UK Government is committed to work closely with local civil society, human rights defenders and the Government of Côte d'Ivoire on human rights.

The UK works closely with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) as part of the UN's architecture in Africa. Through the UK's Office for National Statistics, we also have a long-running programme of support to the African Centre for Statistics in UNECA which includes embedding a strategic adviser to contribute to regional guidance and support member states on statistical modernisation.

At the Budget, the Government announced the most ambitious ever package to close the tax gap, raising £6.5 billion of additional tax revenue in 2029-30, ensuring more of the tax which should be paid is paid, loopholes are closed, and taxpayers are supported to pay the right tax first time.

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) estimates the size of the tax gap, which is the difference between the amount of tax that should, in theory, be paid to HMRC, and what is actually paid. The tax gap statistics are published annually and are available at: Measuring tax gaps 2024 edition: tax gap estimates for 2022 to 2023 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Table 7.1 of the online tables shows the illustrative tax gap time series by behaviour, including evasion. The tax gap for evasion was £5.5 billion in tax year 2022 to 2023. The online tables are available at: Measuring tax gaps tables - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

The Economic Crime (Transparency and Enforcement) Act 2022 introduced emergency legislation to crack down on Russian dirty money including measures to move faster and harder when imposing sanctions, the creation of a Register of Overseas Entities to help crack down on foreign criminals using UK property to launder money and measures to strengthen the UK’s Unexplained Wealth Order regime to better support law enforcement investigations on property owned by overseas entities.

Government is required to conduct post-legislative scrutiny on legislation within five years. A review and assessment of the effectiveness of this Act will be made within five years of its commencement.

In the interim, Government publishes a report on the number of Unexplained Wealth Orders applied for and obtained annually. This contains a commentary section on the operation of the powers: Unexplained wealth orders: 2022 to 2023 annual report - GOV.UK. The United Nations University World Institute for Development Economics Research (UNU-WIDER) have also written a review on the impact of the measures introducing a Register of Overseas Entities: UNU-WIDER : Working Paper : The end of Londongrad? The impact of beneficial ownership transparency on offshore investment in UK property.

There are currently 88 nationalities which do not require a visa to enter the UK for visits of up to six months, but will be required to obtain an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) in advance of travel from 2025. British and Irish nationals do not require a visa or ETA to enter the UK. Individuals who are free, or exempt, from immigration control (of any nationality), are also able to travel to the UK without a visa, which is in line with our international obligations.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) works in close partnership with three not-for-profit Credit Unions which make up the Joining Forces Credit Union initiative. Armed Forces personnel, their partners, families, and dependants, can access face-to-face and online financial awareness briefings to help improve financial resilience with the aim of deterring the use of ‘pay day loan companies’. Joining Forces Credit Union provides alternative savings and loan products enabling Armed Forces personnel to make better informed financial choices.

Additionally, the MOD works closely with charities such as The White Ensign Association and Government backed organisations such as the Money and Pensions Service and GambleAware to provide financial awareness campaigns using the British Forces Broadcasting Service to highlight everything from savings, borrowing, pensions and the pitfalls of problem gambling.

Work continues across government and with civil society to ensure veterans get access to the support they need.

Last month, the Prime Minister announced the continuation of funding for the cross-UK Reducing Veterans Homelessness Programme, including Op FORTITUDE. This system provides housing guidance and assistance to veterans experiencing or at risk of homelessness. As of 30 November 2024, over 2,850 referrals have been made and 822 veterans have been supported into housing.

This is in addition to his commitment earlier in the year that veterans will be exempt from local connection and residency tests when applying for social housing in England.

Veterans can also access a range of tailored employment support, including the Career Transition Partnership, which is the initial point of provision for those leaving military service in search of new job opportunities.

Armed Forces Champions are also based across the UK’s JobCentre Plus network, providing tailored advice and employability support to members of the armed forces community.

In England Op RESTORE provides specialist care to veterans who have physical health problems, and Op COURAGE, a mental health specialist service helps veterans and their families.

Since 2015, delivery of the Armed Forces Covenant has been supported by the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust. The Trust is a grant-making arm’s-length body of the Ministry of Defence and a charity, and funds projects that support the delivery of the nation’s Covenant promise to our Armed Forces, veterans, and their families. The Government provides all the Trust’s income, and in Financial Year 2023-24, this totalled £35.6 million.

International Maritime Organisation (IMO) goals are for a Carbon Intensity reduction of at least 40% by 2030 compared with 2008 levels. Given the lack of availability of future fuels and greener technology, the drivers for decarbonisation in the near term are going to be voyage optimisation and increased efficiency in navigation.

A number of activities are underway across the single Services aimed at increasing the size of our Reserves.

Within the Royal Navy, social media, local civic events and marketing campaigns are utilised to engage and inform potential joiners of the opportunities available to them. A new national recruitment campaign is planned for 2025, which includes local radio and other mediums to attract new entrants.

Within the Army, good progress has been made against a package of measures aimed at improving inflow and retention. Highlights include a marketing campaign, the use of four financial incentive schemes, and the optimisation of recruiting processes.

Within the Royal Air Force, progress has been made on the establishment of regional support hubs which focus on recruitment and initial training, fast track selection events, the development of a Reserves-focused marketing campaign, and establishing a team dedicated to Reserves career management.