Paul Kohler

The seven recipients in Wimbledon who received funding from the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme from 2022 onwards are All Saints' Parish Church, St John the Baptist Church, St Mary's Church, St Luke's Church, St Winefride's Church, Christchurch West and Lantern Methodist Church.

The Government is working closely with the live music industry to support the music and nightclub sectors.

The Government response to the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee's report on grassroots music venues sets out our commitment to working with the sector to support the sustainability of the entire music ecosystem. Cultural venues, like nightclubs and music venues, provide enjoyment to many thousands of people as the opportunity to hear live music up close is an essential part of our cultural life.

We are continuing to support Arts Council England’s (ACE’s) successful Supporting Grassroots Music Fund by providing £2.5 million funding in 2025-26, which provides grants to grassroots music organisations, including those that host or promote electronic music. ACE continues to engage with industry through targeted webinars and events to promote the Fund to the club sector and encourage applications.

The government recognises the role of night time economy businesses in supporting resilient high streets, and we are focused on our five-point plan to breathe life back into Britain’s high streets, to ensure they are great places for businesses, and economic growth across the UK.

To deliver the manifesto pledge to protect the high street, from 2026-27, the government intends to introduce permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality, and leisure (RHL) properties with rateable values (RV) less than £500,000. To provide further support, the government has extended RHL relief at 40% for 2025-26.

The Government is working closely with the live music industry to support the music and nightclub sectors.

The Government response to the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee's report on grassroots music venues sets out our commitment to working with the sector to support the sustainability of the entire music ecosystem. Cultural venues, like nightclubs and music venues, provide enjoyment to many thousands of people as the opportunity to hear live music up close is an essential part of our cultural life.

We are continuing to support Arts Council England’s (ACE’s) successful Supporting Grassroots Music Fund by providing £2.5 million funding in 2025-26, which provides grants to grassroots music organisations, including those that host or promote electronic music. ACE continues to engage with industry through targeted webinars and events to promote the Fund to the club sector and encourage applications.

The government recognises the role of night time economy businesses in supporting resilient high streets, and we are focused on our five-point plan to breathe life back into Britain’s high streets, to ensure they are great places for businesses, and economic growth across the UK.

To deliver the manifesto pledge to protect the high street, from 2026-27, the government intends to introduce permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality, and leisure (RHL) properties with rateable values (RV) less than £500,000. To provide further support, the government has extended RHL relief at 40% for 2025-26.

Since 2022, 21 grants have been awarded to 7 listed places of worship in Wimbledon, totalling £79,716.27.

The department recognises that the creative arts are essential contributors to our economy, society and soft power. Strategic Priorities Grant funding for specialist providers has been protected; the department is working with the sector to ensure a stable and secure higher education sector that provides a rich range of subjects, including the arts.

The Environment Agency (EA) continues to support volunteers and Citizen Scientists in monitoring water quality across the Hogsmill, focussing on known pollution hotspots. Collaboration efforts have identified misconnecting sewage outfalls causing pollution, which Thames Water have rectified.

As part of the Water Company Price Review (PR19), Thames Water are committed to deliver a river restoration scheme at Kingsmeadow by 2027. There is also a partnership investigation to assess the impacts of groundwater abstraction on natural flows. The river restoration arising from these studies are scheduled for completion in March 2030.

Thames Water are required under PR24 to increase the size of the storm tanks at Hogsmill Sewage Treatment Works to 4 times the current volume. This will reduce the number and duration of storm sewage spills.

River Restoration is supported by the Water Environment Improvement Fund (WEIF). This year the funding has supported:

• the improvement of 250m of habitat and improved fish passage at Riverhill Mill.
• 3,500 square metres of wetland habitat constructed at Tolworth Court, creating priority habitat, treating road run-off and providing flood storage.
• completion of the Chambers Mead Wetland Project Chamber Mead Wetlands - South East Rivers Trust

A recent Enforcement Undertaking (£150,000) for a pollution incident in 2020 required Thames Water to improve the Bonesgate.

The EA is committed to undertake a larger programme of wastewater asset inspections. It will have inspected 4,000 assets in England by the end of March 2025, up from 1389 the previous year, moving towards 11,500 a year by March 2027. This work will see significant improvements to water quality.

Chalk streams are one of the rarest freshwater habitats on Earth and England is home to 85% of them. The Government is committed to the protection and restoration of our cherished chalk streams.

The best way to achieve this is by fixing the framework for managing our water system. We have also commissioned an independent commission of the water sector to clean up our rivers, lakes and seas for good.

The Department and industry are jointly investing up to £43.5 million to upgrade truckstops across England. This is on top of up to £26 million joint investment by National Highways and industry in lorry parking facilities along the strategic roads network.

This investment is supporting operators across 30 counties in England to improve security, toilets, showers and eating facilities and increase lorry parking spaces.

National Highways does not maintain records on the number of toilet facilities across its network. These facilities are operated commercially by private entities, who are responsible for ensuring they comply with legislative requirements and meet customer needs.

All Motorway Service Areas, Motorway Rest Areas, All-Purpose Trunk Road Service Areas, Motorway Truck Stops, Truck Stops on All-Purpose Trunk Roads and Truck Stops which benefit from signs from the strategic road network must provide free parking for a minimum of 2 hours for all vehicles permitted to use the facility and free-to-use toilets with hand washing facilities.

The Department and industry are jointly investing up to £43.5 million to upgrade truckstops across England. This is on top of up to £26 million joint investment by National Highways and industry in lorry parking facilities along the strategic roads network.

This investment is supporting operators across 30 counties in England to improve security, toilets, showers and eating facilities and increase lorry parking spaces.

National Highways does not maintain records on the number of toilet facilities across its network. These facilities are operated commercially by private entities, who are responsible for ensuring they comply with legislative requirements and meet customer needs.

All Motorway Service Areas, Motorway Rest Areas, All-Purpose Trunk Road Service Areas, Motorway Truck Stops, Truck Stops on All-Purpose Trunk Roads and Truck Stops which benefit from signs from the strategic road network must provide free parking for a minimum of 2 hours for all vehicles permitted to use the facility and free-to-use toilets with hand washing facilities.

The department does not maintain records on the number of toilet facilities across its network. These facilities are operated commercially by private entities, who are responsible for ensuring they comply with legislative requirements and meet customer needs.

All Motorway Service Areas, Motorway Rest Areas, All-Purpose Trunk Road Service Areas, Motorway Truck Stops, Truck Stops on All-Purpose Trunk Roads and Truck Stops which benefit from signs from the strategic road network must provide free parking for a minimum of 2 hours for all vehicles permitted to use the facility and free-to-use toilets with hand washing facilities.

The Health and Safety Executive launched their Working Minds campaign in the transport sector, partnered with the Road Haulage Association. The campaign aims to raise awareness of the legal duty to prevent work-related stress and provides support and resources including risk assessment templates, examples and practical toolkits.

The Department regularly engages with stakeholders to discuss matters of concern to the industry, including those relating to driver wellbeing.

To improve the working conditions of HGV drivers while on the road, the department and industry are jointly investing up to £43.5 million to upgrade truckstops across England. This is on top of up to £26 million joint investment by National Highways and industry in lorry parking facilities along the strategic roads network.

Over the last year the Department’s Roads and Local Investment Committee has considered a Strategic Outline Case (SOC) for Transport for London’s (TfL) Catford Town Centre road scheme, which would include the realignment of part of the A205 South Circular. The scheme is being progressed by TfL for possible funding as part of the Department’s Major Road Network/ Large Local Majors programme. The Department’s decision on whether to approve the SOC will be issued in due course.

NHS England has made a commitment to improving access to breast cancer screening in Merton. The South West London Breast Screening Services (SWLBSS) have been working with the London Borough of Merton to find a suitable location for an additional centre in their footprint.

Discussions are ongoing, chaired by the London Borough of Merton and attended by the SWLBSS team. A suitable site has yet to be found. Other issues, such as funding and staffing, are being discussed.

Interim measures have been considered, such as deploying a mobile screening van, along with their feasibilities. A number of screening facilities are currently available in neighbouring areas, including at St George’s and Queen Mary’s Hospitals.

The Government is providing local stop smoking services an additional £70 million this year to support smokers to quit. It will also provide an additional £70 million next year for stop smoking services.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published recommendations for providers of stop smoking services. The guidelines suggest that the most effective way of successfully stopping smoking is through behavioural support therapy combined with either varenicline, nicotine replacement therapy, or nicotine-containing e-cigarettes. Further information on the NICE’s recommendations for providers of stop smoking services is available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng209/chapter/Recommendations-on-treating-tobacco-dependence#stop-smoking-interventions

Local stop smoking services currently offer the option of non-pharmaceutical methods to help smokers quit, alongside behavioural support. According to the 2023/24 annual Statistics on NHS Stop Smoking Services in England, 20,641, or 11%, of those accessing services and setting a quit date used no pharmaceutical products in their attempt to quit smoking.

Discussions on the administration of tranexamic acid (TXA) formed part of the Manchester Arena Inquiry, established in 2019, to investigate the deaths of the victims of the attack on the Arena on 22 May 2017. One of the inquiry’s recommendations tasked the Department, the Faculty of Pre-Hospital Care, the College of Paramedics, and the National Ambulance Resilience Unit to undertake a review into whether frontline ambulances should carry intramuscular TXA.

Intramuscular TXA is available to paramedics as a route of administration, and is now advocated in national guidance. Additional work is being taken forward regarding the intramuscular route of administration. This work is currently considering alternative methods using newly developed concentrated forms of TXA to achieve more rapid administration, and whether this could be used safely by wider group of responders.

NHS England has developed a national improvement plan, in collaboration with key stakeholders such as cancer alliances, to improve uptake within the breast screening programme.

The plan sets out the priorities, interventions, and the monitoring of impacts and outcomes to be achieved to improve uptake, through: expanding access; data and analytics; reducing inequalities; contracting; communication; and IT developments.

At Autumn Budget 2024, the Government announced continued support for people and businesses by extending the temporary 5p fuel duty cut and cancelling the planned increase in line with inflation for 2025/26.

This maintains fuel duty rates, including those for red diesel, at the levels set in March 2022 for an additional 12 months and represents an average saving of nearly £1,100 for heavy goods vehicles in 2025/26.

In 2020, the previous Government announced that the red diesel entitlement would be withdrawn from most sectors from April 2022. In the rail sector, the previous Government concluded that the removal of the red diesel entitlement for passenger or freight journeys risked creating perverse environmental outcomes, namely transferring rail freight or passengers to more polluting lorries, coaches and cars if costs rose. Whereas full duty diesel is taxed at 52.95p per litre, red diesel is taxed at 10.18p per litre.

At the Autumn Budget, the Government announced that retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties will receive 40% relief (up to a cash cap of £110,000 per business) for 2025-26.

The Culture, Media and Sport (CMS) Committee’s report on grassroots music venues recommended that RHL relief should not be wholly withdrawn in April 2025. The Committee’s report also highlighted the sector's desire for certainty and long-term stability. That is why the Government intends to introduce permanently lower tax rates for RHL properties with rateable values below £500,000 from 2026-27.

The Government’s full response to the CMS Committee’s report was published on 14 November 2024 and is available online: https://committees.parliament.uk/work/8227/grassroots-music-venues/publications/.

At the Autumn Budget, the Government announced that retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties will receive 40% relief (up to a cash cap of £110,000 per business) for 2025-26.

The Culture, Media and Sport (CMS) Committee’s report on grassroots music venues recommended that RHL relief should not be wholly withdrawn in April 2025. The Committee’s report also highlighted the sector's desire for certainty and long-term stability. That is why the Government intends to introduce permanently lower tax rates for RHL properties with rateable values below £500,000 from 2026-27.

The Government’s full response to the CMS Committee’s report was published on 14 November 2024 and is available online: https://committees.parliament.uk/work/8227/grassroots-music-venues/publications/.

National planning policy is clear about the importance of ensuring that new development can be integrated effectively with existing businesses and community facilities.

The ‘agent of change’ principle in the National Planning Policy Framework applies to all forms of existing businesses and community facilities that could be adversely affected by new development in their vicinity and requires the applicant to mitigate any adverse impacts if development is to be allowed.

A statutory obligation would be difficult to both create and enforce given the very wide range of circumstances in which the agent of change principle applies.

This Government supports the use of restorative justice. We know that restorative justice can improve victim satisfaction and reduce reoffending when delivered in the right circumstances. This not only benefits the victims and the offender but also their community.

This is why, under the Victims’ Code, all adult victims must be told about the option of restorative justice and how to access it. The Victims and Prisoners Act 2024 has the potential to improve awareness of and compliance with the Victims’ Code, by making sure that victims know about their rights in the Victims’ Code and that agencies deliver them. But there is more to do to ensure the system and agencies that support victims can be held to account. That is why we will go further and increase the powers of the Victims’ Commissioner, to ensure there is more accountability where the needs of victims are not being met.

Under a devolved model of commissioning, we also provide Police and Crime Commissioners with grant funding for victim support services, including restorative justice services. They are best placed to assess local need and commission services based on the needs of the population in the local area. Therefore, we currently have no plans for a national action plan.

This Government supports the use of restorative justice. We know that restorative justice can improve victim satisfaction and reduce reoffending when delivered in the right circumstances. This not only benefits the victims and the offender but also their community.

This is why, under the Victims’ Code, all adult victims must be told about the option of restorative justice and how to access it. The Victims and Prisoners Act 2024 has the potential to improve awareness of and compliance with the Victims’ Code, by making sure that victims know about their rights in the Victims’ Code and that agencies deliver them. But there is more to do to ensure the system and agencies that support victims can be held to account. That is why we will go further and increase the powers of the Victims’ Commissioner, to ensure there is more accountability where the needs of victims are not being met.

Under a devolved model of commissioning, we also provide Police and Crime Commissioners with grant funding for victim support services, including restorative justice services. They are best placed to assess local need and commission services based on the needs of the population in the local area. Therefore, we currently have no plans for a national action plan.