Paul Kohler

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.

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 government has confirmed £955 million for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services in England outside London. This includes £243 million for bus operators and £712 million allocated to local authorities across the country. Local authorities can use this funding to introduce new bus routes, make services more frequent and protect crucial bus routes for local communities. This includes introducing Demand Responsive Transport (DRT) services where appropriate and desired, as part of the overall bus network.

The Department is supporting 16 pilot DRT projects in 16 innovative demand-led minibus trials in rural and suburban areas across England through the £20m Rural Mobility Fund (RMF). Each scheme is taking part in a detailed monitoring and evaluation process. This will provide a strong base of evidence and good practice for DRT and a better understanding of both the role it can play and the challenges associated with introducing it.

The Government’s funding includes £3.8 million for community transport operators, through the Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG), supporting them to continue delivering inclusive and accessible transport across the country.

The VAT treatment of goods and services is a matter for His Majesty's Treasury. One of the requirements of the Plug-in Taxi Grant, which offers a discount of up to £6,000 to support the uptake of ULEV taxis, is that the vehicle should be wheelchair accessible.

The VAT treatment of goods and services is a matter for His Majesty's Treasury.

The Department has published two interim reports setting out emerging trends in key outcomes from the first two months of the national bus fare cap scheme, and further updates will be provided in due course. These reports are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/evaluation-of-the-2-bus-fare-cap.

On Monday 28 October, the Prime Minister confirmed the government will introduce a new £3 cap on single bus fares from 1 January 2025 until the end of 2025. The £2 cap on single bus fares had been due to come to an end on 31 December 2024. This will be replaced by the £3 cap to help millions access better opportunities, and promote greater bus use by passengers.

The Department has published two interim reports setting out emerging trends in key outcomes from the first two months of the national bus fare cap scheme. These reports are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/evaluation-of-the-2-bus-fare-cap.

On Monday 28 October, the Prime Minister confirmed the government will introduce a new £3 cap on single bus fares from 1 January 2025 until the end of 2025. The £2 cap on single bus fares had been due to come to an end on 31 December 2024. This will be replaced by the £3 cap to help millions access opportunities, and promote bus use by passengers.

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.

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.