Lord Crathorne

We are in regular contact with the National Portrait Gallery and fully support their efforts to purchase this exceptional painting. In view of the strong support we have seen so far, the Government has extended the export deferral period to 10 June 2023 to provide every opportunity to save the Portrait of Omai so that the widest possible audience can see, enjoy, and learn from it for generations to come.

We are in regular contact with the National Portrait Gallery and fully support their efforts to purchase this exceptional painting. In view of the strong support we have seen so far, the Government has extended the export deferral period to 10 June 2023 to provide every opportunity to save the Portrait of Omai so that the widest possible audience can see, enjoy, and learn from it for generations to come.

The Secretary of State for the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has written to, and met virtually, the Ukrainian Minister of Culture, offering whatever practical support is feasible, and has since been keeping in regular contact, discussing, among other issues, the protection of cultural property in Ukraine. I also met the Deputy Minister, Kateryna Chuyeva, at the Venice Biennale this year where I reinforced this offer.

As of 9 May, UNESCO had verified damage to 127 cultural sites in Ukraine since Russia’s illegal invasion. We are continuously working with UNESCO, Blue Shield International, the British Council, and other allies to ensure Russia meets its obligations under the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict.

Through the Cultural Protection Fund – a partnership between DCMS and the British Council – Her Majesty’s Government is also directly supporting the Cultural Emergency Response for Ukraine, an international effort co-ordinated by the Prince Claus Fund. The Cultural Emergency Response has provided urgent assistance to Ukrainian museums and collections at risk from looting, damage, and destruction. This includes providing materials and technical assistance to safely package and secure collections.

The process to appoint a new Chairman of the Wallace Collection will be a fair and open competition, run in accordance with the Governance Code on Public Appointments. We expect to launch the process shortly. I was delighted to visit the Wallace Collection on 25 January.

We know that the Covid-19 pandemic presents a significant challenge to many of DCMS’ sectors including the arts and creative industries. That is why the Government has announced unprecedented support for businesses and workers to protect them against the current economic emergency including a Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme; £330 billion worth of government-backed and guaranteed loans to support businesses and a Self-Employed Income Support Scheme. Most recently, we have introduced the Coronavirus bounce back loan, to help small and medium-sized businesses, many of which are situated in the creative industries sector, to borrow between £2,000 and £50,000. The government will guarantee 100% of the loan and there won’t be any fees or interest to pay for the first 12 months in order to help businesses in their recovery. We continue to work closely with our partners across the creative industries and arts to understand the impact of Covid-19 on their activities and provide the necessary support.

DCMS has also worked closely with Arts Council England to provide a tailored package of financial support to those within the Arts sector. In March, Arts Council England announced a £160m emergency response package to complement the financial measures already announced by the Government and support the resilience of this vital sector. This funding package will support organisations and individuals who need the most support to see them through this crisis. More details can be found on the Arts Council’s website (https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/covid19).

Those artists who own a Theatrical Production Company may be eligible to recoup costs via the Theatre Tax Relief, more details can be found through HMRC guidance (https://www.gov.uk/hmrc-internal-manuals/theatre-tax-relief).

No report has yet been issued by the APPG on Knife Crime and statistics published to date are interim ones pending further responses from Local Authorities. We will make a full assessment of those findings once a report is published.

The government recognises that the causes of knife crime are complex and are often tied to local factors and we are committed to taking a multi-agency approach to tackling serious violence.

Last month following the Prime Minister’s summit on serious youth violence, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport announced that the Government will be developing a new Youth Charter, which will set out our vision for young people over the next generation and beyond. We will be working closely across government, and alongside young people themselves, the youth sector, and other partners.

My department will also continue to work closely with the Home Office on the implementation of the Serious Violence Strategy.

Ofcom publishes mobile coverage data at the local or unitary authority level. Its latest report, published on 2 October 2018, shows geographic mobile coverage in the North Yorkshire area, split by local or unitary authorities. This can be found in the attached table.

There is currently no timescale for implementing the registration provisions as set out in the Commons Act 2006 for the remaining commons registration authorities in England.

The Secretary of State has taken over ultimate decision making powers for general licences relating to the purposes covered by the three revoked general licences. The Secretary of State will consider the present situation with intensity and urgency; his priority is getting this right. The Government has issued a call for evidence https://www.gov.uk/government/news/defra-launches-call-for-evidence-on-decision-to-revoke-general-licences to help our consideration of the issues of new general licences.

Natural England (NE) is working at pace to assess individual licences to allow lawful control of these bird species to continue. NE is ensuring that this urgent work is appropriately resourced whilst minimising impact on delivery of other services. Since the revocation of the licences by NE the Secretary of State has taken over ultimate decision making powers for general licences relating to the purposes covered by the three revoked general licences, recognising the scale of interest and concern that has been generated by the decision to revoke. The Secretary of State will consider the present situation with intensity and urgency.

Through our public consultation we have sought views and evidence on the effect of the proposed ban on UK ivory sales, including on those individuals who own ivory; how the ban could be enforced; and the proposed scope of carefully targeted exemptions.

The consultation invited views on a possible exemption for items of genuine artistic, cultural or historic value. Items in this category could be exempted from a ban because their value lies in their artistry, cultural significance or historic provenance, as opposed to their ivory content. The consultation made clear that any exemption of this kind would need to be strictly defined to include only the rarest and most important items.

The consultation ended on 29 December 2017 and responses are currently being analysed, including any evidence provided on these issues. This analysis will inform our policy development and we will publish a response shortly. Until these results are analysed, the department has not arrived at a view concerning compensation.

In October 2017, the Government launched a consultation on proposals for a total ban on UK ivory sales that could contribute either directly or indirectly to the continued poaching of elephants, with certain narrowly defined and carefully targeted exemptions. These proposals will put the UK front and centre of efforts to end the trade in ivory. Through the consultation we sought views and evidence on the effect of the proposed ban, including on elephant conservation and the natural environment.

The Government has proposed a ban on the sale of ivory, as trade in ivory continues to incentivise poaching by creating a demand for new ivory and providing a way to launder recently poached ivory.

The consultation ended on 29 December 2017 and responses are currently being analysed, including any evidence provided on this issue. We will publish a response shortly.

The original funding package agreed in the 2010 Spending Review to fund delivery of Crossrail (excluding costs for trains and depots) was £14.8 billion.

Current forecast costs for completing Crossrail are £18.9 billion. This includes Network Rail On Network Works costs for surface works but exclude costs for trains and depots.

Delivery of the Elizabeth line comes under the remit of the Mayor of London and Transport for London (TfL).

TfL has stated that Elizabeth line remains on schedule to open the central section tunnel between Abbey Wood and Paddington in the first half of 2022. Specific opening dates will only be communicated once the railway is safe and reliable to open to passengers.

Management of roads is a devolved issue so I can only respond in respect of roads in England.

Highways England have committed to provide a safer, integrated and more accessible strategic road network for cyclists and other vulnerable road users, and will play a key role in ensuring that the ambition set for growth in cycling is fully supported by a dedicated programme of work to improve cycle facilities on or near our strategic road network.To support this, The Government has outlined a commitment to invest £100m between 2015/16 and 2020/21 to improve provision for cyclists on the strategic road network.

On a local level, provision of cycling infrastructure is for local traffic authorities as they are responsible for managing their road networks. The Department encourages them to ensure cycling is considered as part of the process of planning new development.The Department for Transport’s Cycle Infrastructure Design guidance supports local authorities on providing cycle-safe infrastructure for cyclists. The Government will continue to support sustainable transport with a new £580 million ‘Access’ fund, with £80 million revenue and £500 million capital. This will build on the legacy of the Local Sustainable Transport Fund and support growth in both cycling and walking.

Colonoscopy is currently used in the National Health Service bowel cancer screening programme as a diagnostic tool to look at the bowel following a positive screen test for bowel cancer and to remove any polyps (growths) if detected.

The aim of a screening programme is to offer a safe and simple test to a large defined population who are at an average risk of developing the condition and to provide early intervention. Colonoscopy is an invasive procedure which in some cases can cause bleeding and discomfort and does not meet the United Kingdom National Screening Committee’s test criteria as noted.

The Government has invested in a range of research to address antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Specific investments aimed at small and medium sized enterprises include a competition call worth £4 million in 2016/17 launched by Innovate UK to reinvigorate AMR research and innovation networks in the United Kingdom. This call particularly focused on the need for collaborative working with industry, including small and medium sized enterprises, to bring products to market. The UK is also spending £50 million in a Global AMR Innovation Fund which aims to invest in global research and development for the benefit of people living in low- and middle-income countries. As part of this, it will consider how to provide access to finance for those researchers who struggle to access traditional funding sources, including small and medium sized enterprises.

In response to the independent review on AMR chaired by Lord O’Neill, the Government committed to strengthening support for market entry rewards in international fora including the G7 and G20 to address market failure in antibiotics. The Department is currently working through the G20 to make tangible progress in developing market incentives.

The availability of relief is a question of fact and degree to be decided upon the particular facts of each case. Land that has been taken out of agricultural production over an extended period for an environmental scheme or project is unlikely to qualify for agricultural property relief from inheritance tax. However, owner-occupiers may continue to benefit from business property relief if the land is still used in the business and the overall business is not one of wholly or mainly making or holding investments.

The government has made a wide variety of economic support available to help businesses and self-employed people across the economy, including artists and self-employed people working in the creative industries. This includes:

- The Self-employment Income Support Scheme which will allow self-employed people to claim a taxable grant worth 80% of their trading profits up to a maximum of £2,500 a month. This is initially available for 3 months, but may be extended;

- Bounce Back loans of up to £50,000, 100% guaranteed by the Government. These will be interest-free for the first 12 months. Businesses can apply online through a short and simple form;

- The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme for larger financing requirements;

- The option to defer VAT payments;

- Small Business Grants of £10,000 which will be paid to any property in receipt of Small Business Rates Relief or Rural Rates Relief.

It is possible for individuals to benefit from both the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) and the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) if they meet the individual criteria for both. For the CJRS, this will depend on furloughing decisions by the employer. Furloughed employees must have been employed on 19 March 2020 and on their employer’s PAYE payroll on or before 19 March 2020, and can be on any type of employment contract, including: full-time employees, part-time employees, agency, fixed-term, flexible or zero hour contracts.

For the SEISS, it will depend on whether an individual has at least 50% of their total income from trading profits in either 2018/19, or an average of the (up to) three years between 2016/17 and 2018/19. Further details can be found on GOV.UK guidance.

The new Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) will help those with lost trading profits due to COVID-19. The new scheme will allow eligible individuals to claim a taxable grant worth 80% of their trading profits up to a maximum of £2,500 per month for 3 months. This may be extended if needed. Self-employed individuals, including members of partnerships, are eligible if they have submitted their Income Tax Self Assessment tax return for the tax year 2018-19, continued to trade, and have lost trading/partnership trading profits due to COVID-19. To qualify, their self-employed trading profits must be less than £50,000, with more than half of their income from self-employment. Some 95% of people who are mainly self-employed could benefit from this scheme.

More information about the SEISS, including the eligibility criteria and how to claim, is available on GOV.UK.

The SEISS supplements the other significant support announced for individuals and businesses, including the Government’s relaxation of the earnings rules (known as the Minimum Income Floor) in Universal Credit, the Bounce Back Loans Scheme for small businesses, the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, and the deferral of tax payments. More information about the full range of business support measures is available on GOV.UK.

I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 12 November 2024 (HCWS209).