The Department engages regularly with London local highway authorities on matters related to their local highways networks.

Any recent discussions about the future of any of the named bridges has been under the auspices of the structures fund where authorities have been encouraged to submit applications in line with the principles of the fund.

The technical advisory body (to the fund) is, of course, having conversations on behalf of the Department about the future of bridges that local highway authorities have put forward to the structures fund; including those in London.

The government is committed to supporting the community affected by the Grenfell Tower tragedy for the long term.

In the aftermath of the tragedy, the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government agreed to provide c£25m towards the refurbishment of the Lancaster West estate on the assumption that this funding was to be matched by Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, and that no further funding would be required from Government.

My officials have been engaging with RBKC, who lead on the refurbishment of the estate, to fully understand the cause of the shortfall and the Council’s plans for delivery.

The Government is committed to supporting the community affected by the Grenfell Tower tragedy for the long term, and to working with the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea so the vision of a 21st century estate for the residents of the Lancaster West Estate can be realised.

The Leader of the Council has corresponded with the Building Safety Minister about the Lancaster West Estate. My officials have been engaging with the council, who lead on the refurbishment of the Estate, to fully understand their plans for delivery.

The Government took ownership of the Grenfell Tower site in 2019 and has been responsible for making operational decisions, including on the security and safety of the site, since then. The Government made the decision in February 2025 that the Tower should be carefully taken down, and communicated this to the Grenfell community.

Work to carefully take down Grenfell Tower is progressing, and we continue to engage and share information with bereaved, survivors and the immediate community during this sensitive period.

The government is committed to supporting the community affected by the Grenfell Tower tragedy for the long term, and to working with the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC) so the vision of 21st century estate for the residents of the Lancaster West estate can be realised.

I understand how important and pressing this is. My officials are engaging with RBKC, who lead on the refurbishment of the estate, to fully understand the Council’s plans and timelines for delivery and explore potential funding options to determine whether government can further support the Council in refurbishing the estate.

On Sunday night, at a community event in north Kensington attended by hundreds of people, 15-year-old Rene Graham was shot and killed in a senseless act of violence. My heart goes out to his family and the wider community, who are feeling anxious, frightened and shocked. Can the Prime Minister ensure that north Kensington gets support from the Government at this difficult time, and can he outline what measures the Government will take to tackle gun violence and prevent young lives like Rene’s from being taken in the future?

I welcome my hon. Friend to his place, and thank him for raising this awful case. The loss of a teenage boy in west London is shocking, and our thoughts—I am sure I speak for the whole House—are with his family and friends. I urge the public to support the Metropolitan police with any information that could help in their investigation, which is ongoing. Making streets safer is one of the five central missions of this Government, and this is a shocking reminder of just how important that mission is. We have an ambition to drive down this sort of violence in our communities. We do not want interventions like this, as we have had over the last few years. It is shocking to hear of this particular incident.

Arts Council England (ACE) has advised that between 1 April 2021 and 31 March 2022 it provided the following funding: (a) South Staffordshire (Non-Metropolitan District) received a total of £38,500 investment representing £0.34 funding per capita; (b) Birmingham (Metropolitan District) received £33,173,995 investment representing £29.09 funding per capita; (c&d) Kensington and Chelsea (London Borough) received £6,398,309 investment representing £40.79 funding per capita.

These data are accurate at the time of writing, but are subject to change due to factors such as underspends, withdrawals, and other similar grant adjustments. The figures include both Lottery and Exchequer funding, including one-off grant schemes, such as the Culture Recovery Fund.

As part of building back more strongly, in February 2022, the government announced a series of measures to significantly increase and better distribute ACE’s funding, transforming the landscape for arts and culture to ensure that it benefits everyone. Additional funding announced at Spending Review 2021 for Arts Council England (£43.5 million) will be invested outside London in levelling up places. This means that access to arts and culture across the country will be transformed with plans to increase and better distribute funding for the sector in areas outside London by around £75 million by 2025.

8

.

Felicity Buchan (Kensington) (Con):

My Conservative council in Kensington and Chelsea charges £500 less council tax than neighbouring Labour Camden, and it has four times as many bin collections. You have not misheard: £500 less; four times as many. Does my right hon. Friend agree that everyone who wants low council tax and good services needs to vote Conservative?

Do I agree with my hon. Friend? There is not a syllable with which any sensible person in this country could possibly dissent.

The Mayor of London is responsible for air quality and transport strategy in the capital, and through Transport for London, is also responsible for managing the Transport for London Road Network, and for managing traffic on the river.

Local authorities are required to review and assess local air quality and to take action where there are high levels of air pollution. Defra provides support for local authorities through statutory guidance, a dedicated helpline and assessment tools. In London the Mayor provides this support.

Department for Transport officials have regular discussions with Transport for London (TfL) about Crossrail 2 as joint sponsors for the project. No discussions have taken place with Crossrail Limited, who are a subsidiary of TfL and are responsible for delivering the Elizabeth line only.

In the 2015 funding settlement, the Government agreed with the BBC that responsibility for the concession will transfer to the BBC in June 2020.

The government and the BBC agreed this is a fair deal for the BBC - in return we closed the iPlayer loophole and committed to increase the licence fee in line with inflation. And to help with financial planning, we agreed to provide phased transitional funding over 2 years to gradually introduce the cost to the BBC.

This reform was subject to public discussion and debated extensively during the passage of the Digital Economy Act 2017 through Parliament.

On 10 June 2019, the BBC announced that the current scheme will end. From 1 June 2020, a free TV licence will only be available to a household with someone aged over 75 who receives Pension Credit.

The table below provides estimates of the costs for 2017/18 of providing free TV licences to people aged 75 and over in the geographical areas requested, in nominal prices. The figures for 2018/19 will be available in September.

To date, Government has spent over £46 million to support recovery following the Grenfell Tower fire, and has committed an additional £34 million, which includes re-housing costs, new mental health support services, investment in the Lancaster West Estate and a new community space.

With reference solely to options (i) and (ii) in paragraph 3.9 of the 'Housing options and support for secure tenants of the Walkways, Treadgold House and Bramley House in temporary accommodation leadership report' Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC) has not made any representations for funds specifically to implement those options.

Following the tragedy, the Department agreed that Government funding would be provided to support those made permanently homeless by the fire, RBKC would support other affected households.

We remain in regular and frequent discussion with RBKC on potential future financial pressures arising from the Grenfell tragedy.

The latest data from the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC) shows that, as of 18th June, 52 households from Grenfell Tower and Grenfell Walk are living in temporary accommodation, which represents 26 per cent of the total number of households from Grenfell Tower and Walk who have accepted either temporary or permanent accommodation. Of this number, 36 households are living within RBKC, which represents 69 per cent of those living in temporary accommodation.

83 households are living in permanent accommodation, which represents 42 per cent of the total number of households from Grenfell Tower and Walk who have accepted either temporary or permanent accommodation. Of this number, 71 households are living within RBKC, which represents 86 per cent of those living in permanent accommodation.

All residents have been housed in temporary accommodation locally if that is their preference, and in acquiring permanent properties, the Council focussed on identifying local properties so that survivors can remain in the area over the long-term if that is what they wish.

The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC) has committed to provide survivors from Grenfell Tower and Grenfell Walk with a permanent new home in social housing within one year of the fire.

Following the fire, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government set up the independent Grenfell Recovery Taskforce to provide assurance that RBKC has the capacity and capability to deliver an effective long term recovery plan for its residents, taking into account their views.

In its first report in November 2017, the Taskforce identified four key areas in which the Council need to step up: pace, innovation, skills and empathy. The Taskforce is due to report to the Secretary of State at the end of February on RBKC’s progress in implementing those recommendations and he will provide an update to the House.

It is important that the rehousing proceeds at a pace which respects the needs, wants and situations of survivors and I expect the Council to do whatever is necessary to ensure households can move into settled homes as swiftly as possible. Both my Department and the independent Taskforce will continue to monitor the situation carefully. Ministers continue to meet regularly with RBKC Councillors, and officials from my Department also meet regularly with RBKC officials to ensure the Council can meet its commitment.

Government advice on sprinkler systems is clear. For new blocks of flats over 30m in height, the statutory guidance states that sprinklers should be fitted. For existing buildings, it is a decision for the building owner whether to retro-fit sprinklers as part of a broader fire safety strategy for the building, informed by expert advice and taking into account the particular risk facing residents and the other fire safety measures used in the building.

My Department is supporting the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC) to rehouse the survivors of the fire at Grenfell Tower. We will continue to support RBKC, including its initiative to provide a rent-free period for Grenfell Tower and Grenfell Walk survivors.

My officials continue to meet regularly with the RBKC about rehousing, including the rent-free period for Grenfell Tower and Grenfell Walk survivors.

Transport for London has conducted regular engagement with London boroughs in developing the proposed Crossrail 2 scheme. This includes discussions with the London Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.

We have relaxed the benefit rules for anyone affected by the Grenfell Tower fire, which means that payments from the Grenfell Tower residents’ discretionary fund do not affect any social security benefit.

Guidance issued to local authorities on 23 June 2017, re-enforced that former Grenfell residents should be treated as a priority for Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP) and local authorities in the surrounding areas have confirmed that they would see former residents as a priority for DHP funding where needed, following the 12 month rent free period.

The guidance (attached) can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hb-bulletin-u32017-discretionary-housing-payments-to-former-residents-of-grenfell-tower