Restoration Funding 2024-10-17
2024-10-17
TAGS
Response quality
Questions & Answers
Q1
Partial Answer
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Context
The Church of England manages over 12,200 listed buildings in England. The annual maintenance cost is estimated at £115 million and the repair backlog is about £1 billion.
What estimate has the Church Commissioners made of levels of funding required to restore parish churches and cathedrals?
Churches and cathedrals are cultural and historical treasures. The Church of England manages over 12,200 listed buildings in England. The annual maintenance cost is £115 million with a repair backlog of approximately £1 billion.
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Assessment & feedback
The answer did not provide an estimate from the Church Commissioners as requested.
Response accuracy
Q2
Partial Answer
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Context
The listed places of worship grant scheme, introduced by Gordon Brown in 2004, is UK-wide and provides support for the repair costs of VAT incurred on repairs to listed churches.
There are many places of worship in perilous condition across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The listed places of worship grant scheme is set to end in March 2025. What efforts have the Church Commissioners made to ensure that the scheme is extended beyond this date?
My hon. Friend will know that the Church does not receive regular financial support from the state, and church buildings often rely on fundraising by local volunteers. The Government's listed places of worship grant scheme is extremely helpful for all our faith communities with listed buildings across the UK, reimbursing the cost of VAT spent on repairs to those listed churches. This year, more than 5,000 Church of England buildings received support through the scheme. That is transformational for local communities, and enables work on the vital fabrics of those spaces. It is important that funding continues. The Church has written to the Treasury, along with others, and I hope my hon. Friends in the Treasury will consider extending the scheme in the upcoming Budget later this month.
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Assessment & feedback
The answer did not provide specific efforts by the Church Commissioners to extend the scheme beyond March 2025.
Response accuracy
Q3
Partial Answer
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Context
There are plans to revive a meeting of MPs from cathedral cities and their deans, convened by the late noble Lord Cormack.
I welcome the hon. Lady to her new role and associate myself with her tribute to her predecessor. In recent times, the late noble Lord Cormack in the other place convened a meeting of MPs from cathedral cities and their deans. There are plans to resurrect that meeting. Will the hon. Lady meet me to discuss how we can support her with plans to lobby the Treasury for capital grants for our great English cathedrals, including Salisbury, to maintain their presence in our country?
Yes, I am very happy to meet the right hon. Gentleman.
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Assessment & feedback
The answer did not provide any substantive information or commitment regarding lobbying for capital grants.
Response accuracy