Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Churches and Cathedrals: Sustainability

Thursday 27 January 2022 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The Church of England estimates a need for at least 1.14 billion in maintenance and repairs for churches and cathedrals over the next five years.
  • The listed places of worship grant scheme was extended until 2025, helping with the repair of church roofs like All Saints in Beighton.
  • The repair work on All Saints, Beighton's thatched roof was partially funded by the scheme covering the VAT cost.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Jerome Mayhew Con Broadland and Fakenham
Religion & Faith
Context

The Church of England needs significant funds for maintaining churches and cathedrals, with a five-year estimate of £1.14 billion.

Question

What assessment the Church of England has made of the steps needed to put the maintenance of churches and cathedrals on a sustainable basis?

Answer from Andrew Selous

The Church estimates that over the next five years at least £1.14 billion of maintenance and repairs are needed for churches and cathedrals. The Church is very grateful that 550 churches and cathedrals have already benefited from the culture recovery fund, but there remains an urgent need for predictable and sustainable sources of funding, which enable us to keep skilled builders and craft people in work.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not provide a specific plan or commitment on how to achieve sustainable funding sources for churches and cathedrals.

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Q2 Jerome Mayhew Con Broadland and Fakenham
Community Security Religion & Faith
Context

The listed places of worship grant scheme was recently extended until 2025, providing funding for VAT costs related to repairs on historic buildings.

Question

Last week, the listed places of worship grant scheme was extended until 2025, which I welcome. It is absolutely crucial for churches such as All Saints in Beighton, in my constituency, and the repair work on its thatched roof. Almost half the grade I listed buildings in this country are church buildings. Does my hon. Friend agree with me that that scheme should be now made permanent?

Answer from Andrew Selous

I am delighted that the thatched roof of All Saints, Beighton, has been fixed and that the listed places of worship grant scheme, which covers the VAT cost, was helpful in achieving that. The Government have extended that scheme for the next three years, but in order for churches and cathedrals to continue contributing some £50 billion a year to national wellbeing, my hon. Friend is right that we will need to put these repairs on a sustainable footing. That is why I will be copying this exchange to the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The response did not commit to making the scheme permanent and instead suggested further consideration might be needed from the Chancellor.

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