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Launch of new capital fund for places of worship

I am repeating the following Written Ministerial Statement made today in the other place by my Noble Friend, the Minister for Museums, Heritage and Gambling and DCMS Lords Minister, Baroness Twycross:

Today we have announced that over this Parliament we will invest £1.5 billion in culture. This includes a new capital fund for places of worship of £23 million per year.

Our listed places of worship are a central part of our built heritage and vital to our communities. This year we have completed the first evaluation of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme in its history. It showed some benefits to users like increased timeliness of repairs. However, it also showed that 80% of respondents would have carried out works without the rebate scheme.

That is why the new Places of Worship Renewal Fund will target our capital funding where it is needed most, focusing on repair and conservation work, ensuring that every pound of taxpayers' money is used to secure the future of our heritage while supporting the government's wider missions for national renewal and community cohesion, as part of the broader Plan for Change. The current Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme will end on 31 March 2026, or when the budget for the year is spent, whichever comes first.

The £150,000 Memorial Grant Scheme will also end on 31 March 2026, or when the budget for the year is spent, whichever comes first. In November 2025 we launched a new £2 million fund for the repair and conservation of war memorials and there is other funding available for memorials including from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

As heritage is a devolved policy area, the new Places of Worship Renewal Fund will be for England only. UK-wide heritage funding is available through organisations including the National Lottery Heritage Fund and we are working closely with funders in the sector to ensure that opportunities for funding places of worship throughout the UK are maximised.

The new fund will be delivered by Historic England and further information on eligibility and the application process for the fund will be confirmed in due course.