The research referenced as part of HC57195 was commissioned by Historic England. There are no current plans for it to be published

The government has not made a specific assessment regarding the availability of home insurance for thatched buildings.

Insurers make commercial decisions about pricing and the terms of cover they offer based on their assessment of the relevant risks. The UK’s home insurance market is competitive, with many providers offering a variety of insurance products. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the independent regulator of financial services, has a statutory objective to promote competition in the interests of consumers.

The government would always recommend that consumers shop around to find the most suitable cover at the best price. For more specialised risks, such as thatched roofing, it may be helpful for consumers to consult an insurance broker, who will be able to help search the market for specialist providers.

The government has not made a specific assessment regarding the availability of home insurance for thatched buildings.

Insurers make commercial decisions about pricing and the terms of cover they offer based on their assessment of the relevant risks. The UK’s home insurance market is competitive, with many providers offering a variety of insurance products. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the independent regulator of financial services, has a statutory objective to promote competition in the interests of consumers.

The government would always recommend that consumers shop around to find the most suitable cover at the best price. For more specialised risks, such as thatched roofing, it may be helpful for consumers to consult an insurance broker, who will be able to help search the market for specialist providers.

The government has not made a specific assessment regarding the availability of home insurance for thatched buildings.

Insurers make commercial decisions about pricing and the terms of cover they offer based on their assessment of the relevant risks. The UK’s home insurance market is competitive, with many providers offering a variety of insurance products. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the independent regulator of financial services, has a statutory objective to promote competition in the interests of consumers.

The government would always recommend that consumers shop around to find the most suitable cover at the best price. For more specialised risks, such as thatched roofing, it may be helpful for consumers to consult an insurance broker, who will be able to help search the market for specialist providers.

The consideration and assessment of impacts resulting from proposed fire station closures in Dorset and Wiltshire, is the responsibility of the Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Authority (FRA) and its Chief Fire Officer.

When considering proposals for changes to station provision, it is the responsibility of the FRA to assess the impact on response times as part of their overall assessment of community risk as part of their Community Risk Management Plan.

Any possible impacts of the proposals are for consideration by the FRA.

The requested data on how many people started an apprenticeship in thatching, stone masonry (levels 2 and 3) and stained glass crafts, across the specified dates, is set out below:

Level 2 Thatcher (ST0821)

There have been no people starting a Level 2 Thatcher (ST0821) apprenticeship since it was approved for delivery in February 2024.

Level 2 Stonemasonry (ST0442)

There have been a total of 243 starts on the Level 2 Stonemasonry (ST0442) apprenticeship since it was approved for delivery in June 2021. No data is available for 2015/2016 because the qualification did not exist at the time:

2020/21 – 1 start

2021/22 – 67 starts

2022/23 – 53 starts

2023/24 – 31 starts

2024/25 – 49 starts

2025/26 - 42 starts

There is no Level 3 in Stonemasonry available at present.

Level 4 Stained Glass Craftsperson (ST0912)

There have been a total of 3 starts on this apprenticeship since it was approved for delivery in September 2021: No data is available for 2015/2016 because the qualification did not exist at the time:

2020/21 – 0 starts

2021/22 – 0 starts

2023/24 – 1 start

2024/25 – 2 starts

This has been derived from the Skills England website, where all data regarding apprenticeships is publicly available.

Agricultural policy is the responsibility of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. The Government has allocated a record £11.8 billion to sustainable farming and food production over this parliament, investing more than £2.7 billion a year in farming and nature recovery. This includes the Government's Paludiculture Exploration Fund, which has been exploring opportunities to support multi-functional crops on rewetted lowland peatlands. One of the twelve trials, the Broads Authority's "FibreBroads", funded a series of workstreams including fibre products for building materials such as reed for thatch, as well as fibreboards and acoustic panels from other wetland crops.

DCMS supports thatching-straw growers through the work of Historic England, Government statutory advisors on the historic environment and arms length body of DCMS. Historic England is hosting a thatching-straw growers’ workshop on 11 March 2026, in Marlborough Wiltshire. The event is aimed at thatch straw growers, and will be a unique opportunity for them to meet one another, share knowledge, and hear updates from Historic England on the work being done to support the production of thatching straw. If you wish to find out more about the event and related issues you can contact the National Specialist Services Team at Historic England on nationalspecialistservices@historicengland.org.uk.

Agricultural policy is the responsibility of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. The Government has allocated a record £11.8 billion to sustainable farming and food production over this parliament, investing more than £2.7 billion a year in farming and nature recovery. This includes the Government's Paludiculture Exploration Fund, which has been exploring opportunities to support multi-functional crops on rewetted lowland peatlands. One of the twelve trials, the Broads Authority's "FibreBroads", funded a series of workstreams including fibre products for building materials such as reed for thatch, as well as fibreboards and acoustic panels from other wetland crops.

DCMS supports thatching-straw growers through the work of Historic England, Government statutory advisors on the historic environment and arms length body of DCMS. Historic England is hosting a thatching-straw growers’ workshop on 11 March 2026, in Marlborough Wiltshire. The event is aimed at thatch straw growers, and will be a unique opportunity for them to meet one another, share knowledge, and hear updates from Historic England on the work being done to support the production of thatching straw. If you wish to find out more about the event and related issues you can contact the National Specialist Services Team at Historic England on nationalspecialistservices@historicengland.org.uk.

The government has not made a specific assessment regarding the availability of home insurance for thatched buildings.

Insurers make commercial decisions about pricing and the terms of cover they offer based on their assessment of the relevant risks. The UK’s home insurance market is competitive, with many providers offering a variety of insurance products. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the independent regulator of financial services, has a statutory objective to promote competition in the interests of consumers.

The government would always recommend that consumers shop around to find the most suitable cover at the best price. For more specialised risks, such as thatched roofing, it may be helpful for consumers to consult an insurance broker, who will be able to help search the market for specialist providers.

Defra, Natural England, and Environment Agency are working closely with our Great Fen partners to look at the benefits of paludiculture (wetter farming) and trialling a range of diversification options. This is vital to enable thriving and sustainable rural businesses, protection of our precious lowland peat resources, and enhance biodiversity. The Great Fen provides opportunity to act to test these principles, and will be looking at the benefits of growing reed and a host of other crop types for food and fibre.

VAT is a broad-based tax on consumption, and the 20 per cent standard rate applies to most goods and services. Outside of a limited number of VAT reliefs aimed at stimulating the property market, the standard VAT rate of 20 per cent applies to most construction work. This includes thatching.

Tax breaks reduce the revenue available for vital public services and must represent value for money for the taxpayer. Exceptions to the standard rate have always been limited and balanced against affordability considerations.

One of the key considerations when assessing a new VAT relief is whether the cost saving is likely to be passed on to consumers. Evidence suggests that businesses only partially pass on any savings from lower VAT rates. In some cases, reliefs do not represent good value for money, as there is no guarantee that savings will be passed on to consumers.

There are approximately 25,000 listed thatched buildings in England, many more are unlisted. These buildings are a quintessential part of some of our best loved rural landscapes.

Historic England, the government’s statutory advisor on heritage, carried out research into the thatching industry and domestic supply of material for thatching historic buildings. A 2024 report estimates that 80% of cereal straw grown for thatching in England is produced by around 25 English growers. In Historic England’s view, it is not necessarily the number of domestic growers that impacts the future of the industry, but their wider challenges such as mechanisation, climate and the wider supply chain.

In response to their research, Historic England updated their guidance on the conservation of traditional thatch in 2025 enabling a change of thatch materials in times of shortage and in cases in urgent need of repair. This update aims to provide confidence to decision makers to grant listed building consent whilst helping to maintain support for the straw-growing sector. To disseminate its latest guidance, Historic England is holding a free workshop for thatching-straw growers in April 2026 with further research into mechanisation solutions for growers planned later this year.

The government acknowledges that homeowners can face challenges in managing increased insurance costs and preserving heritage buildings, such as thatched properties.

The Department has not made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a national support scheme for the insurance of thatched and listed residential properties. However, Historic England, the government's statutory advisors on the historic environment, commissioned analysis from industry experts to understand the causes behind these increases. The research revealed that fewer companies are offering insurance for highly listed (Grade I and II*) buildings, leading to reduced competition. The report found that the increased cost of materials and labour, which influence rebuild valuations, amongst other factors. These impacts are largely dictated by market forces and the Government is not considering intervention at this stage.

A range of policies and programmes the Government offers centrally and through its Arms Length Bodies, including repair and restoration grants, skills initiatives, and streamlining and simplifying the planning system, are designed to reduce the costs of works to listed buildings.

My Department has no plans to make an assessment of the availability of thatching materials at this time.

Following discussion with the National Society of Master Thatchers, Historic England has updated its roof guidance to clarify the decision-making process for both applicants and local authorities on applications for listed building consent.

Historic England’s update roof guidance is available on that organisation’s website here.

My Department has no plans to make an assessment of the potential merits of allowing water reed as an alternative thatching material for historic buildings.

Any works to demolish any part of a listed building or to alter or extend it in a way that affects its character as a building of special architectural or historic interest require listed building consent. It is for local planning authorities to decide whether to grant listed building consent depending on the particular circumstances of each case.

To preserve heritage, restorative work carried out on listed buildings previously benefited from a zero rate of VAT. However, this relief was abolished in 2012, as it was primarily used to carry out extension work unnecessary for heritage purposes. Withdrawing this relief simplified VAT rules and removed the scope for error when categorising construction work as either alteration or repair.

VAT is a broad-based tax on consumption and the 20 per cent standard rate applies to most goods and services. VAT is the UK’s second largest tax forecast to raise £171 billion in 2024/25. Taxation is a vital source of revenue that helps to fund vital public services.

Evidence suggests that businesses only partially pass on any savings from lower VAT rates. In some cases, reliefs do not represent good value for money, as there is no guarantee that savings will be passed on to consumers.

The Government therefore has no current plans to reduce the VAT charged on work to maintain and repair listed properties, but we keep all taxes under review.

I confess that that is a question to which I do not have the answer. The Government intend to amend building regulations later this year as part of the introduction of future standards, and it sounds like this issue, which I think came up in the debate on a private Member’s Bill on Friday, is one that we need to consider. I am more than happy to sit down with the hon. Gentleman and have a further discussion about it.

I recently spoke to Chris Dodson, a local thatcher in Sawtry, who raised with me the shortage of thatching straw, and particularly long straw thatch. With Historic England insisting that grade II listed properties should use like-for-like materials in replacements and the chance of listed building consent to change from straw to water reed unlikely to be granted, will the Minister confirm what the Government are doing to ensure that thatchers are not hindered by the current guidance and the shortage of thatching straw?