Construction work to repair buildings, including historic churches, is charged VAT at the 20% standard rate. The Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme has provided grants to mitigate the VAT costs for these repairs.

Construction work to repair buildings, including historic churches, is charged VAT at the 20% standard rate. The Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme has provided grants to mitigate the VAT costs for these repairs.

To ask the hon. Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, what plans they have to ensure the preservation of historic church buildings in England.

To ask the hon. Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, what plans they have to ensure the preservation of historic church buildings in England.

Statement on the publication of the third report of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee, Protecting Built Heritage (HC 144).

Statement on the publication of the third report of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee, Protecting Built Heritage (HC 144).

Thank you, Sir Desmond. I am pleased to be here to present the Culture, Media and Sport Committee’s report “Protecting built heritage” and I am grateful to the Backbench Business Committee for allocating time for this statement. I also thank the Chair of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee, the...

Thank you, Sir Desmond. I am pleased to be here to present the Culture, Media and Sport Committee’s report “Protecting built heritage” and I am grateful to the Backbench Business Committee for allocating time for this statement. I also thank the Chair of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee, the...

My constituency has loads of fantastic built heritage, including Knaresborough House, Knaresborough castle, Starbeck Baths and much more. I really enjoyed reading the report and noted the recommendation about safe harbour, where trusted bodies could temporarily take control of at-risk assets to stabilise them. The report does not mention town...

My constituency has loads of fantastic built heritage, including Knaresborough House, Knaresborough castle, Starbeck Baths and much more. I really enjoyed reading the report and noted the recommendation about safe harbour, where trusted bodies could temporarily take control of at-risk assets to stabilise them. The report does not mention town...

The hon. Member is absolutely right to mention councils and local authorities, which are trying to do so much work in the country. The report points out that every place will be different; it is about pulling on the expertise of local authorities and town councils to find what fits...

The hon. Member is absolutely right to mention councils and local authorities, which are trying to do so much work in the country. The report points out that every place will be different; it is about pulling on the expertise of local authorities and town councils to find what fits...

I thank my hon. Friend for presenting this excellent report. In Stoke-on-Trent, we have declared a heritage emergency, but the restoration of our historic buildings is repeatedly held back by fragmented funding and the need to negotiate separately with numerous funding bodies. Does she agree that the Government should bring...

I thank my hon. Friend for presenting this excellent report. In Stoke-on-Trent, we have declared a heritage emergency, but the restoration of our historic buildings is repeatedly held back by fragmented funding and the need to negotiate separately with numerous funding bodies. Does she agree that the Government should bring...

My hon. Friend makes an important point, which goes back to the previous question. The report has highlighted schemes that have worked for particular areas, such as the community ownership fund and heritage action zones, something we had in my area. These things pull on the expertise of partners, including...

My hon. Friend makes an important point, which goes back to the previous question. The report has highlighted schemes that have worked for particular areas, such as the community ownership fund and heritage action zones, something we had in my area. These things pull on the expertise of partners, including...

I commend the hon. Lady for her clear and excellent presentation of this report. Sadly, there is not time for me to list all the very many great heritage assets in East Hampshire. The hon. Lady talked about the importance of heritage to tourism and the possibility of using some...

I commend the hon. Lady for her clear and excellent presentation of this report. Sadly, there is not time for me to list all the very many great heritage assets in East Hampshire. The hon. Lady talked about the importance of heritage to tourism and the possibility of using some...

The right hon. Gentleman is a great contributor to the Culture, Media and Sport Committee, and it is an honour to sit alongside him there. I agree that there is significant scope for heritage buildings to play a bigger role in providing such things as hotel accommodation. One of our...

The right hon. Gentleman is a great contributor to the Culture, Media and Sport Committee, and it is an honour to sit alongside him there. I agree that there is significant scope for heritage buildings to play a bigger role in providing such things as hotel accommodation. One of our...

I echo the right hon. Member for East Hampshire (Damian Hinds), my fellow Committee member, in praising my hon. Friend for doing such a brilliant job of presenting this report on behalf of all of us on the Committee. I also thank the excellent Committee staff, who helped me when...

I echo the right hon. Member for East Hampshire (Damian Hinds), my fellow Committee member, in praising my hon. Friend for doing such a brilliant job of presenting this report on behalf of all of us on the Committee. I also thank the excellent Committee staff, who helped me when...

My question requires a lot of context, Sir Desmond. I am springing it on my hon. Friend, so I do not want to just say, “Do you approve of this?”; I need to explain. Sorry—I am getting to the point.

Does my hon. Friend agree that there could be a way...

My question requires a lot of context, Sir Desmond. I am springing it on my hon. Friend, so I do not want to just say, “Do you approve of this?”; I need to explain. Sorry—I am getting to the point.

Does my hon. Friend agree that there could be a way...

It is also an honour to sit alongside my hon. Friend on the Culture, Media and Sport Committee. She makes an important point, one that I referred to in my earlier remarks. The mill that I worked on was used for cultural and creative value, and there is a bit...

It is also an honour to sit alongside my hon. Friend on the Culture, Media and Sport Committee. She makes an important point, one that I referred to in my earlier remarks. The mill that I worked on was used for cultural and creative value, and there is a bit...

I thank the hon. Lady and her Select Committee for their many positive recommendations when it comes to the repair and conservation of shared heritage. Previous schemes have retained and restored churches and other shared heritage across the Province of Northern Ireland, including in my constituency. The listed places of...

I thank the hon. Lady and her Select Committee for their many positive recommendations when it comes to the repair and conservation of shared heritage. Previous schemes have retained and restored churches and other shared heritage across the Province of Northern Ireland, including in my constituency. The listed places of...

That was a major part of the report and the inquiry. I have visited two derelict churches over the last few weeks, including Sacred Heart only last week. We know that places of worship are among the most significant heritage assets in our communities. The Committee heard concerns about funding...

That was a major part of the report and the inquiry. I have visited two derelict churches over the last few weeks, including Sacred Heart only last week. We know that places of worship are among the most significant heritage assets in our communities. The Committee heard concerns about funding...

I certainly will. My hon. Friend makes a point about the fantastic work that churches and church communities do, which I am sure is echoed around the Chamber. They are absolutely central to our wider communities. I thank Linda and everybody else involved, and I wish them well for the...

I certainly will. My hon. Friend makes a point about the fantastic work that churches and church communities do, which I am sure is echoed around the Chamber. They are absolutely central to our wider communities. I thank Linda and everybody else involved, and I wish them well for the...

I joined the Old Meeting church in the centre of Bedworth earlier this summer to celebrate the 300th anniversary of its wonderful building. The church provides a friendly warm space every Friday where everyone can get a great lunch and a good cuppa for a reasonable price, and a repair...

I joined the Old Meeting church in the centre of Bedworth earlier this summer to celebrate the 300th anniversary of its wonderful building. The church provides a friendly warm space every Friday where everyone can get a great lunch and a good cuppa for a reasonable price, and a repair...

Churches are important historical buildings and are often at the heart of our local communities. Labour stopped the last Conservative Government’s VAT scheme, which helped to maintain places of worship across the UK, but the new, more restricted places of worship renewal fund applies only to England. Thanks to Coldingham...

Churches are important historical buildings and are often at the heart of our local communities. Labour stopped the last Conservative Government’s VAT scheme, which helped to maintain places of worship across the UK, but the new, more restricted places of worship renewal fund applies only to England. Thanks to Coldingham...

The new places of worship renewal fund is open for applications, but, as the hon. Gentleman knows, it is an England-only fund administered by Historic England. It is for the Scottish Government to consider whether to set up new arrangements in Scotland, and it is disappointing, to say the least,...

The new places of worship renewal fund is open for applications, but, as the hon. Gentleman knows, it is an England-only fund administered by Historic England. It is for the Scottish Government to consider whether to set up new arrangements in Scotland, and it is disappointing, to say the least,...

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the oral answer of 18 June 2026 on support for Christians in Palestine, what representations she has made to the Government of Israel on the protection of Palestinian Christians, including clergy, religious workers and places...

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the oral answer of 18 June 2026 on support for Christians in Palestine, what representations she has made to the Government of Israel on the protection of Palestinian Christians, including clergy, religious workers and places...