Restoration Funding

Douglas McAllister, the Labour MP for West Dunbartonshire, asked the Church Commissioners what estimate they have made of the levels of funding required to restore parish churches and cathedrals. In response, Marsha De Cordova, the Minister for the Church Commissioners, acknowledged that churches and cathedrals are the "treasure houses of our local culture and history." She stated that the Church of England manages over 12,200 grade I and grade II listed buildings, and the value of the work needed to maintain these buildings is estimated at £115 million annually, with a backlog of church building repairs of approximately £1 billion. Mr. McAllister followed up, noting that there are many places of worship in perilous condition across the UK, including in his constituency of West Dunbartonshire. He asked what efforts the Church Commissioners have made to ensure that the listed places of worship grant scheme, introduced by former Chancellor Gordon Brown in 2004, is extended beyond March 2025. Ms. De Cordova responded that the Church does not receive any regular financial support from the state, and church buildings often rely on fundraising by local volunteers. She stated that the Government's listed places of worship grant scheme is "extremely helpful" for all faith communities with listed buildings across the UK, reimbursing the cost of VAT spent on repairs. She noted that this year, more than 5,000 Church of England buildings received support through the scheme, which is "transformational for local communities." She expressed hope that the Treasury will consider extending the scheme in the upcoming Budget. John Glen, the Conservative MP for Salisbury, welcomed Ms. De Cordova to her new role and associated himself with her tribute to her predecessor. He mentioned that the late noble Lord Cormack had convened a meeting of MPs from cathedral cities and their deans, and there are plans to resurrect that meeting. Mr. Glen asked Ms. De Cordova if she would meet with him to discuss how they can support her in lobbying the Treasury for capital grants for England's great cathedrals, including Salisbury, to maintain their presence in the country. Ms. De Cordova responded that she would be very happy to meet with Mr. Glen.