Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she is taking steps to use (a) the Turner Prize and (b) other high-profile art competitions to enhance the (i) visibility and (ii) understanding of multicultural arts (A) in the UK and (B) internationally.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The United Kingdom's arts and culture sector is recognised globally as a world leader. It promotes the UK’s diversity and dynamism, fosters international engagement, and contributes to global cultural exchange and understanding. In 2024, our creative and cultural sectors helped the UK once again to rank second globally in the Brand Directory Soft Power Index.
The Turner Prize is, as the Tate website explains, awarded to ‘an artist working primarily in Britain or an artist born in Britain working globally.’ As its winners over the past forty years – including Sir Anish Kapoor (1991), Chris Ofili CBE (1998), Sir Steve McQueen (1999), Susan Philipsz OBE (2010), Lubaina Himid CBE (2017), Lawrence Abu Hamdan, Helen Cammock, Tai Shani and Oscar Murillo (2019), and Veronica Ryan OBE (2022) – show, it has always been an opportunity to reflect and champion the diverse array of artists living and working in the UK. Similarly, the list of artists nominated over the past four decades have helped to give national and international attention to the strength and diversity of art in Britain.
Asked by: Lord Redesdale (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what forms of financial support are available from the Government, and arms-length bodies such as National Lottery Heritage Fund and Historic England, for fabric repairs to local church buildings, excluding cathedrals.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
HM Government makes available £42 million per annum through the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme. This reimburses VAT on eligible repair works over £1,000.
The National Lottery Heritage Fund invests Lottery players’ funding to sustain the UK’s heritage. The Fund runs open-access grant programmes, to which local churches can apply, providing their project meets its four principal investment themes: saving heritage, protecting the environment, inclusion access and participation, and organisational sustainability. Applicants must take all four principles into account in their application, although the strength of focus and emphasis on each principle is for them to decide and demonstrate.
Historic England provides grants for churches in specific circumstances: where the congregation has a long-standing moral objection to Lottery funding and can provide evidence of that; where the building is not eligible for any National Lottery Heritage Fund grant programme; where it relates to exceptional emergency funding to stabilise the condition of a place of worship; or to prevent further deterioration in the next two years and where the applicant can demonstrate that discussions have already begun with the National Lottery Heritage Fund. To be eligible for a grant, a place of worship must be a grade I or II* listed building, or a grade II listed or unlisted building within a Conservation Area or London Borough.
Asked by: Lord Redesdale (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many applications for funding were received by the National Lottery Heritage Fund from local parish churches, chapels and meeting houses (excluding cathedrals) in total in each of the last five financial years in (1) England, (2) Scotland, (3) Wales, and (4) Northern Ireland.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The National Lottery Heritage Fund received 607 applications from England over the last 5 years.
From 2019 to 2020, there were 187 applications.
From 2020 to 2021, there were 86 applications.
From 2021 to 2022 there were 115 applications.
From 2022 to 2023 there were 123 applications.
From 2023 to 2024 there were 96 applications.
The National Lottery Heritage Fund received 25 applications from Scotland over the last 5 years.
From 2019 to 2020, there were 6 applications.
From 2020 to 2021, there were 4 applications.
From 2021 to 2022 there were 5 applications.
From 2022 to 2023 there were 3 applications.
From 2023 to 2024 there were 7 applications.
The National Lottery Heritage Fund received 94 applications from Wales over the last 5 years.
From 2019 to 2020, there were 25 applications.
From 2020 to 2021, there were 36 applications.
From 2021 to 2022 there were 17 applications.
From 2022 to 2023 there were 9 applications.
From 2023 to 2024 there were 7 applications.
The National Lottery Heritage Fund received 18 applications from Northern Ireland over the last 5 years.
From 2019 to 2020, there were 4 applications.
From 2020 to 2021, there were 3 applications.
From 2021 to 2022 there were 6 applications.
From 2022 to 2023 there were 4 applications.
From 2023 to 2024 there was 1 application.
Asked by: Lord Redesdale (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what amount of financial support was provided to local church buildings, excluding cathedrals, for fabric repairs in 2022–2023 by the Department for Digital, Culture Media and Sport and arm’s length bodies, such as the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Historic England.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has funded church buildings through the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme, which makes available £42 million per annum. This scheme provides grants towards VAT paid on repairs and maintenance to the nation's listed places of worship.
In the period from 2022 to 2023 a total of £16,949,526 was provided to local churches, excluding cathedrals, for conservation and maintenance work from this scheme.
Additionally, the National Lottery Heritage Fund awarded £15,759,986 to places of worship in England over the same period.
Historic England also provided public funding in this period for local churches through different funding programmes. A total of £218,286 was granted for urgent emergency works to church buildings in England in use for worship. In addition, grants were made through Historic England to churches, chapels and one tabernacle which are no longer in use for worship to a total of £902,453.
Asked by: Lord Redesdale (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have commissioned any research into the tourism potential of local parish churches, chapels and meeting houses.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
His Majesty’s Government has not commissioned any specific such research, but the International Passenger Survey (2019) found that 21% of inbound visits to the UK included visiting religious buildings, which are an important part of our national heritage.
Additionally, as part of the Discover England Fund, VisitEngland supported the National Churches Trust to create a number of new visitor experiences and to help them work more closely with destination management organisations to improve their visibility in the visitor economy. A number of these experiences and things to do, in and around the Trust’s churches, were held on the Explore Churches website (www.nationalchurchestrust.org/explore). Visit England continues to support and work closely with the National Churches Trust.
Asked by: Lord Redesdale (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many places of worship are currently on the Historic England's Heritage at Risk Register.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Of the 4,871 entries on the 2023 Historic England Heritage at Risk Register, 943 are places of worship. Two other entries are also assessed as buildings or structures which affect places of worship.
The Heritage at Risk Register aims to protect and manage the historic environment. Historic England works with owners, ‘friends of’ groups, developers, and others to find solutions for historic places and sites at risk across England, ensuring their survival for the benefit of present and future generations.
Asked by: Lord Redesdale (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many places of worship have been on the Historic England's Heritage at Risk Register for five years or more.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
There are 644 entries assessed as places of worship which have been on the Historic England Heritage at Risk Register for at least five years. There are also two other entries assessed as buildings or structures which affect places of worship.
Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester, Gorton)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, who was appointed to represent the Muslim community at the National Service of Remembrance at the Cenotaph in each of the last 10 years.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The table below shows the representative of the Muslim community who attended National Services of Remembrance each year for the last ten years.
Year | Name | Position |
2023 | Imam Asim Hafiz | Islamic Religious Advisor to the Armed Forces |
2022 | Imam Asim Hafiz | Islamic Religious Advisor to the Armed Forces |
2021 | Imam Monawar Hussain | Muslim Chaplain to the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust |
2020 | Imam Asim Hafiz | Islamic Religious Advisor to the Armed Forces |
2019 | Imam Asim Hafiz | Islamic Religious Advisor to the Armed Forces |
2018 | Imam Qari Asim | Senior Imam, Leeds Makkah Masjid & Chair, Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board |
2017 | Imam Asim Hafiz | Islamic Religious Advisor to the Armed Forces |
2016 | Imam Qari Asim | Senior Imam, Leeds Makkah Masjid |
2015 | Imam Asim Hafiz | Islamic Religious Advisor to the Armed Forces |
2014 | Dr Shuja Shafi | Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Great Britain |
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the cost to her Department was of (a) events, (b) activities, (c) merchandise and (d) other associated costs relating to Pride Month 2023.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
No costs were incurred by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport connected to any events, activities, merchandise, or other associated costs in relation to Pride Month 2023.
Asked by: Lord Redesdale (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps Historic England are taking to reduce the number of places of worship on the Heritage at Risk Register.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Since 2009 Historic England has provided grants to enable churches and other religious denominations to employ support officers to advise, encourage and help local congregations to maintain and repair their places of worship and remove them from the Heritage at Risk Register. In 2022–23 the nine support officers in post directly supported 234 congregations and ran 22 training events, attended by 355 delegates, in addition to tailored training at individual places of worship.
Historic England architects, surveyors, engineers and technical advisers are also available to provide advice to help congregations address specific structural and repair problems across England. As a statutory consultee in both the national planning and ecclesiastical exemption processes, Historic England also provides formal advice on proposals for works to historic buildings, including informal advice pre-application and statutory responses in both legal frameworks. This expertise and assistance helps to remove places of worship from the Heritage at Risk Register.