Question

To ask the Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, what steps the Church is taking to help ensure the preservation of historic churches in (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire.

The Church Commissioners and Archbishops' Council agreed funding of £11 million for 2023-25 in support of Buildings for Mission. £9 million was allocated to dioceses to fund 30 building support officers to give specialist advice, and there was a small works grant fund. More information about the fund can be found here: Church of England announces £9 million to help parishes with repairs and specialist advice | The Church of England

The National Church Institutions has directly funded 14 grants to Anglican churches in Lincolnshire, amounting to £217,000, through its conservation grants programme and allocated Cultural Recovery Funding.

There are also a small number of other national grant-making bodies, such as the National Churches Trust, to which churches can apply for support, as well as a small number of local Lincolnshire charities that give small grants to local churches, and the Church is very grateful for their continued support.

Along with the lead bishops for church buildings, the Bishop of Bristol and Bishop of Ramsbury, I have welcomed the Government's renewal of the Listed Place of Worship Grant Scheme, which will help many listed churches in Lincolnshire reclaim the cost of VAT on church repairs. The Church Commissioners continue to advocate for the Scheme, and for it to be put on a more long-term footing. Comment on the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme announcement | The Church of England

The National Church Institutions are awaiting the Government’s formal response to the 2017 Taylor Review (The Taylor Review: Sustainability of English Churches and Cathedrals - GOV.UK) into the Sustainability of Church Buildings commissioned by the Department of Culture Media and Sport.