Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to assist village halls to upgrade their facilities.

This Government recognises the vital role of village halls as part of the social infrastructure in rural communities. In 2026-27 Defra has given a grant of £1.7m to Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE), England’s largest rural grouping of community support charities. One of the priorities for the grant is for ACRE to support village halls and community buildings. Through a network of skilled advisers, they offer a nationwide advice and information service for the volunteers who manage these important community buildings. They also manage, on behalf of Defra, the Rural Community Buildings Loan Fund which helps community buildings fill temporary gaps in funding, either for specific projects or for urgent work connected with the building.