Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he will take steps to provide funding to places of worship to support with rising energy costs.

The Government recognises the vital role played by places of worship in our communities. Today the PM announced that the Government will introduce a six-month scheme to support businesses, charities and public sector organisations including places of worship that are registered charities. This will protect them from soaring energy costs and provide them with the certainty they need to plan their business through the acute crisis this winter.

The Government has also continued to fund the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme, which gives grants that cover the VAT incurred in making repairs to listed buildings in use as places of worship, and recently renewed the Churches Conservation Trust funding order up to 2025. Places of worship that are registered charities were also able to benefit from the unprecedented multi-billion-pound package of support for Britain's charities that the Government provided during the pandemic, including £750 million of dedicated funding that helped more than 15,000 organizations across the country respond to the impact of Covid-19.