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.

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.