The Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee has published the Government response to its Third Report of Session 2026–27, Protecting built heritage (HC 144). On the specific issue of support for places of worship, the response was as follows:

“[Committee] Recommendation:

We recommend that the government ensures that overall funding available through the Places of Worship Renewal Fund is at least as generous in real terms as the level of support provided through the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme prior to its reductions in budget and the introduction of per-site caps, to prevent any reduction in the number and scale of essential repair projects. The government must also ensure that the eligibility criteria for the Places of Worship Renewal Fund strike an appropriate balance between measures of deprivation and the heritage value of buildings. The government should provide an update on the implementation and early progress of the scheme in its response to this report and should write to the committee again on the matter at six and 12 months thereafter (paragraph 55).

Response:

In May this Government launched the Places of Worship Renewal Fund which provides £92 million capital funding (£23 million per year) to our historic places of worship. Continue reading →