Minister swerves ‘cultural mutilation’ claim as church VAT scheme extended
The Government has extended its listed places of worship grant scheme into March 2026.
Scrapping a grant scheme for churches and cathedrals would amount to “cultural, social and spiritual mutilation”, an MP has said.
The Government on Wednesday extended its listed places of worship grant scheme, which applies to historic buildings from all faiths and allows leaders to claim back VAT costs on repairs and renovations, into March 2026.
Ahead of the announcement, Conservative MP Sir Geoffrey Cox urged culture minister Sir Chris Bryant not to withdraw the programme, which he warned could be “an act of philistine vandalism, that for the sake of a few million pounds putting at risk all these extraordinary buildings”.
Sir Chris later confirmed the scheme would continue, with up to £23 million available for places of worship until next spring.
Sir Geoffrey told MPs that small parish churches are “small arks that have existed down the centuries as repositories of the spiritual aspiration, the emotions, the cultural and historical identities of rural communities – ancestors buried there, pilgrimages paid to their gravesides, which one by one are clinging on only by the efforts of half a dozen or so elderly volunteers”.
The MP for Torridge and Tavistock had begun his speech saying: “It would be an act of cultural, social and spiritual mutilation not to continue with this scheme.”
Labour MP Jenny Riddell-Carpenter described an “uphill task” to raise funds for Holy Trinity Church in Blythburgh, near Southwold, a 15th-century church in her Suffolk Coastal constituency with a parish of around 300 people.
She said: “Religious buildings are a vital part of our country’s heritage and architectural history, but of course they play a central role in our communities.
“These spaces often serve as hubs, as we have heard this morning already, where volunteers come together to help the most vulnerable.
“Many of the churches and parishes across Suffolk Coastal host food banks and community larders, providing vital support to so many.
“These places of worship rely on the listed places of worship grant, and many parish churches receive no regular financial support and often rely on their local communities to dig deep.”
Rachael Maskell, the Labour MP for York Central, said VAT refunds help in “preserving the traditions which many people in this debate today will benefit from”, including stonemasons and glaziers.
Referring to historic buildings in her constituency, including York Minster, Ms Maskell said: “The listed places of worship grant scheme is an essential part of their upkeep.”
Gideon Amos, the Liberal Democrats’ planning spokesman, described the scheme as a “bargain”.
He said: “The value gained from this scheme goes way beyond their heritage and cultural value.
“It enables churches, mosques, synagogues, temples to deliver essential community and voluntary services, as we have heard examples from across the country.
“I know from my constituents how crucial they find St Gregory’s mother and toddler group and how important they find Staple Fitzpaine’s weekly cafe and music events, or simply as a place for the lonely to meet, enjoy a hot drink and access expert advice which is provided at St John the Baptist.”
According to Historic England, 969 places of worship are “at risk”.
Conservative shadow culture minister Saqib Bhatti said the figure painted a “harrowing picture for England’s historic sites; for places of worship in particular, the possibility of roofs collapsing or lack of maintenance on stonework would be catastrophic”.
He said uncertainty around the scheme’s future “is making the task of those who look after these precious buildings more precarious and more stressful, and many are understandably delaying their plans until the Government makes up its mind”.
Sir Chris quoted from Proverbs in his reply when he said: “‘A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy person keeps a secret’.
“And that’s what we have been doing in the department for a while now.”
He added: “Choirs and orchestras often perform.
“They’re warm spaces often in the winter for people, though my memory of most churches is that they are rarely warm places, actually, but sometimes managing to make a segment of a church a warm place is one of the things the fund has been able to help with.
“And of course they’re refuges too for lots of people, as well as the bit that we’ve not mentioned very much – they are a place of worship, and that is a very important part of the spiritual life of this nation, whether it’s births, deaths, or baptisms, funerals, weddings, they’re a very important part of that experience of community life and commitment to God.”
Sir Chris described the cap of £23 million – and an annual claim limit of £25,000 per individual place of worship – as a “difficult decision against a tough financial background and bearing in mind a wide range of compelling priorities for expenditure within the department”.
