Written questions by Hoare.

Media and Sport, what estimate he has made of the number of places of worship liable for VAT on repairs in comparison to the number who will receive a grant to cover this additional cost from the listed Places of Worship fund.

The Listed Places of Worship Scheme was run on a first come first served basis. The new Places of Worship Scheme will instead target funding at areas of the most need, and Places of Worship will go through a proportionate application process. We are currently designing the criteria with experts from the sector, and have not made an estimate of numbers eligible, which will partly depend on the size of grants applied for. The fund will deliver £92 million over 4 years.

Media and Sport, how much of the increase in funding for places of worship is expected to be used to cover VAT costs.

The Places of Worship Renewal Fund is a capital fund, meaning it will award grants for projects to cover capital works, rather than just the VAT element. Further details on the Places of Worship Renewal Fund specific criteria, application process and funding allocation will be announced in due course.

Media and Sport, what estimate he has has made of the levels of repairs to churches which will not proceed as a result of VAT changes.

The Department conducted an evaluation of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme. The evaluation included an extensive survey of current and past scheme users and is published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/evaluation-of-the-listed-places-of-worship-scheme-final-report. 80% of respondents said that they would still have carried out the work without the rebate, Of these, 15% would have carried out works in the same way, 34% would have carried out works but delayed, 15% would have carried out works but been more economical, and 16% would have delayed and been more economical.

Media and Sport, what estimate he has made with Cabinet colleagues of the net cost of benefit of (a) removing the VAT exemption on places of worship repairs and (b) increasing the Listed Places of Worship Grant scheme.

The Department conducted an evaluation of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme. The evaluation included an extensive survey of current and past scheme users and is published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/evaluation-of-the-listed-places-of-worship-scheme-final-report. The evaluation did not estimate the net cost of benefit of (a) removing the VAT exemption on places of worship repairs and (b) increasing the Listed Places of Worship Grant scheme. Our evaluation showed that while it had many benefits, 80% of respondents said that they would still have carried out the work without the rebate. As we look towards a new fiscal period and the evolving needs of our community, it is essential that government support is deployed to the areas where it can have the greatest impact and where it is needed most. Over the next four years, the Places of Worship Renewal Fund will invest £92 million capital funding into listed places of worship and is designed to ensure that taxpayer funding is targeted more effectively toward the preservation of our heritage assets.

Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to help tackle loneliness in rural areas.

This Government is committed to improving the quality of life for people living and working in rural areas, so that we can realise the full potential of rural communities.The Department for Culture, Media and Sport supports the Tackling Loneliness Hub, an online platform which assists professionals who are working to reduce loneliness to connect and share learning, including those in rural areas. In April, the government extended the Know Your Neighbourhood Fund, making up to £4.5 million available to tackle loneliness and increase volunteering. This will help improve social connections in 27 disadvantaged areas in England, 9 of which are rural and small urban areas.The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs is supporting rural communities to address loneliness through its funding support for the modernisation and improvement of village halls. A further £750k in grant funding has been made available in 2025/26. Village halls host the delivery of a wide range of essential services and wider social and recreational activities, which help to address social isolation.