§ 41. Mr. Cormackasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether, in the light of the provisions of the Historic Churches Preservation Bill introduced by the former hon. Member for Cannock in the last Parliament, he will give urgent consideration to making grants for the maintenance and restoration of churches and other religious buildings which are still used as places of worship.
§ Mr. Charles R. MorrisAny request from the Church authorities for State aid for historic churches is and will be considered with an open mind. The working party set up by the General Synod of the Church of England in 1971 to resume discussions with the Department of the Environment on this subject has submitted studies of certain areas designed to show the scale and nature of the problem and its implications for public expenditure. When I have considered them more fully, discussions will be reopened with the representatives of the General Synod. I understand the Church of England is keeping other denominations informed through the Churches Main Committee.