Asked by: Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour - Gower)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of recently announced changes to capital funding for places of worship on places of worship in Wales.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Places of Worship Renewal Fund is focused solely on England because heritage policy is devolved. Future capital funding for Wales is supported through Barnett allocations, which provide proportional funding to the Welsh Government. As these funds are not ring-fenced, it is for the devolved administrations to determine how this funding is allocated and spent according to their priorities. Therefore, we do not plan to assess the impact of this capital funding for places of worship in Wales.
This contrasts with the previous Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme (LPWGS), which operated UK-wide as a VAT-rebate scheme. Tax policy is not devolved.
To ensure continued support across the UK, we are working closely with sector funders to maximise opportunities for all nations. The National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF) remains a vital resource, offering grants across the UK and investing £100 million over three years in places of worship. This includes a strategic initiative designed to provide targeted support and build capacity, ensuring that places of worship in Wales have access to investment.
Asked by: Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour - Gower)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to secure adequate funding opportunities for places of worship in Wales.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Places of Worship Renewal Fund is focused solely on England because heritage policy is devolved. Future capital funding for Wales is supported through Barnett allocations, which provide proportional funding to the Welsh Government. As these funds are not ring-fenced, it is for the devolved administrations to determine how this funding is allocated and spent according to their priorities. Therefore, we do not plan to assess the impact of this capital funding for places of worship in Wales.
This contrasts with the previous Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme (LPWGS), which operated UK-wide as a VAT-rebate scheme. Tax policy is not devolved.
To ensure continued support across the UK, we are working closely with sector funders to maximise opportunities for all nations. The National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF) remains a vital resource, offering grants across the UK and investing £100 million over three years in places of worship. This includes a strategic initiative designed to provide targeted support and build capacity, ensuring that places of worship in Wales have access to investment.
Asked by: Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour - Gower)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her department's policies of the National Security Assessment on Global Ecosystems, published 20th January 2026.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Nature underpins our security, prosperity, and resilience, and understanding the threats we face from biodiversity loss is essential to addressing them effectively. The assessment published 20 January 2026 has implications across a wide range of Defra policy areas, including food and farming, water, international biodiversity, and climate adaptation.
The assessment is a strategic analysis rather than a prediction. It is designed to help the Government plan for potential shocks that are credible enough to warrant preparation. This approach ensures the UK is better equipped to anticipate and manage risks should they arise. Publishing the assessment also supports international cooperation on shared biodiversity challenges.
The Secretary of State has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a range of issues. Defra contributed to the 2025 UK National Security Strategy, which recognises climate and nature degradation as strategic risks, and is supporting its implementation. Defra also supports the Government’s Defence Energy and Capability Resilience Centre of Excellence, announced under the Defence Industrial Strategy, which will strengthen UK resilience by harnessing innovation in dual-use energy technologies and circular economy approaches.
This work complements wider cross-government efforts to build long-term stability across food, energy, and environmental systems.
Asked by: Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour - Gower)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Defence on the National Security Assessment on Global Ecosystems, published on 20 January 2026.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Nature underpins our security, prosperity, and resilience, and understanding the threats we face from biodiversity loss is essential to addressing them effectively. The assessment published 20 January 2026 has implications across a wide range of Defra policy areas, including food and farming, water, international biodiversity, and climate adaptation.
The assessment is a strategic analysis rather than a prediction. It is designed to help the Government plan for potential shocks that are credible enough to warrant preparation. This approach ensures the UK is better equipped to anticipate and manage risks should they arise. Publishing the assessment also supports international cooperation on shared biodiversity challenges.
The Secretary of State has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a range of issues. Defra contributed to the 2025 UK National Security Strategy, which recognises climate and nature degradation as strategic risks, and is supporting its implementation. Defra also supports the Government’s Defence Energy and Capability Resilience Centre of Excellence, announced under the Defence Industrial Strategy, which will strengthen UK resilience by harnessing innovation in dual-use energy technologies and circular economy approaches.
This work complements wider cross-government efforts to build long-term stability across food, energy, and environmental systems.