Murdo has said he is “very disappointed” with the lack of response he received from First Minister John Swinney to a question he asked about a VAT recovery scheme for listed places of worship.
He raised the issue of a new scheme being rolled out in England to help churches in Scotland, due to the forthcoming closure of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme (LPWGS).
This scheme offers grants towards VAT on repairs and renovations to listed places of worship, with up to £25,000 available to an organisation each year.
In January, the UK Government announced that it would be closing the LPWGS at the end of March and would be replacing it with a new £23 million per annum capital funding scheme, called the Places of Worship Renewal Fund, but this will only apply to England.
Speaking during last week's First Minister’s Questions, Murdo said: “I have been contacted by local church groups concerned about the closure at the end of this month of the United Kingdom Government’s Listed Places of Worship Grant scheme - a very valuable scheme that I am sure the First Minister is aware of, and which allows places of worship to recover value-added tax on repair and renovation costs.
“The UK Government has indicated that, from April, a replacement scheme worth £92 million will be established, but it will cover only England. That will, of course, generate Barnett consequentials for the Scottish Government, so will the First Minister commit to using those consequentials to establish a similar scheme for listed places of worship here in Scotland?”
Speaking after First Minister’s Questions, Murdo commented: “I was extremely disappointed with the lack of response from the First Minister to my question. His reply was flippant and dismissive. He did say he would take a look at the issue but it appears he doesn’t realise how serious an issue this is.
“It was announced earlier this week that a number of church leaders will be speaking to UK Ministers about their concerns over the closure of the LPWGS. The Scottish Church Leaders’ Forum said a sudden end to the scheme will ‘severely affect community efforts to fix roofs, maintain heating systems and hold back damp.’
“The Forum have written to UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy to voice their concerns, and I would have hoped our First Minister would have given a more positive answer to me.”
