The Lord Bishop of Manchester

My Lords, the nurse who was attacked and injured at work recently and who has been kindly mentioned several times already today is a member of one of our Oldham congregations. I assure your Lordships’ House that she and her family remain very much in our prayers in Manchester. Research by the National Churches Trust published last year shows that the ministry of the UK’s church buildings saves the NHS £8.4 billion every year. Church projects help keep many people out of hospital; they support others when discharged. Other faith communities do similar work and many of them do it in partnership with us. Secondly, the problem in winter—even in the balmy climate of Manchester—is that it gets cold. Part of the work to prevent serious illness lies in keeping people warm and offering them social contexts where some early signs of declining health can be picked up before they become too serious. Many of my churches in Manchester, along with other places of worship all across the nation, take part in the Warm Welcome Campaign which does precisely that. They are open maybe for a morning and offer a free lunch as well as a warm space where people can just socialise and not worry about their heating bills. Does the Minister agree with me that places of worship make a vital contribution to the nation’s health and save the NHS money? Will she not only join me in thanking them but ensure that those of her ministerial colleagues who are presently considering whether the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme should be extended beyond the present financial year are apprised of these facts?