Members of the Lords, including the chair of English Heritage, debated the future of English cathedrals on Thursday 28 June.
Lord Cormack (Conservative), who tabled the debate, is vice-president of the Historic Churches Preservation Trust/National Churches Trust and a former member of the Ecclesiastical Committee. Speaking ahead of the debate, which he will open, Lord Cormack said: ‘England’s cathedrals are among our very greatest public buildings, and include some of the finest cathedrals in Europe. But they are old and vulnerable to the ravages of time and weather and cost an enormous amount to maintain. We will be failing future generations if we do not allow them to inherit these great buildings.’
‘I have a lifelong passion for cathedrals and, as a Christian, have a real appreciation of their primary purpose. But even those who do not share the Christian faith can appreciate them as architectural masterpieces. Through this debate, I am seeking to draw attention to the place that cathedrals hold in our national and local and cultural life.’
Read the debate in Hansard: LINK
