VAT and Churches
Construction work to repair buildings, including historic churches, is charged VAT at the 20% standard rate. The Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme provides grants to mitigate the VAT costs for these repairs.

Qatar has the highest standard of living in the world and has been raising its international profile, not without controversy
Qatar 2013 (157 KB , PDF)
Qatar’s activist foreign policy as well as its enormous wealth has increasingly brought the country into the spotlight. Recently, however, its Qatar has experienced some serious foreign policy setbacks, particularly since the fall of the Muslim Brotherhood government in Egypt.
The new Emir, who acceded to the throne on the abdication of his father in summer 2013, looks likely to continue his father’s foreign policies, but perhaps in a more consensual manner.
The decision to host the 2020 World Cup in Qatar has also been highly controversial, not only because of the heat but also because of the terrible conditions in which the thousands of migrant workers needed to build the facilities for the tournament must work.
Qatar 2013 (157 KB , PDF)
Construction work to repair buildings, including historic churches, is charged VAT at the 20% standard rate. The Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme provides grants to mitigate the VAT costs for these repairs.
The US has entered into talks with Iran to limit its nuclear programme. How far advanced is the programme, and what issues are being discussed?
A government has been declared, but violence is ongoing, including against minorities. The UK has removed some sanctions and wants an inclusive transition.