FUNDING FOR St. PAUL'S CATHEDRAL

That this House deeply regrets the decision of the National Lottery Heritage Fund to deny St. Paul's Cathedral the £3 million that it has applied for as part of the £40 million restoration programme which it is hoped to have completed by the 300th anniversary of Sir Christopher Wren's architectural masterpiece in 2008; and notes that any argument based on a perceived lack of inclusivity fails to recognise that St. Pauls' Cathedral receives 1.5 million visitors annually, turns no-one away and welcomes people of all faiths and none to a building which has a greater significance in British national life than any other place of worship.