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VAT is to be reduced to 5% on home maintenance, refurbishment and repairs after a successful campaign by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). The cut will help those in the architecture and construction industries, as well as DIY homeowners. A spokesman for RIBA said: "The economic situation is worsening by the day and is having a profound impact on architects who are the hardest hit of the professions. Architects can have a real role in this work, working with homeowners and housing associations on how to refurbish their homes."