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1581724

registered interest
date	30/01/2023
answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Public Libraries
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the closing of the Libraries Taskforce in March 2020 on strategic planning for libraries.
tabling member constituency	Worsley and Eccles South
tabling member printed	Barbara Keeley
uin	135181
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/02/2023 answer text <p>While the taskforce formally ended on 31 March 2020, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport provided a further year of funding for the team based at Arts Council England to manage the ongoing work funded through it, to convene a core group of library stakeholders, and to assist in the delivery of in upcoming strategic development opportunities. (Arts Council England is the national development agency for public libraries in England.)</p><p>Local authorities have a statutory duty to provide a comprehensive and efficient library service and to think long-term and strategically as they plan and transform their library services. <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/libraries-deliver-ambition-for-public-libraries-in-england-2016-to-2021/libraries-deliver-ambition-for-public-libraries-in-england-2016-to-2021" target="_blank">Libraries Deliver: Ambition for Public Libraries in England 2016 to 2021</a>, together with other <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/longer-term-evidence-based-sustainable-planning-toolkit/longer-term-evidence-based-sustainable-planning-toolkit" target="_blank">strategic planning toolkits</a> previously published by the taskforce, remain relevant guidance documents to assist local authorities in delivering this duty.</p><p>In September 2022, the Government appointed Baroness Sanderson of Welton as chairman of a new advisory panel to help develop a new strategy to make sure that public libraries are providing the best possible service for their communities. More detail can be found <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/baroness-sanderson-to-help-develop-new-public-libraries-strategy" target="_blank">here</a>. To date she has had numerous meetings with organisations with an interest in public libraries work, and has led two roundtable sessions. The first, on 13 January in Nottinghamshire, focused on the contribution public libraries make to cultural and creative enrichment and the second, on 27 January in Suffolk, discussed their contribution to health and wellbeing. A further seven roundtables will be held between February and May, in libraries across England, each focusing on a specific theme, based on the seven Strategic Outcomes in Libraries Deliver: Ambition for Public Libraries in England 2016 to 2021, plus sessions on governance and innovation.</p> answering member constituency Pudsey answering member printed Stuart Andrew question first answered 03/02/2023 14:00:24 answering member 4032 label Biography information for Stuart Andrew
tabling member	1588 label Biography information for Barbara Keeley

1581725

registered interest
date	30/01/2023
answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Public Libraries
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many public libraries there were in England in each year since 2010.
tabling member constituency	Worsley and Eccles South
tabling member printed	Barbara Keeley
uin	135182
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/02/2023 answer text <p>This information is not collected by the Department. Arts Council England collects data from local authorities and publishes a basic dataset of information on public libraries in England. The libraries basic dataset 2021 shows the number of static libraries in England (statutory and non-statutory) as at 1 April 2010, 1 July 2016, 31 December 2019 and 31 December 2021. It can be found at: <a href="https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/search?query=basic+dataset&amp;sort_by=titles" target="_blank">https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/search?query=basic+dataset&amp;sort_by=titles</a></p><p>The libraries basic dataset 2022 will be published by Arts Council England later this year.</p><p>Annual library data are also collected by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) from local authorities across Great Britain and include the number of libraries (statutory and non-statutory). Access to these annual library data is available through subscription to CIPFA. The House of Commons Library subscribes to the CIPFA ‘stats+ public libraries statistics dashboard’ which includes figures for library service points.</p> answering member constituency Pudsey answering member printed Stuart Andrew question first answered 03/02/2023 14:01:55 answering member 4032 label Biography information for Stuart Andrew
tabling member	1588 label Biography information for Barbara Keeley

1581015

registered interest
date	26/01/2023
answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Public Libraries
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent steps her Department has taken to help support public libraries.
tabling member constituency	Brighton, Kemptown
tabling member printed	Lloyd Russell-Moyle
uin	903263
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/01/2023 answer text <p>The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport works closely with organisations across the sector to support and champion public libraries in England. Through the first round of the Libraries Improvement Fund, we are investing £5 million in 25 library services to upgrade their buildings and technology, equipping them to meet the changing needs of local communities. Decisions regarding the second round of the Fund – which will offer another £5 million of investment – will be made shortly.</p><p>Additionally, in September 2022 the Government appointed Baroness Sanderson of Welton as chairman of a new advisory panel to help develop a new strategy to make sure public libraries are providing the best possible service for their communities. More detail can be found <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/baroness-sanderson-to-help-develop-new-public-libraries-strategy" target="_blank">here</a>. To date she has had numerous meetings with organisations with an interest in public libraries’ work, and has led two roundtable sessions. The first on 13 January in Nottinghamshire focused on the contribution public libraries make to cultural and creative enrichment and the second on 27 January in Ipswich discussed their contribution to health and wellbeing. A further seven roundtables will be held between February and May, in libraries across England, each focusing on a specific theme, based on the seven Strategic Outcomes in the <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/libraries-deliver-ambition-for-public-libraries-in-england-2016-to-2021/libraries-deliver-ambition-for-public-libraries-in-england-2016-to-2021" target="_blank">Libraries Deliver: Ambition for Public Libraries in England 2016 to 2021</a>, plus sessions on governance and innovation.</p> answering member constituency Pudsey answering member printed Stuart Andrew question first answered 30/01/2023 14:01:02 answering member 4032 label Biography information for Stuart Andrew
tabling member	4615 label Biography information for Lloyd Russell-Moyle

1581018

registered interest
date	26/01/2023
answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Football
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if she will take steps to help ensure the English Football League and football club owners are accountable to fans.
tabling member constituency	Huddersfield
tabling member printed	Mr Barry Sheerman
uin	903266
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/01/2023 answer text <p>We recognise the need for football to be reformed to ensure the game’s long term sustainability. In April 2022, the government responded to the Fan Led Review of Football governance and confirmed support for greater fan engagement.</p><p>One of my first meetings as Minister for Sport was with the Football Supporters’ Association to hear their concerns. We will publish a White Paper setting out our detailed response to the Fan Led Review of Football Governance in the next few weeks.</p> answering member constituency Pudsey answering member printed Stuart Andrew question first answered 26/01/2023 16:38:42 answering member 4032 label Biography information for Stuart Andrew
tabling member	411 label Biography information for Mr Barry Sheerman

1581021

registered interest
date	26/01/2023
answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Arts and Cultural Heritage: Mental Health
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the contribution of heritage and arts sites to wellbeing and mental health.
tabling member constituency	North Norfolk
tabling member printed	Duncan Baker
uin	903269
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/01/2023 answer text <p>Heritage and the arts have an important role to play in boosting people’s health and wellbeing – a point which has been underlined by our experience during, and since, the COVID-19 pandemic. DCMS and our arm’s-length bodies, including Arts Council England and Historic England, play an important role in the Government’s work to improve health and wellbeing.</p><p>Arts Council England’s ‘Creative Health and Wellbeing Plan’ sets out its ongoing commitment to help people live happier, healthier lives, while Historic England’s ‘Wellbeing and Heritage Strategy’ aims to ensure that everyone can experience the wellbeing benefits of heritage. Both organisations work with the NHS and partner with the National Academy of Social Prescribing.</p><p>The Government’s <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/opportunity-for-all-strong-schools-with-great-teachers-for-your-child" target="_blank">schools White Paper</a>, published in March 2022, said that all children should be entitled to take part in sport, music and cultural opportunities, noting that “These opportunities are an essential part of a broad and ambitious curriculum, and support children’s health, wellbeing and wider development, particularly as we recover from the pandemic.” The Government published updated <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/sport-and-music-education-championed-with-new-investment" target="_blank">plans</a> to support sport and <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-power-of-music-to-change-lives-a-national-plan-for-music-education" target="_blank">music</a> education in 2022, and will publish a <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/baroness-bull-cbe-appointed-chair-of-the-expert-advisory-panel-for-the-cultural-education-plan" target="_blank">cultural education plan</a> in 2023, which DCMS is working with the Department for Education and our arm’s-length bodies in developing.</p> answering member constituency Pudsey answering member printed Stuart Andrew question first answered 26/01/2023 18:09:19 answering member 4032 label Biography information for Stuart Andrew
tabling member	4784 label Biography information for Duncan Baker

1581155

registered interest
date	26/01/2023
answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Loneliness
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent progress she has made on the Government's loneliness strategy.
tabling member constituency	York Central
tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
uin	133671
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/02/2023 answer text <p>Tackling loneliness remains a priority for the government. Over the past year we have reached millions of people through our ‘Lift Someone Out of Loneliness’ campaign. We have grown our Tackling Loneliness Network of organisations from across sectors, and published new research into loneliness and its impacts. We have also brought together Ministers across government to continue to drive forward action to tackle loneliness. In the coming months we will publish the fourth annual report on the loneliness strategy reflecting on progress made since 2018 and committing to government action to tackle loneliness over the next two years.</p> answering member constituency Pudsey answering member printed Stuart Andrew question first answered 03/02/2023 13:47:10 answering member 4032 label Biography information for Stuart Andrew
tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell

1581157

registered interest
date	26/01/2023
answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Loneliness: Employment
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of trends in the level of loneliness in the workplace.
tabling member constituency	York Central
tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
uin	133672
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/02/2023 answer text <p>Employment can be a vital lifeline for social contact. As part of the cross-government loneliness strategy, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and the Campaign to End Loneliness established the Loneliness Employers Leadership Group to deepen our understanding of workplace loneliness and identify what employers can do. This work was taken forward as part of the Tackling Loneliness Network. In 2021, we commissioned the Campaign to End Loneliness to carry out a consultation with a wide network of businesses and produce a <a href="https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gov.uk%2Fgovernment%2Fpublications%2Femployers-and-loneliness%2Femployers-and-loneliness&amp;data=05%7C01%7CTony.Mulcahy%40beis.gov.uk%7Cea1e56dc13594a93e08108db03823caf%7Ccbac700502c143ebb497e6492d1b2dd8%7C0%7C0%7C638107630130942701%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=azWcf%2FxjL0gw2jwgwyFt1OE%2BSERIQb%2B7yLSf4YpoW1c%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">good practice guide </a>on employers and loneliness.</p><p>Government speaks regularly with business organisations, such as the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, on a range of issues including workplace wellbeing and how employers might look to improve it.</p><p>In the coming months we will publish the fourth annual report on the loneliness strategy, including a commitment to work with BEIS to engage with the APPG for Tackling Loneliness and Connecting Communities on their recent inquiry into workplace loneliness.</p> answering member constituency Pudsey answering member printed Stuart Andrew question first answered 03/02/2023 13:48:28 answering member 4032 label Biography information for Stuart Andrew
tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell

1581161

registered interest
date	26/01/2023
answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Loneliness: Mental Health
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if he will make an assessment of the potential correlation between ill mental health and loneliness.
tabling member constituency	York Central
tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
uin	133673
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/02/2023 answer text <p>In June 2022 we published qualitative and quantitative research showing that there is a bidirectional link between loneliness and mental ill health. Our research found that people who experienced prior mental distress were 4.2 times more likely to experience subsequent chronic loneliness than those who did not experience earlier mental distress. Furthermore, those who reported prior chronic loneliness were 3.7 times more likely to experience subsequent mental distress than those who were not previously lonely. We continue to work closely with the Department of Health and Social Care to determine how we can prevent and tackle loneliness.</p> answering member constituency Pudsey answering member printed Stuart Andrew question first answered 03/02/2023 13:49:45 answering member 4032 label Biography information for Stuart Andrew
tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell

1581162

registered interest
date	26/01/2023
answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Loneliness: Social Prescribing
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps is he taking to investigate the potential merits of social prescribing in combatting loneliness.
tabling member constituency	York Central
tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
uin	133674
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/02/2023 answer text <p>We recognise the importance of social prescribing in tackling loneliness. Since the launch of the strategy, the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England have made great progress in improving the provision of social prescribing and there is growing evidence that social prescribing can help to reduce people's loneliness. Funding for social prescribing link workers through primary care has resulted in a robust support offer for recruitment, training, workforce development and service delivery. As of October 2022 there are 2,793 FTE Social Prescribing Link Workers in post and over 1.3 million referrals have been made to Social Prescribing as of November 2022.</p> answering member constituency Pudsey answering member printed Stuart Andrew question first answered 03/02/2023 13:52:00 answering member 4032 label Biography information for Stuart Andrew
tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell

1581315

registered interest
date	26/01/2023
answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Voluntary Work: Health
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has had recent discussions with (a) conservation and (b) other charities on (i) creating more volunteering opportunities for people with (A) dementia, (B) mental health challenges and (C) disabled people and (ii) the establishment of social prescribing programmes to help support people with health requirements volunteer.
tabling member constituency	York Central
tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
uin	133757
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/02/2023 answer text <p>Volunteering is critical to a vibrant and resilient civil society. It benefits volunteers and the organisations involving them and has transformational impacts on beneficiaries and their communities. We want to see as many people getting involved and taking action on the causes that mean the most to them.</p><p>DCMS is an active partner in the sector-led Vision for Volunteering, a ten-year initiative that aims to make volunteering more equitable, diverse and inclusive. We regularly engage with a range of charities and other volunteer-involving organisations to understand both the challenges and opportunities in relation to volunteering.</p><p>In addition, we are specifically investing to support people to overcome barriers to volunteering. In 2021, DCMS launched the Volunteering Futures Fund which provides over £7 million, including match funding, to improve the accessibility of volunteering. As a result, thousands of young people, people with disabilities, those experiencing loneliness and other barriers have the opportunity to volunteer and help others.</p><p>Social prescribing also has an important part to play in supporting people into volunteering. In 2021 and 2022, a number of DCMS arms length bodies, including Arts Council England, Historic England and Sport England, partnered with the National Academy for Social Prescribing to deliver the £1.8m <a href="https://socialprescribingacademy.org.uk/thriving-communities/" target="_blank">Thriving Communities Programme</a>, which supported 37 projects across England. Projects used the power of culture and heritage alongside nature, sport, health and financial support to benefit the wellbeing of communities most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.</p> answering member constituency Pudsey answering member printed Stuart Andrew question first answered 03/02/2023 13:46:07 answering member 4032 label Biography information for Stuart Andrew
tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell