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1003800

registered interest
date	09/11/2018
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, with reference to his Department's document entitled: Libraries Deliver: Ambition for Public Libraries in England 2016 to 2021, published in September 2016, if he will publish the criteria by which his Department assesses whether communities are being provided with safe, welcoming and accessible physical and virtual environments freely open to all.
tabling member constituency	Cardiff West
tabling member printed	Kevin Brennan
uin	189600
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/11/2018 answer text <p>Local authorities in England have a statutory duty to provide a comprehensive and efficient library service that meets local needs. There is no specific criteria that requires public libraries to provide safe, welcoming and accessible physical and virtual environments freely open to all, although we would hope and expect them to do as much as can reasonably be done in this regard.</p> answering member constituency Northampton North answering member printed Michael Ellis question first answered 14/11/2018 11:44:43 answering member 4116 label Biography information for Sir Michael Ellis
tabling member	1400 label Biography information for Kevin Brennan

1005588

registered interest
date	12/11/2018
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	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of public libraries on (1) inclusive economic growth, (2) learning and skills, (3) health and well-being, (4) digital literacy, (5) business support, and (6) poverty prevention.
tabling member printed	Lord Bird
uin	HL11359
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/11/2018 answer text <p>Public libraries play an important role in giving everyone opportunities to improve their life chances and achieve their full potential. They support individuals, communities and society by providing access to books and information, bringing people together and providing them with support and guidance at every stage of their lives.</p><p> </p><p>The Libraries Taskforce, jointly established by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and the Local Government Association, published Libraries Deliver: Ambition for Public Libraries in England 2016-2021 in December 2016. This strategy sets out seven strategic outcomes that libraries support, along with information and evidence about the impact they have in relation to:</p><ul><li>cultural and creative enrichment</li><li>increased reading and literacy</li><li>improved digital access and literacy</li><li>helping everyone achieve their full potential</li><li>healthier and happier lives</li><li>greater prosperity</li><li>stronger, more resilient communities</li></ul><p> </p><p>The Taskforce reviews progress against the Ambition aspirations and action plan annually. DCMS continues to work with the Libraries Taskforce and its member organisations to support the libraries sector. This includes developing and strengthening the evidence base on the impact of public library services on the outcomes, and to encourage good practice and innovation in achieving these aims. DCMS also advocates the value and contribution of public libraries across central and local government.</p> answering member printed Lord Ashton of Hyde question first answered 26/11/2018 12:09:53 answering member 4247 label Biography information for Lord Ashton of Hyde
tabling member	4564 label Biography information for Lord Bird

1012540

registered interest
date	22/11/2018
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	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether an audit has been undertaken of library provision in each local authority to assess whether any local authority is now failing to meet statutory requirements in relation to public access; and if so, which authorities are not currently meeting those statutory requirements.
tabling member printed	Lord Shipley
uin	HL11732
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/12/2018 answer text <p>Local authorities in England have a statutory duty to provide a comprehensive and efficient library service that meets local needs. The Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport also has a duty to superintend, and promote the improvement of, the public library service provided by local authorities in England, and to secure the proper discharge by local authorities of their library authority functions.</p><p> </p><p>DCMS takes the statutory duty seriously and monitors proposed changes to library service provision throughout England. Where DCMS receives a complaint that a local authority may be failing to meet its duty, we will carefully consider the evidence before deciding if a local inquiry is needed. The Department is currently handling eight complaints to determine whether the changes to library service provision mean that these are no longer providing comprehensive and efficient library services.</p> answering member printed Lord Ashton of Hyde question first answered 03/12/2018 16:18:13 answering member 4247 label Biography information for Lord Ashton of Hyde
tabling member	4176 label Biography information for Lord Shipley

1028716

registered interest
date	19/12/2018
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 assessment he has made of the effect on levels of social mobility of access to public libraries.
tabling member constituency	Slough
tabling member printed	Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
uin	203977
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/01/2019 answer text <p>Libraries play an important role in giving everyone opportunities to improve their life chances and achieve their full potential. In doing so they serve a diverse range of people from all backgrounds, including those in lower socio-economic groups. In addition, DCMS’s Taking Part Survey indicates that unlike other cultural sectors, public library use in 2017/18 by people in black or minority ethnic groups is significantly higher (40.9% having visited a public library in the previous 12 months) than for people in the white ethnic group (31.7%).</p><p> </p><p>In recognition of this, the Government funds the Libraries Taskforce to encourage good practice and innovation to public library services in achieving the strategic outcomes set out in its 2016 strategy Libraries Deliver: Ambition for Public Libraries in England 2016-2021. DCMS also invested £3.9 million in the Libraries: Opportunities for Everyone fund to support innovative library service activity in 2017/18 to benefit disadvantaged people and places in England, including projects to help people develop their skills and achieve their potential.</p> answering member constituency Northampton North answering member printed Michael Ellis question first answered 07/01/2019 13:49:56 answering member 4116 label Biography information for Sir Michael Ellis
tabling member	4638 label Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi

1105559

registered interest
date	27/03/2019
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, with reference to the Carnegie UK Trust's report of March 2019, Engaging Libraries: Learning from Phase 1, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of the findings of that report.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
uin	237630
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/04/2019 answer text <p>The Government welcomed the recent Engaging Libraries programme, supported by Carnegie UK Trust and the Wellcome Trust, which enabled public library services to pilot creative public engagement projects on health and wellbeing. We also welcome the announcement that a second phase of the programme will be launched later in 2019.</p><p> </p><p>In line with the learning in this report, the Government recognises the important roles that libraries can play in promoting health and wellbeing. In December 2016, the Libraries Taskforce (which was jointly established by DCMS and the Local Government Association) published its Libraries Deliver: Ambition document. This set out seven strategic Outcomes to which libraries contribute and that local and central government is seeking to support and encourage; one of these was helping people to have healthier and happier lives.</p><p> </p><p>The Taskforce includes representatives of Public Health England and NHS England, and has been active in promoting and sharing good practice about a number of the Engaging Libraries projects through its blog on GOV.UK. In addition, the Taskforce has published an advocacy brochure to specifically showcase to library services, local councils, and partner organisations how libraries can support health and wellbeing for people and communities.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Northampton North answering member printed Michael Ellis question first answered 01/04/2019 14:42:30 answering member 4116 label Biography information for Sir Michael Ellis
tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1123296

registered interest
date	25/04/2019
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	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what support they are giving to sustaining libraries in England.
tabling member printed	Lord Kennedy of Southwark
uin	HL15352
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/05/2019 answer text <p>Local authorities in England have a statutory duty to provide a comprehensive and efficient library service. It is for individual local authorities to decide how best to provide a public library service that meets local needs within their available resources. DCMS works across central and local government to encourage investment in libraries to ensure they can continue to support the delivery of local and national priorities and needs.</p><p> </p><p>The DCMS funded Libraries Taskforce was established, by DCMS and the Local Government Association, to devise and implement the “Libraries Deliver” strategy which helps support and reinvigorate the public library service in England. It works with sector partners to advocate for libraries and to share and promote good practice to help libraries better serve their communities.</p><p> </p><p>Arts Council England, the development agency for libraries, funded by DCMS, is providing total financial support of £1.6 million per annum to seven libraries’ organisations through its National Portfolio 2018 to 2022. DCMS has also provided direct funding support to library services in England, including a £2.6 million programme to support the installation or upgrade of wifi in public libraries in England, as well as £3.9m for the Libraries: Opportunities for Everyone fund, to support innovative library service activity to benefit disadvantaged people and places in England.</p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie question first answered 09/05/2019 11:41:10 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie
tabling member	4153 label Biography information for Lord Kennedy of Southwark

1148309

registered interest
date	03/10/2019
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	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to promote libraries in the UK.
tabling member printed	Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
uin	HL18029
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/10/2019 answer text <p>It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.</p> answering member printed Baroness Barran question first answered 08/10/2019 16:31:54 answering member 4703 label Biography information for Baroness Barran
tabling member	4282 label Biography information for Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

1170792

registered interest
date	14/01/2020
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	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to commission a review of the importance of access to public libraries in all parts of England, including consideration of the relationship between library access and (1) income, and (2) social class.
tabling member printed	Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
uin	HL386
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/01/2020 answer text <p>Libraries play an important role in giving everyone opportunities to improve their life chances and achieve their full potential. They serve a diverse range of people from all backgrounds and provide access to a variety of services. The regularly published Taking Part Survey provides details of the proportion of adults who have used a public library service at least once in the previous 12 months. This includes details of use by upper and lower socio-economic groups, as well as by index of multiple deprivation. The figures for 2018/19 indicate that 36.7% of respondents from the upper socio-economic group and 27.9% of respondents from the lower socio-economic group reported visiting a library in the last 12 months. We have no plans to conduct a review.</p> answering member printed Baroness Barran question first answered 22/01/2020 13:52:04 answering member 4703 label Biography information for Baroness Barran
tabling member	4282 label Biography information for Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

1285342

registered interest
date	09/02/2021
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 new libraries have been opened in the last five years.
tabling member constituency	South Holland and The Deepings
tabling member printed	Sir John Hayes
uin	151613
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/02/2021 answer text <p>The Libraries Taskforce published the 'Public libraries in England: extended dataset' on 11 January 2018 (<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/public-libraries-in-england-basic-dataset#history" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/public-libraries-in-england-basic-dataset#history</a>) provides details of static libraries (statutory and non-statutory) in England as at 1 April 2010 and 1 July 2016, and includes information on permanent library closures, as well as new libraries opening.</p><p>Details relating to static libraries as at 31 December 2019 has been collected by Arts Council England and will be published shortly.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Gosport answering member printed Caroline Dinenage grouped question UIN 151614 question first answered 17/02/2021 15:49:52 answering member 4008 label Biography information for Dame Caroline Dinenage
tabling member	350 label Biography information for Sir John Hayes

1285613

registered interest
date	10/02/2021
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 support the Government is providing to local authorities to help ensure libraries are accessible for (a) click and collect services and (b) information technology services for the most vulnerable and digitally excluded communities.
tabling member constituency	Brent Central
tabling member printed	Dawn Butler
uin	152423
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/02/2021 answer text <p>The COVID regulations allow public libraries in England during the current national restrictions to continue to provide physical library services including an “order and collect” provision, as well as access to public PCs for people to use essential services.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has worked closely with Libraries Connected to develop their toolkit which provides practical guidelines for heads of service and library staff to support the delivery of library services. The toolkit has helped the library sector navigate this difficult period and has been updated to reflect national and local restrictions.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The government exemptions enable public libraries to provide certain services, but do not compel them to do so. Whether library services can or will be provided in each area is for each local council to determine after undertaking appropriate risk assessments, involving staff and unions, looking at the safety of both users and people working in libraries.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Gosport answering member printed Caroline Dinenage question first answered 22/02/2021 09:38:33 answering member 4008 label Biography information for Dame Caroline Dinenage
tabling member	1489 label Biography information for Dawn Butler