Asked by: Lord Bird (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to prioritise libraries for early re-opening as lockdown restrictions are lifted; and what discussions they have had with the Local Government Association on this issue.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Although physical library locations have closed, library services continue to provide and deliver services to its users. This includes online services such as access to e-books and e-audiobooks, where there has been a significant increase in demand, as well as developing innovative and exciting digital ways to provide services such as Rhyme Time and Storytimes, often reaching far more people than before.
Ministers and officials have held regular calls with public library stakeholders, including the Local Government Association (LGA) since the announcement on 23 March that libraries were to close. These now include discussions related to the re-opening of library services and how this can be achieved in a safe way for both staff and users.
DCMS is working with the library sector and the LGA to identify issues, and to develop guidance, around the measures that public libraries will need to take to enable physical library buildings to reopen and for services to begin to be restored in a phased manner in due course.
Asked by: Lord Bird (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to assist libraries to loan more audio books and e-books during the COVID-19 pandemic; and what conversations, if any, they have had with the publishing industry about that issue.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Libraries across England have responded swiftly to the COVID-19 pandemic, adapting to meet their users’ needs. Although the physical doors are closed, library services have developed innovative and exciting digital ways to continue to provide services. This has included repurposing stock budgets to meet the increase in demand for e-books and e-audiobooks.
Arts Council England has provided £151,000 (around £1,000 per library authority) to supplement existing e-book funding. Publishers and aggregators have also responded positively. Two aggregators have offered to match the ACE investment where money is spent on e-audio items. Through conversations with the sector we also know that publishers are lifting restrictions to enable remote storytelling so that library Rhyme Times can continue online.
Asked by: Lord Bird (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion, and what amount, of the £250 million Culture Investment Fund will be allocated specifically to libraries
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Over £125m of this new funding will be invested in regional museums and libraries around the country over five years from 2020/21. The funding will be used to upgrade buildings and technology so public libraries across England are better placed to respond to the changing ways people are using them. Details of investment plans will be set out in due course.
Asked by: Lord Bird (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what support they intend to provide to the Libraries Taskforce, now that Arts Council England has assumed responsibility for its work, and given that its current funding arrangements will end in March 2020.
Answered by Lord Ashton of Hyde
Government funding for the Libraries Taskforce is currently confirmed until March 2020. Arts Council England receives funding for the work streams that it is leading on behalf of the Taskforce.
Decisions about the Taskforce’s future are yet to be made, and as with all government spending, funding beyond this period will be considered as part of the next Spending Review.
Asked by: Lord Bird (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the recommendations in the report by the Cultural Cities Enquiry Enriching UK cities through smart investment in culture, in particular the importance of (1) investment, and (2) corporate social venture funds and other city-wide philanthropy platforms, in increasing the ability of cities to use culture to drive inclusive growth.
Answered by Lord Ashton of Hyde
We welcome the valuable contribution of the Cultural Cities Enquiry report to the cultural sector and fully recognise the benefits that investment, alongside philanthropy, can bring to a cities cultural offer.
The Government appreciates the impact of different investment models in driving inclusive growth, and my officials will consider the recommendations set out in the report closely.
In support of the report’s vision, my department has announced funding of up to £110,000 to support early adopters across England in establishing ‘Culture Compacts’. These will bring together local partners to deliver a shared vision for investing in culture at a local level to drive inclusive growth. Arts Council England will begin work with the Core Cities Group and the Key Cities Group to identify a number of cities to become early adopters.
Asked by: Lord Bird (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to encourage more (1) social enterprises, (2) charities, (3) mutuals, and (4) co-operatives to apply for and win government contracts; and what consideration they have given to strengthening the provisions of the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012.
Answered by Lord Ashton of Hyde
With the Cabinet Office, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is currently implementing a package of measures for the future of social value and procurement. This includes training for government commercial staff and will help unlock more opportunities for voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations. This work is part of government's long term ambition to grow social value commissioning and strengthen the Social Value Act as set out in the Civil Society Strategy.
Officials are working with Claire Dove, VCSE Crown Representative to ensure that VCSE’s have a powerful voice in both commissioner and supplier communities.
Asked by: Lord Bird (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
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.
Answered by Lord Ashton of Hyde
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.
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:
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.
Asked by: Lord Bird (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to deliver a properly funded and sustainable future for libraries.
Answered by Lord Ashton of Hyde
Local authorities in England have a statutory duty to provide a comprehensive and efficient library service, and it is for individual local authorities to decide how to use their funds, including how best to provide a public library service that meets local needs within available resources. DCMS works across central and local government to encourage investment in libraries to ensure they can continue to support delivery of local and national priorities and needs.
DCMS and the Local Government Association established the Libraries Taskforce, which works to promote good practice and innovation to assist library services and enable them to be sustainable for the long term. DCMS provides funding to Arts Council England, as the development agency for libraries; ACE is funding seven libraries organisations in its National Portfolio for 2018 to 2022 at a total annual spend of £1.6 million, including Libraries Connected as a sector support organisation for libraries.
DCMS has also provided direct funding support for library services in England, including a £2.6 million programme to support the installation or upgrade of wifi in public libraries in England, and the £3.9m Libraries: Opportunities for Everyone fund, to support innovative library service activity in 2017/18 to benefit disadvantaged people and places in England.
Asked by: Lord Bird (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effect of a ban on the use of credit cards for all forms of gambling, especially in regard to online gambling; and whether they have received any representations about such a ban.
Answered by Lord Ashton of Hyde
The Government has received representations on the use of credit cards in gambling. In March 2018, the Gambling Commission announced the conclusions from its attached review of online gambling which can be found at: http://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/PDF/Online-review-March-2018.pdf
Among the changes proposed, the Gambling Commission announced that it would conduct further work to understand the risks of gambling on credit cards before consulting on options for change.
Asked by: Lord Bird (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how they are working to promote social enterprise.
Answered by Lord Ashton of Hyde
HMG has had a longstanding policy to support social enterprises, as an important part of a growing economy and a stronger society. Current areas of focus include: