Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Ministry of Justice

Oral Answers to Questions

John Pugh Excerpts
Thursday 10th January 2013

(11 years, 10 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Lord Vaizey of Didcot Portrait Mr Vaizey
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In times of economic austerity one has to be careful with public funds, but in any event I think it is long overdue for the Arts Council to have responsibility for libraries, in order to join up responsibility for local libraries with local culture.

John Pugh Portrait John Pugh (Southport) (LD)
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In my constituency, Sefton is proposing to close all the branch libraries, radically reducing access. Does the Minister think that that is the only or best way to deal with the budgetary squeeze and will he look into that particular case?

Lord Vaizey of Didcot Portrait Mr Vaizey
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We always keep an eye on proposals by local authorities to reorganise their library services and we will certainly keep an eye on those proposals.