Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Digital Media and Sport, into which step of the Government's covid-19 recovery strategy does the re-opening of public libraries fall.

Although physical library locations are closed, library services have continued to provide and deliver services to their users throughout the lockdown period. Digital services have been sustained, as well as other elements of library services, such as no- or low-contact home library services.

The restoration of public libraries in England will be considered through the Recreation and Leisure taskforce, primarily as part of Step 3 of the government roadmap. The current planning assumption is that general reopening of library buildings will be no earlier than 4 July.