Question

To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the House of Commons Commission, what assessment the Commission has made of the potential disadvantages of taking steps to decolonise the Library of the House of Commons.

The Commission has not carried out an assessment of potential disadvantages of taking steps to decolonise the Library of the House of Commons. It notes that the Library has been undertaking work to review and increase the diversity of its collection since August 2020 and that while it has engaged in knowledge exchange with institutions in the academic sector that are seeking to decolonise their curricula and library collections, it has not adopted this as an approach to its own work.

The Commission has not carried out an assessment of the potential impact of decolonisation of the Library on the representation of Parliament’s history. However, it understands that the Library’s work on the diversity of its collection is guided by the framework set out in its Collection Development Policy which identifies the criteria used for acquisition, retention and deselection of material. The purpose of the work is to ensure the collection contains a wide range of perspectives which are representative of Britain past and present. It has not changed the core focus of the collection on Parliament and devolved legislatures, the history of UK and Ireland, politics and government or its commitment to curate this as an enduring collection of national importance. It also has a clear commitment to impartiality in its work.