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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 20 March 2017 to Question 68114, on public libraries: complaints, which 15 local authorities have been investigated since 2010; and what the outcomes were of those investigations.

The local authorities that are being or have been investigated are Lancashire, Lambeth, Southampton, Harrow, Sheffield, Newcastle, Lincolnshire, Bolton, Brent, Isle of Wight, Lewisham, Somerset, Gloucestershire, Doncaster and Surrey. In respect of Lancashire, Lambeth and Southampton these investigations are on-going and no final decision has been made. With regard to Harrow, Sheffield, Newcastle, Lincolnshire, Bolton, London Borough of Brent, Isle of Wight, Lewisham the Secretary of State decided with each of these cases not to direct a local inquiry. In the case of Somerset and Gloucestershire no action was required as both local authorities reverted to their original library service provision following successful judicial review challenges and with respect to Doncaster and Surrey no action was taken.