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

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps the Government is taking to reduce the number of local libraries closing.

Local authorities in England have a statutory duty under the Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964 (1964 Act) to provide a comprehensive and efficient library service.

In December 2016, the Taskforce published ‘Libraries Deliver: Ambition for Public Libraries in England 2016-2021’, which sets out a vision for library services in England. The Government is working with the Taskforce to promote good practice and innovation to assist library services and enable them to be sustainable for the long term.