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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to help tackle antisocial behaviour in libraries.

Tackling anti-social behaviour and the harm it causes is a top priority for this Government and a key part of our Safer Streets Mission. The Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 provides the police, local authorities, and other local agencies with a range of tools and powers that they can use to respond to anti-social behaviour. It is for local areas to decide how best to deploy these powers depending on the specific circumstances.

Libraries aim to deliver their services and activities within a safe and comfortable environment. The Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964 provides for a local authority to make byelaws regulating the use of and the conduct of persons in their public libraries.

The revised public library byelaws for England were published in March 2025, following close consultation between DCMS and Libraries Connected. The byelaws are intended to help libraries deliver their service within a safe and comfortable environment, to safeguard library property and to make libraries places everyone can enjoy. They assist the library workforce to deal with disruptive behaviour and allow for flexibility in dealing with local concerns.