Asked by: Lilian Greenwood (Labour - Nottingham South)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions she has had with local authorities on the presence of reinforced autoclave aerated concrete (RAAC) in their archive buildings.
Answered by John Whittingdale
On 1 May 2019, the Standing Committee on Structural Safety issued a safety alert on the failure of reinforced autoclave aerated concrete (RAAC) planks. Local authorities, like other building owners, are advised to follow available professional guidance.
The National Archives, a non-ministerial department of HM Government, has been in contact with the Local Government Association’s Culture, Tourism and Sport team about this issue and has also conducted a write-round to the local Place of Deposit for Public Records network and the Chief Archivists in Local Government Group.
HM Government will consider the approach to any RAAC in other public sector estates on a case-by-case basis.
Asked by: Lilian Greenwood (Labour - Nottingham South)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many new public libraries have opened since 2010.
Answered by John Whittingdale
This information is not collected by the department. However, Arts Council England collects data from local authorities and publishes a basic dataset of information on public libraries in England. The libraries basic dataset 2022 shows the number of static libraries in England (statutory and non-statutory) as at 1 April 2010, 1 July 2016, 31 December 2019, 31 December 2021 and 31 December 2022. It can be found here.
This dataset indicates that there are around 150 static public libraries which were not part of statutory provision in 2010 but were at 31 December 2022.
Asked by: Lilian Greenwood (Labour - Nottingham South)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what information her Department holds on the number of public libraries that have reduced their opening (a) hours and (b) days in each year since 2010.
Answered by John Whittingdale
This information is not collected by the department. Arts Council England collects data from local authorities and publishes a basic dataset of information on public libraries in England, which provides current, but not historical, information about opening hours.
The dataset can be found here.
Asked by: Lilian Greenwood (Labour - Nottingham South)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate she has made of the number of libraries that were used as warm spaces in winter 2022-23.
Answered by John Whittingdale
The delivery of public library services is a responsibility for upper-tier local authorities under the Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964. It is for those authorities to determine provision based on local needs and priorities, including the use of libraries as warm hubs.
Last winter, a number of local authorities indicated that they intended to use public and community-managed buildings including libraries to provide additional support and advice to local residents following the rise in energy costs. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport engaged with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero to ensure that the Government’s Energy Bill Relief Scheme supported businesses and non-domestic customers such as libraries and other community spaces. Libraries and archives were also eligible to receive an enhanced level of support under the Energy Bills Discount Scheme.
Asked by: Lilian Greenwood (Labour - Nottingham South)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with Local Authorities on the use of libraries as warm spaces in winter 2023-24.
Answered by John Whittingdale
The delivery of public library services is a responsibility for upper-tier local authorities under the Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964. It is for those authorities to determine provision based on local needs and priorities, including the use of libraries as warm hubs.
Last winter, a number of local authorities indicated that they intended to use public and community-managed buildings including libraries to provide additional support and advice to local residents following the rise in energy costs. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport engaged with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero to ensure that the Government’s Energy Bill Relief Scheme supported businesses and non-domestic customers such as libraries and other community spaces. Libraries and archives were also eligible to receive an enhanced level of support under the Energy Bills Discount Scheme.
Asked by: Lilian Greenwood (Labour - Nottingham South)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department has taken to determine the prevalence of reinforced autoclave aerated concrete (RAAC) in (a) museums, (b) art galleries, (c) listed buildings, (d) buildings owned by charities and (e) libraries.
Answered by John Whittingdale
Departments have been asked to report on the current picture of suspected and confirmed RAAC in their estates as soon as possible. This will be updated on a regular basis as new buildings are identified and surveying and remediation are carried out.
Government published lists of education settings confirmed as having RAAC on Wednesday 6 September and committed to providing further updates.
Asked by: Lilian Greenwood (Labour - Nottingham South)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many (a) museums, (b) art galleries, (c) listed buildings, (d) buildings owned by charities and (e) libraries her Department knows contain reinforced autoclave aerated concrete (RAAC).
Answered by John Whittingdale
Departments have been asked to report on the current picture of suspected and confirmed RAAC in their estates as soon as possible. This will be updated on a regular basis as new buildings are identified and surveying and remediation are carried out.
Government published lists of education settings confirmed as having RAAC on Wednesday 6 September and committed to providing further updates.
Asked by: Lilian Greenwood (Labour - Nottingham South)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with (a) charities and civil society organisations, (b) museums and (c) art galleries on the presence of reinforced autoclave aerated concrete (RAAC) in their buildings.
Answered by John Whittingdale
Departments have been asked to report on the current picture of suspected and confirmed RAAC in their estates as soon as possible. This will be updated on a regular basis as new buildings are identified and surveying and remediation are carried out.
Government published lists of education settings confirmed as having RAAC on Wednesday 6 September and committed to providing further updates.
Asked by: Lilian Greenwood (Labour - Nottingham South)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions she has had with (a) local planning authorities and (b) owners of listed buildings on the potential presence of reinforced autoclave aerated concrete (RAAC) in their listed buildings.
Answered by John Whittingdale
The Standing Committee on Structural Safety issued a safety alert on the failure of reinforced autoclave aerated concrete (RAAC) planks on 1 May 2019.
Individual building owners and managers are responsible for health and safety, including responding to safety alerts such as this. Local authorities, like other building owners, are advised to follow available professional guidance.
The Cabinet Office is co-ordinating the development of a Government RAAC Register to capture and track suspected and confirmed presence of RAAC in Government buildings. This will be updated regularly as buildings are surveyed and mitigation measures are put in place.
Asked by: Lilian Greenwood (Labour - Nottingham South)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department has taken to determine the prevalence of reinforced autoclave aerated concrete (RAAC) in (a) the National Archives, (b) other UK national archives, (c) local archives and (d) specialist archives.
Answered by John Whittingdale
The Standing Committee on Structural Safety issued a safety alert on the failure of RAAC planks on 1 May 2019. Since then, individual organisations have been surveying properties and taking action in line with Institution of Structural Engineers guidance.
Government Departments have been asked to report on the current picture of suspected and confirmed RAAC on their estates as soon as possible. This will be updated on a regular basis as new buildings are identified and surveying and remediation are carried out. This work is being co-ordinated by the Office of Government Property.
The Public Record Office of Northern Ireland and the National Records of Scotland are both under the jurisdiction of their respective devolved administrations, and their work is not overseen by the UK Government.