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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the answer to of 22 October 2025 to Written Question 101953 on Primary Education: School Libraries, published on 12 January 2026, how her Department will allocate funding for the creation of primary school libraries, in the context of the absence of centrally held data.

Every Child Can will invest £132.5 million of dormant assets funding to increase disadvantaged young people’s access to enrichment opportunities exclusively across five key categories of enrichment: civic engagement; arts and culture; nature, outdoor and adventure; sport and physical activities; and developing wider life and future skills. This includes a £12.5 million investment to meet our commitment to provide a library in every primary school in England by the end of this Parliament.

The Libraries in Primaries programme - the first announced under Every Child Can - intends to extend provision to approximately 1,675 schools across England. It will prioritise schools with above-average free school meal eligibility, ensuring support reaches those with the greatest need, and schools with high SEND provision or additional needs will receive enhanced funding. The programme is led by the National Literacy Trust and is fully funded, meaning eligible schools receive this support at no cost.