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

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if he will make an assessment of whether local authorities providing unstaffed public libraries using open technology are fulfilling their duty to provide a comprehensive and efficient library service.

Local authorities in England have a statutory duty under the Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964 to provide a comprehensive and efficient library service. In considering how best to deliver this statutory duty, each local authority is responsible for determining local needs and delivering a modern and efficient library service that meets the requirements of their communities within available resources.

The Department encourages local authorities to make appropriate use of the expertise of library staff and available technology to support and enhance the delivery of their library services. The use of technology to allow access to a library outside of staffed hours would not of itself mean that a local authority is failing in its duty to provide a comprehensive and efficient library service. It is important that the local authority strikes a suitable balance between the provision of staffed and self-service library services to provide a comprehensive and efficient service overall.