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

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on funding for public libraries in (a) Coventry and (b) the West Midlands; and if he will make a statement.

Local authorities in England have a statutory duty to provide a comprehensive and efficient library service. Local authorities currently receive their funding from a number of sources, including grants from central government, council tax and other locally generated fees and charges for services.

It is for individual local authorities to decide how to use their funds, including how best to provide a public library service that meets local needs within available resources. In 2016/17 Coventry City Council made a net investment of £4.7m in its library service, while across the West Midlands the net investment in public libraries by local authorities was £74.5 million.

DCMS will continue to work across central and local government to encourage investment in libraries to ensure that they continue to support delivery of local and national priorities and needs.