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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many public libraries she has visited since the start of this Parliament.

The Secretary of State's support of the public library sector was demonstrated in February 2025 when she announced a fourth round of the Libraries Improvement Fund worth £5.5 million to enable public library services across England to upgrade their physical and digital infrastructure to adapt to changing user needs.

The Minister for Creative Industries, Arts and Tourism, Sir Chris Bryant MP, was the Minister with responsibility for libraries from 26 July 2024 to 31 March 2025. He contributed to the 25th anniversary of the Reading Agency’s Summer Reading Challenge, as well as The British Library’s National StartUp Day.

After a change in the ministerial portfolios within DCMS, from 1 April 2025, Baroness Twycross has now taken up the role as Minister with responsibilities for libraries and she recently visited Harlesden and Willesden Green libraries.