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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to Part 2 of the Government's UK Digital Strategy, published on 1 March 2017, whether additional funding will be provided to libraries to help make them the go-to provider of digital access, training and support for local communities.

Public libraries play a significant role in providing people with access to the internet and digital services, through computers, wifi and other digital technologies, as well as offering digital skills training and support to local people. A number of funding opportunities are available to public libraries in England to support them in providing improved services.

These include a £4m public libraries innovation fund that was launched in December 2016 and managed by Arts Council England on behalf of DCMS. This fund will support a range of innovative library service projects in 2017/18 to benefit disadvantaged people and places in England and could include access to technology provided by library services. This is in addition to the Government funding programme, managed by Arts Council England, that supported the roll out of wifi in 2015/16 so that almost every public library in England now provides free wifi to the public.

DCMS is also providing funding and support to library authorities interested in developing alternative delivery models including mutuals which could help them be more flexible in responding to the needs of their local communities, such as providing digital access, training and support.