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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has taken steps to support local authorities to (a) maintain and (b) expand community libraries (i) nationally and (ii) in Romford constituency.

The Government is committed to supporting a sustainable long-term future for public libraries in England.

The Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964 requires all local authorities in England 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. Public libraries are funded by local authorities, not central government, and it is for each local authority to determine the model of delivery for its statutory library service.

The Arts Council England dataset for libraries indicates that as of 31 December 2022 the statutory library service in Havering consisted of 10 static libraries, all of which were local authority run.