Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions she has had with stakeholders on the promotion of literature (a) about and (b) on the North East of England as part of the proposed National Year of Reading.

The National Year of Reading is a campaign to address the steep decline in reading enjoyment amongst children, young people and adults. It is a departmental initiative, in collaboration with our delivery partner, the National Literacy Trust, who are leading the delivery of the campaign.

The National Year of Reading aims to reverse long-term declines in reading for pleasure by engaging new audiences and reshaping public attitudes to embed lasting, meaningful change, beyond 2026.

The National Year of Reading 2026 will involve a huge range of events and activities in communities, including in the North East. Some will be bigger versions of well-loved events such as World Book Day and other major events are currently being planned. More information can be found on the National Year of Reading website: https://www.goallin.org.uk/.