Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that every primary and secondary school is equipped with an adequate school library.

It is for individual schools to decide whether to provide and maintain a library service for their pupils. It is clear, however, that many head teachers recognise the important role school libraries play in improving literacy and encouraging pupils to read for pleasure and ensure that suitable library facilities are provided. The 2016 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study indicated that 92% of year 5 pupils in England were attending a school where there was a library. This was above the international average of 87%.