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Written question asked by Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat) on Monday, 1 June 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 3 June 2026. It was answered by Georgia Gould (Labour) on Tuesday, 9 June 2026 on behalf of the Department for Education.


Secondary Education: School Libraries

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, (a) when and (b) how secondary schools will receive additional funding for new books in secondary school libraries.

Answer

At the Autumn Budget 2025, £5 million was announced for books and reading materials for secondary schools in England to support reading for pleasure.

This funding will be split between all state‑funded secondary schools in England with key stage 3 and key stage 4 cohorts. The department has been engaging with the sector and industry to consider how best to distribute the funding and support schools maximise value for money.

The department intends to issue the funding during the National Year of Reading 2026. Schools will have autonomy and flexibility over when to spend their allocation. The department recognises the importance of certainty for schools and librarians and will provide further information as soon as decisions on distribution and allocations are finalised.


Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
5396
Session
2026-27
Subjects
Finance Secondary education School libraries
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk