To ask Her Majesty’s Government on how many occasions access to the prison library in accordance with PSI 45/2011 has been restricted due to lack of staff available to escort prisoners (1) in total, and (2) for each prison in England and Wales, in each of the last three years.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government on how many occasions access to the prison library in accordance with PSI 45/2011 has been restricted due to lack of staff available to escort prisoners (1) in total, and (2) for each prison in England and Wales, in each of the last three years.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many prisoners were able, and were not able, in accordance with PSI 45/2011, for the mandatory 30 minutes every two weeks in each month since that regulation came into force, to access the library in each prison establishment in England and Wales.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many prisoners were able, and were not able, in accordance with PSI 45/2011, for the mandatory 30 minutes every two weeks in each month since that regulation came into force, to access the library in each prison establishment in England and Wales.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is (1) the average number of visits, and (2) the average length of visits, by prisoners to libraries, in each prison establishment in England and wales, in each month of the last three years.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is (1) the average number of visits, and (2) the average length of visits, by prisoners to libraries, in each prison establishment in England and wales, in each month of the last three years.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what budget has been allocated for the provision of libraries in prisons in England and Wales as (1) a total, and (2) a proportion of the overall prison service budget, in each of the last three years.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what budget has been allocated for the provision of libraries in prisons in England and Wales as (1) a total, and (2) a proportion of the overall prison service budget, in each of the last three years.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many new titles have been purchased by libraries in each prison establishment in England and Wales in each of the past three years.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many new titles have been purchased by libraries in each prison establishment in England and Wales in each of the past three years.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many different titles have been stocked by libraries in each of the prison establishments in England and Wales over the past three years.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many different titles have been stocked by libraries in each of the prison establishments in England and Wales over the past three years.

I was obviously premature in my last answer, Mr Speaker.

I have a lot of sympathy with that recommendation. Putting museum and archive content online and making it easily accessible to both teachers for their lesson plans and students for their learning is an important issue. I will have a number of meetings in the coming weeks to discuss some ideas about it.

I was obviously premature in my last answer, Mr Speaker.

I have a lot of sympathy with that recommendation. Putting museum and archive content online and making it easily accessible to both teachers for their lesson plans and students for their learning is an important issue. I will have a number of meetings in the coming weeks to discuss some ideas about it.

Earlier, the Minister for Culture and the Digital Economy dodged his way around the figures that I cited from the Warwick report about the drastic decline in children’s experience and learning in creative subjects. Perhaps he will respond more positively to another of its recommendations, which is that every publicly funded organisation that deals with cataloguing and archives on the net should be encouraged to use the same mechanisms for the cataloguing of GLAM—galleries, libraries, museums and archives—so that the archives can be more easily accessed and searched by everyone.

Earlier, the Minister for Culture and the Digital Economy dodged his way around the figures that I cited from the Warwick report about the drastic decline in children’s experience and learning in creative subjects. Perhaps he will respond more positively to another of its recommendations, which is that every publicly funded organisation that deals with cataloguing and archives on the net should be encouraged to use the same mechanisms for the cataloguing of GLAM—galleries, libraries, museums and archives—so that the archives can be more easily accessed and searched by everyone.

My Lords, the Advisory Council on Libraries—or the ACL, as it was known—was established by Section 2 of the Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964. The 1964 Act set out that it was the duty of the council,

“to advise the Secretary of State upon such matters connected with the provision...

My Lords, the Advisory Council on Libraries—or the ACL, as it was known—was established by Section 2 of the Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964. The 1964 Act set out that it was the duty of the council,

“to advise the Secretary of State upon such matters connected with the provision...

My Lords, I apologise to the Committee and to my noble friend for missing her opening remarks. No doubt the library advisory council has served its time and should be wound up, as my noble friend indicated. However, does she consider that an outside process for both advice and monitoring...

My Lords, I apologise to the Committee and to my noble friend for missing her opening remarks. No doubt the library advisory council has served its time and should be wound up, as my noble friend indicated. However, does she consider that an outside process for both advice and monitoring...

I well understand how the library service came to be abolished. It was part of the massacre of the quangos that arose from government policy and, clearly, the time for change was ripe. The library service throughout the country is living through an ongoing crisis. At a time when there...

I well understand how the library service came to be abolished. It was part of the massacre of the quangos that arose from government policy and, clearly, the time for change was ripe. The library service throughout the country is living through an ongoing crisis. At a time when there...

My Lords, I echo my noble friend’s remarks about the current crisis libraries are facing. They are not a luxury but a practical tool and provide vital public space for individuals and families across the country. They are a resource for parents and young children, schoolchildren who do not have...

My Lords, I echo my noble friend’s remarks about the current crisis libraries are facing. They are not a luxury but a practical tool and provide vital public space for individuals and families across the country. They are a resource for parents and young children, schoolchildren who do not have...

My Lords, I thank noble Lords for their interesting comments and searching questions about the library service. I want to respond to the outstanding points raised today—not necessarily in turn but I hope to cover them all.

The noble Baroness, Lady Bakewell, asked about responsibility and where the buck stops. It...

My Lords, I thank noble Lords for their interesting comments and searching questions about the library service. I want to respond to the outstanding points raised today—not necessarily in turn but I hope to cover them all.

The noble Baroness, Lady Bakewell, asked about responsibility and where the buck stops. It...

Lords motion to consider. Agreed to on question.

Lords motion to consider. Agreed to on question.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have received about the future of the Imperial War Museum’s library and Explain History service.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have received about the future of the Imperial War Museum’s library and Explain History service.

I beg leave to declare an interest as chair of the All-Party Group on War Heritage.

I beg leave to declare an interest as chair of the All-Party Group on War Heritage.

My Lords, the Government have received a number of representations about the future of the Imperial War Museum’s library. The museum is considering changes to its library service provision and the future of the Explore History centre as part of its forward review. The department is in discussions with the museum about the review. The museum’s programme of digitisation of core collections is well in hand.

My Lords, the Government have received a number of representations about the future of the Imperial War Museum’s library. The museum is considering changes to its library service provision and the future of the Explore History centre as part of its forward review. The department is in discussions with the museum about the review. The museum’s programme of digitisation of core collections is well in hand.

My Lords, I know that the Minister appreciates what a very special place the Imperial War Museum is and how anxious people are that it should not lose its worldwide reputation as the authority on conflict. That is why around 19,000 people have signed a petition asking that the proposed £4 million cuts be reconsidered. Can he give an assurance that scholars will continue to have access to the material in the library in the Imperial War Museum? Is there any hope that the walk-in centre can be retained for public access as well?

My Lords, I know that the Minister appreciates what a very special place the Imperial War Museum is and how anxious people are that it should not lose its worldwide reputation as the authority on conflict. That is why around 19,000 people have signed a petition asking that the proposed £4 million cuts be reconsidered. Can he give an assurance that scholars will continue to have access to the material in the library in the Imperial War Museum? Is there any hope that the walk-in centre can be retained for public access as well?

My Lords, the Imperial War Museum and the new galleries are an exceptional place. I would very much encourage noble Lords to go to the galleries: they are extraordinary. This is part of the modernisation approach; I spoke to the director-general of the museum about the library and the Explore History service. There is going to be much more digitisation. The core collection is all going to be put in digitised form so that many more people, without having to come into the museum, can look at it. I can assure noble Lords that scholarship is very important. The service will remain open for scholars to come and undertake research, but this is very much about a modernisation.

My Lords, the Imperial War Museum and the new galleries are an exceptional place. I would very much encourage noble Lords to go to the galleries: they are extraordinary. This is part of the modernisation approach; I spoke to the director-general of the museum about the library and the Explore History service. There is going to be much more digitisation. The core collection is all going to be put in digitised form so that many more people, without having to come into the museum, can look at it. I can assure noble Lords that scholarship is very important. The service will remain open for scholars to come and undertake research, but this is very much about a modernisation.

My Lords, we hear too much about modernisation. Does my noble friend not agree that a national museum without a readily accessible library containing books that people can consult is like a university without a research department?

My Lords, we hear too much about modernisation. Does my noble friend not agree that a national museum without a readily accessible library containing books that people can consult is like a university without a research department?