Westminster Hall Debate: Dorset Library Service (5 June 2007)

Speech by Annette Brooke MP on Wed 6th Jun 2007

Annette Brooke (Mid-Dorset and North Poole) (LD): I wrote to the Minister on 6 June and 12 June 2006 about Dorset county council's proposal to close 13 of its public libraries. He said that he was disturbed by the potential scale of the closures, that he would be checking the situation with the county council, that he would continue to monitor the situation, and that he would in particular assess how the views and wishes of local people were being considered. I thank him for the responses that he gave at that early stage.

Following an enormous outcry from local people, the libraries were given a reprieve for a two-year, rather than a six-week, consultation period. One year on,and following yesterday's meeting of the council's community overview committee, there might besome light at the end of the tunnel. However, any recommendations of that meeting still need acceptance by the council's cabinet and by the full council, and much detail remains to be clarified. The devil may yet lie in that detail, and today's debate is therefore of great relevance to the future of the Dorset library service.

I declare a minor interest in the future of the service, in that I regularly hold surgeries in libraries in my constituency, two of which are among the 13 candidates for closure. I praise the staff of the libraries for the services that they provide, which I witness on a regular basis. The whole service has received high ratings. For example, it received the top rating for excellence from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport in the Department's last formal measurement of performance against the public library service standard. Dorset county council is ranked as excellent in the Audit Commission's comprehensive performance assessment, and library scores played their full part in that. Furthermore, the service has high and increasing satisfaction ratings from users. A 2006 MORI survey found that 77 per cent. of respondents were satisfied with the libraries, compared with 73 per cent. in 2003. Clearly, therefore, there is much to celebrate, and praise should be given to all the library staff. There are also many exciting initiatives, for example in work with children and young people to help them to enjoy and achieve.

What, therefore, is the problem? Dorset currently has 34 libraries and 4 mobile libraries that cover what is essentially a rural county. There have been contentions to the effect that it has a relatively large number of libraries per head of population, but I feel that it is important to appreciate the local context, including the nature of the rural area and the very poor public transport and road network. Bournemouth and Poole are now separate unitary authorities, and as far as I know they have not been proposing library closures. Indeed, our local library where I live in North Poole has recently had its hours extended.

The uncertainty for the Dorset library service stems from an efficiency review. The county council is the lowest funded of all England's county councils, with £80 of formula grant per head, compared with whatI am told is an average of £160 per head. It was forecasting a gap between spending and income of£20 million by 2009-10, which prompted a review of all services, to consider efficiency savings. Savings were found, and the projected funding gap has been reduced by half, but there appear to be fears that the gap could widen again depending on the outcome of this year's comprehensive spending review and on possible requirements for further efficiencies in the future. Clearly, the outcome of the comprehensive spending review is therefore of critical importance to Dorset county council, and I must emphasise to the Minister that Dorset residents feel badly let down by settlements that are so much lower than those for other county councils.

The library service was for its part asked to find efficiency savings of £850,000. Some savings have been identified, but at the end of the day the recommendation from the review was to close 13 predominantly rural community libraries. The efficiency review identified the need to modernise the library network and the need for investment to achieve a high-quality network, which in turn was to be supported by closing those libraries that were assessed as not viable on measures of performance, cost-effectiveness and size, or that were clustered in such a way that arguably there was over-provision.

A number of issues have emerged during the consultation period. One of my constituents has undertaken a statistical analysis to show that some of the larger libraries are in fact less cost-effective in terms of cost per book-issue than many of the smaller ones. At the very least, that indicates that all libraries should be included in the detailed review and consultation. A year ago, councillors from opposition parties were asking why all libraries were not being put under the same spotlight as the 13. It seems that yesterday's decision at the county council has at long last taken on board the need to evaluate all the libraries in terms of efficiency and community involvement.

I believe that the original library proximity criteria used for assessing closure were seriously flawed. At the same time that the proposed closure of Corfe Mullen library was announced, bus services to Wimborne, whose library it was suggested my constituents could use instead, were slashed. They have been further cut back this year, to such an extent that it cannot be said that the alternative library is accessible to those without their own transport. Corfe Mullen has a population of about 10,000, the latest figures published by the county rank it 15th in total book issues, andin addition the county council is supporting an extra 700 local homes in the regional spatial strategy-although that proposal is not one that I supported.

I feel that there is a distinct lack of joined-up thinking by the county council. Potential growth and accessibility ought surely to be considered, and I see no evidence of the county council having a greater commitment to improve the bus services in that part of my constituency.

Similarly, the other library proposed for closure in my constituency, Lytchett Matravers, should also be assessed in terms of accessibility to an alternative library, because public transport to the suggested alternatives is dire. Potential growth should be considered too, because usage at that library has steadily been increasing over the last few years. It is relevant that representations from that part of my constituency were made to the public examination stage of the regional spatial strategy that proposed the high growth in housing.

The last year has seen extensive consultation with each of the 13 libraries and with their communities. Each community has been asked to come up with its own plan for the future of its library, with a push towards a community-led model. One positive outcome that has emerged has been the general willingness for some degree of community involvement and volunteering. That needs to be applied to all 34 libraries, however. Clearly, different arrangements will need to be worked out for each of the different communities, and I have heard from discussions with my local communities that they do not believe a community-led model to be sustainable. The input of a professional librarian is seen to be essential, because not all communities will be able to identify sufficient volunteers to run a service, and even those that might have that expertise available at the moment might not be able to sustain it over time. An insistence on a community-led model may deprive disadvantaged areas of a library service, which surely goes against any principle of equity.

There are issues about training volunteers, use of the information technology system, maintenance of book stocks, and responsibility for and cost of the property. If property is passed to community groups, will it be offered at a peppercorn rent? We do not really have answers to any of those questions yet. In principle, many of the issues were mentioned in yesterday's council recommendation, but what exactly will they mean in practice?

Along the line, suggestions were made that parish councils, for example, could set a precept to raise money for the running of libraries. That would be totally unacceptable to my constituents. Why should they pay twice to borrow books, in comparison with library users in other Dorset communities whose libraries are not under threat of closure?

The Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964 states that it shall be a duty of every library authority to

"provide a comprehensive and efficient library service for all persons desiring to make use thereof".

Recent guidance on the Department's website said that the closure of one or even a small number of library branches does not necessarily signify a breach of the Act. A library may be closed to ensure better overall provision. However, I am talking about a proposalto close 13 libraries that stems almost wholly from financial considerations. I would be grateful if the Minister would clarify exactly how the guidance would apply in such circumstances.

Finance is a key driving force for Dorset county council because of the continuous financial pressures to balance the books. It has been said to me, "Keep your library, but we will make more cuts in social services." I understand that there are pressures, but we must think about the overall quality of life.

Charging for the loan of books was raised with me when I attended a council meeting recently. The cabinet member responsible for libraries challenged me to introduce a private Member's Bill-I wish it were so easy-to amend the 1964 Act. I shall not be taking up the suggestion. Nevertheless, on behalf of that cabinet member, I would like to ask the Minister for his views on charging for the loan of books.

Concerned residents have wondered whether the whole book stock could be put in a trust, and whether there could then be charging for books to make it possible to maintain the book stock. I would find charging unacceptable, but some communities are very concerned about the potential loss of their libraries. Of course, there is the worry that the book fund will be cut and cut again. It has been cut to fund the retention of libraries during the consultation period. Obviously, it is vital that there are funds to maintain the stock of books, including those for children and the visually impaired. There must be a core stock of books available for all libraries.

Next year is the national year of reading, as I keep reminding Dorset county council. I have pointed out that it is not a terribly good idea to close 13 libraries during the national year of reading. Seriously, we are at a crossroads, are we not, in this country. We want to improve children's and young people's literacy standards. We know that we have to engage boys, in particular, in more reading. This cannot be the time to be cutting back. It must be a time of finding innovative ways to engage children and young people with library services. There are excellent schemes-Bookstart and the summer reading challenge, for example-but there must be many more things that we could do.

Dorset library service has considered moving some libraries into schools, which may be a solution for some communities. It would not work for my two libraries, but I can see that it could be a solution. For my communities, I am interested in using the extended school money for extended school provision in the library. That would work so well in the two villages. Young people from all sorts of backgrounds could have sessions in the library as part of the programme. Joined-up thinking is needed to bring things together.

The library service cannot be static. Changes must be made, and innovative activities must take place in the buildings. It is important that this country retains its proud tradition of a free public library service, as it meets so many people's needs. I reflect on my own time as a young person. Using the library every night was an important part of my eventually becoming the first person in my family to go to university. I am passionate about the need for access to books, and indeed the internet, in the library, for young people from all backgrounds. It is not always possible for them to find at home the peace and quiet that they need for studying, and obviously not all families have resources in the home.

We talk a great deal about lifelong learning. Surely libraries have a crucial role to play in it. Not so long ago, people were predicting that cinemas would be a thing of the past, but that has not happened. Some people might feel that libraries are a thing of the past in a digital age, but I do not think that that is the case. I think that they are really important.

I am pleased that the Sustainable Communities Bill is making progress. I would like to emphasise the contribution of a library to village life. Part of a sustainable community is having resources that are easily accessible to all people, and the many activities that can be carried out in a library add to the life of a village.

I support the case for community involvement-for example, communities can best decide the hours so that there is a balance-but I do not think that community-led libraries are the solution for all communities. I hope that the Minister will continuously monitor the situation, and I ask him to give his view of the library service for the country, and how Dorset county fits in with it. Most of all, I hope that Dorset county council will firm up a satisfactory offer for all the libraries in Dorset.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Mr. David Lammy): I thank the hon. Member for Mid-Dorset and North Poole (Annette Brooke) for this debate and for the manner in which she made her remarks. She has for some considerable time been a keen advocate of services to young people in particular. As she said, she raised the issue of proposed closures in Dorset with me some time ago, and I am grateful that she put on the record my intervention at that stage.

Like the hon. Lady, I was the first person in my family to go to university, and that was largely due to using the local library service. I entirely understand why she has taken up the issue as she has, and why she continues to be a strong advocate for her constituents.

As the hon. Lady said, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport leads on public library policy for the Government. Through the Department and delivery bodies such as the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council, the Government have encouraged significant national improvement in our libraries, including the extension of opening hours across the country-the hon. Lady will recall that that was a significant problem just some five or six years ago-an 8 per cent. increase in book acquisitions, and visits rising to more than 290 million a year. Libraries are hugely popular with the general public.

We published a framework for the future-the first national strategy for public libraries-and we continue to deliver a range of capacity-building programmes under that banner, particularly for librarians in our libraries. As this debate is taking place, right across the country there are young people in our libraries, Sure Start schemes in our libraries, and librarians serving pensioners. Our libraries are providing the sustainable resource that the hon. Lady described.

It is right to say that public libraries are, fundamentally, a local service. The White Paper, "Strong and Prosperous Communities", has set out the Government's vision for future relationships between central and local government. There will be increased autonomy for local authorities, which will give them the maximum freedom to use their resources to respond to the needs of their local communities and to involve those communities in the design and running of services. A new, outcome-based performance framework will be in place from next year that will cover all local authority activities.

Local authorities have a statutory duty in relation to libraries, and my Department has a duty to oversee that, to benchmark performance, to share best practice across the country, and to describe a national minimum standard. Dorset has proposed significant changes to its services, and it is legitimate for interest to be taken at a national level in those changes. However, it would not be right for the Government to be prescriptive about any proposed changes. The hon. Lady will understand that library services can differ hugely in different parts of the country. In my constituency, libraries provide services to a hugely ethnically diverse community in an urban context, which provides challenges that are very different from those faced in her constituency. It is right that local authorities take a view and are able to adjust services to meet their particular needs.

As the hon. Lady has said, Dorset library service is highly rated, scoring level 4 in the comprehensive performance assessment and meeting seven out of the 10 library standards. It is in the top quartile of library services in England, with user satisfaction of 94 per cent. for adults and 93 per cent. for children, and it is in the top six English counties for libraries per capita. That is a high-performing local authority, and for all the reasons that she mentioned, Dorset will want to ensure that that continues.

Dorset library service is innovative and has pioneered the simple use of e-mails and text messages to communicate with users. It is working to re-engage young people through out-of-hours sessions, and projects with young Travellers in their communities. Later this year it will introduce a youth café as part of the Reading Agency's "book bars" programme. It also provides a free reading group service for 210 groups around the county.

Nevertheless, significant changes have clearly been proposed, and I recognise the public concern about some of those changes in Dorset. I wrote to the chief executive of Dorset to express my concern and views about the valuable contribution that libraries make to their communities. I asked my officials to remain in close contact with Dorset, and they have been in regular contact over the past year about the nature and detail of the review.

The Government have given local authorities the funding to deliver tangible improvements to their services, with a real-terms increase of 39 per cent. since 1997. The authorities have delivered on that, but there are always competing pressures for funding. I have provided a small list of what is happening in the Dorset library service, but more is always possible, and Gershon has encouraged authorities to focus on the detail of their expenditure.

I am pleased that Dorset has not taken the easy way out chosen by some authorities and simply cut the book fund. It has taken stock of the whole library service, reviewed its costs and benefits, and has sought to evolve the service. The focus is on creating a sustainable and balanced base budget for the service in the medium to long term, and on providing a service that is appropriate to the needs of the county's demographically diverse communities, which are rural, suburban, and in particular elderly as against young.

The Dorset review identified ways to hone procurement and stock management processes, to refine staffing structures and maximise the use of skills, to rationalise opening hours, making them clearer to understand and extending them in some areas, and to improve the library buildings. All of that is good and sound business management, although much of it lies behind the scenes.

The review also sought to provide a different means of service provision for 13 communities that are currently served by small libraries that experience low levels of use and have cost-effectiveness issues. As the hon. Lady has said, the process is not complete and that consultation and discussion continues. I know that she has played an active role in making her views known, but there is still a risk that some of the libraries may be closed.

There is no doubt that library closures can engender great passion in any community. That strength of feeling is valuable, and should be harnessed to help deliver a collective approach to the future of a service, but controversy does not negate justified change, and it may well be that it is right for some of Dorset's libraries to close in order that others may flourish. That is for the council and its communities to decide and to determine over the coming period. They have a difficult decision to make. It is true that more than 80 per cent. of library traffic in Dorset occurs in just 15 of the34 libraries. However, libraries provide important services to rural and urban communities alike, and those needs cannot be abandoned. In advance of the council's decision, the most important factor is that the aim of the review is to improve the overall quality of the library service.

Libraries do sometimes need to close or be replaced, which can be because of a number of common-sense factors, including demographic change. I have said before that any library closure is, of course, regrettable for that particular community, but I am pleased that discussions are taking place with communities in Dorset about other means of delivering the services. Cambridgeshire has 10 fantastically successful community-run libraries that are delivering good and appropriate services to their locality. Taking that leap of faith has enabled Cambridgeshire to keep those10 sets of doors open and to harness the enthusiasm of their communities, while also freeing up resources to invest in the whole network of libraries in Cambridgeshire.

The cabinet of Dorset county council will make the high-level decisions about the future of the 13 libraries this summer, and I am sure that the hon. Lady will join me in watching for news with interest. If community ownership is agreed as a viable option, some local areas are ready to take on that challenge, while others need further assistance to establish whether it will suit them. If there are absolute closures, I am keen to hear Dorset's explanations of how, through different means, it will meet the needs of those communities that will no longer have access to that library service.

The process will run until March 2009, and of course I encourage the hon. Lady and her constituents to play an active role in it. I expect that she will do so. I also encourage Dorset to continue to be involved, to consult its communities, and not to take decisions in a complacent manner. I appreciate that it is a difficult decision, but the Government have been clear about the standards that are expected and about the investment that is needed. The hon. Lady was right to emphasise programmes such as Bookstart and the summer reading challenge, which we have supported and invested in. I hope that Dorset will continue to have a comprehensive and efficient library service in the months ahead, although I recognise that some change may be necessary.