Skip to main content

Public Libraries: Finance

Volume 481: debated on Tuesday 21 October 2008

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much funding public libraries received from the public purse in each year since 1997, expressed in 2008 prices. (227384)

The information requested is as follows:

British Library

DCMS grant in aid funding for the British Library is shown in the following table:

British Library funding, incorporating resource and capital grant in aid

£ million

Historic prices

Current prices1

2006-07

104.4

107.6

2005-06

102.6

108.6

2004-05

100.6

108.7

2003-04

90.1

100.0

2002-03

86.1

98.2

2001-02

85.1

100.2

2000-01

82.2

99.0

1999-2000

83.2

101.5

1998-99

80.4

100.0

1997-98

87.2

110.8

Public library funding

Government funding is provided to the full range of public libraries through a number of channels. The Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) provide funding in support of particular projects and programmes. The funding provided since 1997-98 is as follows:

MLA support for public libraries2

£ million

Historic prices

Current prices1

2006-07

33.7

3.8

2005-06

5.1

5.4

2004-05

6.3

6.8

2003-04

5.0

5.6

2002-03

6.1

7.0

2001-02

5.4

6.4

2000-01

1.7

2.1

1999-2000

4.3

5.3

1998-99

0.7

0.9

1997-98

0.5

0.6

In addition DCMS/Wolfson Public Library Challenge Fund funding in support of reading activities was as follows:

DCS/Wolfson Public Library Challenge Fund

£ million

Historic prices

Current prices1

2001-02

2.8

3.3

2000-01

2.9

3.5

1999-2000

2.9

3.5

1998-99

1.9

2.4

1997-98

2.3

2.9

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has policy responsibility for public libraries but core funding for public libraries is paid to the 149 library authorities in England as part of the Local Government Finance Settlement, administered by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG). Local authorities’ net current expenditure on public libraries, as advised by DCLG, is set out in the following table.

Net current expenditure (public libraries, England)

£000

Historic prices

Current prices1

2006-07

889,382

916,605

2005-06

865,161

915,660

2004-05

825,327

891,388

2003-04

796,169

883,278

2002-03

757,737

864,602

2001-02

704,123

829,326

2000-01

666,206

802,165

1999-2000

644,321

785,987

1998-99

624,388

776,641

1997-98

607,045

771,135

1 Calculated using Gross Domestic Product deflators 2007-08 supplied by Her Majesty's Treasury.

2 Museums, Libraries and Archives Council spend that cannot be directly attributed to one of the three domains is excluded from the table.

3 This is a final figure and supersedes provisional figures supplied to Parliament at a previous date.