Public Libraries: Finance Mr. Don Foster 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. Barbara Follett The information requested is as follows: British Library DCMS grant in aid funding for the British Library is shown in the following table: ----------- |£ 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: ------------------------------------------- | | |£ 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: ----------- |£ 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. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |£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.| 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