Member News
The Liberal Democrats have accused the government of allowing the "slow death" of public libraries.
Lib Dem culture spokesman Don Foster said a survey showing that 35 branches were lost in the last financial year "demonstrates the severity of the crisis facing library services across the country".
Research group LISU also found that local authorities are cutting funding for books and staff.
Spending on books fell by £800,000, while the total budget for materials dropped by 1.5 per cent in 2006/07 and a further fall of 2.3 per cent is expected in this financial year.
The numbers of professionally trained staff fell by 4.1 per cent this year and is predicted to fall again by a further 6.6 per cent in 2007/08.
Foster said: "Libraries play a vital role in our communities yet this government has allowed the slow death of hundreds of services across the country.
"The decline in professional staff is also extremely worrying. Without a dedicated and well-trained workforce standards are likely to decline.
"[Culture secretary] Andy Burnham must ensure that the current government review addresses these issues as a matter of urgency."
Dods Parliamentary Communications Ltd