Member News
National Arts Bodies Condemn Absence of Arts and Culture in Draft National Policy Planning Framework
Councils should be prevented from withdrawing support for cultural services as they look to make cuts to their budgets, the Commons has heard.
Labour's Alison McGovern proposed a bill under the ten minute rule motion aiming to broaden the scope of library authorities to provide cultural facilities alongside library services.
During a debate in the Commons, she said the Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964 should be amended to include museums, galleries and theatres.
McGovern, who formerly worked for the charity the Art Fund, said that councils have a "duty" to protect their museums, theatres and art galleries in light of large cuts to local authority budgets.
The amendment would ensure a local authority which closes libraries can be forced to reopen them by the culture secretary.
The Wirral South MP, whose bill is supported by former foreign secretary David Miliband, said she did not want to dictate to councils what they should support or how they should provide funds.
However, she argued councils should be prohibited from withdrawing support for such services completely.
She told MPs: " There is a very real fear out there that we could see not just cuts in the arts sector, everybody appreciates there will be cuts and the cultural sector will need to take their share of efficiency savings, but the total withdrawal by some local authorities to providing cultural services.
"There are lots of people in local authorities up and down the country who are very fearful about what is to come. My question is this: what kind of country do we want to be?
"Do we want to be the kind of country where culture is by and large for those who already access it or do we want to be the kind of country where culture is for everybody and local authorities take their responsibility in involving people?"
She concluded that the Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964 has given a "very important backstop" to library services at times when they feel they are under constant threat of being "de-prioritised, being driven down, and being questioned".
McGovern said she did not want to see a return to the situation her grandfather had faced in the inter-war years, where he "used to steal books because you couldn’t borrow library books for free at that time".
Progress:
House of Commons
1st reading: 1 December 2010
2nd reading: 17 June 2011
Article Comments
Are you aware that libraries are a topic currently under discussion by BucksCC.
As currently being talked about although no firm decisions have been made, Bucks are likely to want local communities to take over responsibility for the smaller libraries with some assistance from County.
If this happened there would be no County library in Aylesbury Vale between Aylesbury and Buckingham. The library currently in Winslow serves a number of small parishes as well.
We do not know yet what exactly would be involved in rents or any costs since they were extremely badly prepared at their public meeting.
Shirley Knight
4th Jan 2011 at 5:47 pm
Have your say...
Please enter your comments below.