Thursday Volume 537 15 December 2011 No. 242 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Thursday 15 December 2011 £5·00 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2011 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Parliamentary Click-Use Licence, available online through The National Archives website at www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/information-management/our-services/parliamentary-licence-information.htm Enquiries to The National Archives, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 4DU; e-mail: [email protected] 905 15 DECEMBER 2011 906 strong commitment to their library service, and the House of Commons Government are also strongly committed through maintaining the statutory duty. Thursday 15 December 2011 Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield) (Lab/Co-op): Is the Minister aware that some very hard-pressed local The House met at half-past Ten o’clock authorities up and down our land have already put libraries in children’s centres for dual use? Now that the opening hours of those Sure Start children’s centres are PRAYERS being cut back, people are losing their libraries as well. Will he talk to other Ministers about this matter? [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] Mr Vaizey: I shall happily talk to many other Ministers in other Departments about the importance of libraries, and certainly I echo the hon. Gentleman’s comments: Oral Answers to Questions co-locating a library service, whether with a children’s centre or other services, is very important. Simon Hughes (Bermondsey and Old Southwark) CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT (LD): Will the Minister accept an invitation to come to the brand-new Canada Water library, which was designed The Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and planned by a Liberal Democrat-Tory coalition and Sport was asked— administration but continued and opened under a Labour administration? Both groupings running the council Libraries have agreed that there will be no closures across the borough and have sustained services. Will he come and 1. Kate Green (Stretford and Urmston) (Lab): see what can be done when the will is there? Whether he has made an assessment of the effects of reductions in local authority funding for libraries. Mr Vaizey: I would be delighted to visit that library, [86781] and I am grateful to my right hon. Friend for highlighting what cross-party consensus on libraries can achieve. It The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Culture, is worth reminding the House that although we tend to Olympics, Media and Sport (Mr Edward Vaizey): The focus on library closures, it is also worth focusing on the provision of library services is the responsibility of fact that more than 40 libraries are opening or being local authorities but my Department keeps in close refurbished across the country. touch with them. Indeed, my officials have met representatives from seven local authorities to discuss Dan Jarvis (Barnsley Central) (Lab): Libraries are their proposals. places of great benefit to our country, educationally, culturally and economically, but Government cuts to Kate Green: Trafford council is withdrawing its mobile local authority budgets have placed 600 of them at risk library service and axing 15 library staff, and it wants of closure. If they close, they will be lost to our communities volunteers to run Old Trafford library in my constituency. forever. What does the Minister believe are his full Does the Minister agree that the expertise of professionally responsibilities when it comes to protecting Britain’s qualified library staff is important in getting people libraries? reading and improving literacy and English language skills, particularly in the most disadvantaged communities? Mr Vaizey: I am sure that the House will join me in congratulating the hon. Gentleman on the award of his Mr Vaizey: Trafford council has also opened a new MBE for his distinguished military service. library in Urmston, but I certainly agree that the role of My responsibility for library services extends to England, professional librarians is incredibly important in the as it is a devolved matter in Wales, Scotland and Northern provision of library services. Ireland. I have a responsibility to superintend the library service, and local authorities have a statutory responsibility Tony Baldry (Banbury) (Con): My hon. Friend and I to provide a comprehensive and efficient library service. are privileged to represent Oxford constituencies, and Unlike the previous Government, we are not putting Oxford county council is managing to keep all 43 public that statutory duty under review. libraries open notwithstanding a difficult financial settlement. Is not the reasonable inference that some Women in Sport local authorities have elected to make deep cuts in front-line services simply to make a political point and 2. Tracey Crouch (Chatham and Aylesford) (Con): that it is perfectly possible, if local authorities put their What steps he is taking to increase the participation of minds to it, to keep libraries open? women in sport. [86782] Mr Vaizey: My hon. Friend makes a valid point. The Minister for Sport and the Olympics (Hugh Robertson): Local authorities have challenging decisions to make, Sport England is investing £480 million in 46 national and my approach is to give them the space and time to governing bodies between 2009 and 2013 to grow and make those difficult proposals. Local authorities are sustain participation. This approach is entirely inclusive going about their provision differently but all have a and encourages opportunities for everybody to participate 907 Oral Answers15 DECEMBER 2011 Oral Answers 908 in sport regardless of their gender. Sport England also The Minister for Sport and the Olympics (Hugh Robertson): funds the Women’s Sport and Fitness Foundation to The Government’s response to the Select Committee on provide specialist advice and support to national governing Culture, Media and Sport’s football governance inquiry bodies. sets out a number of recommendations for increasing supporter representation and ownership at football clubs. Tracey Crouch: I congratulate the Minister on all that In their response, the Government have challenged the he and his Department are doing to increase participation football authorities to determine the best way of achieving levels, but does he agree that while women’s sport accounts the right changes, and we will be a key partner in those for only 5% of all sports coverage, the profile of sports discussions. women will remain so low that not only will talented athletes not make it on to award lists, such as the BBC Tom Greatrex: I thank the Minister for that reply and sport’s personality of the year, but many of our best declare my interest as the founder of the Fulham Supporters role models will be totally anonymous, thus making it Trust, notwithstanding our result last night, which harder to inspire and encourage women and girls to demonstrates that we are not the only people who have participate in sport and physical activity? had a bad week in Europe. I am sure that he will be aware of the proposals published by Supporters Direct Hugh Robertson: Yes, I do agree with my hon. Friend. on football club licensing. Will he encourage the football One of the encouraging things is the opportunity that authorities to engage with Supporters Direct, in line next year’s London 2012 Olympics presents to showcase with his comments about the inquiry by the Culture, the talent that exists among women, as well as male Media and Sport Committee and his Government’s athletes. response to it, to ensure that supporters have a role in football governance in the future? Ms Harriet Harman (Camberwell and Peckham) (Lab): But is not school sport the bedrock of participation, Hugh Robertson: Yes, I will certainly do that. I am and should it not be a priority? If so, why have the delighted that the premier league still funds Supporters Minister’s Government cut spending on school sports Direct after the events of last year. The football governance by 64%? Is that not sending the message that school reform strategy is about getting the key parts of the sport no longer matters? front end of the process right—the reform of the Football Association board, the link between the board and the Hugh Robertson: The first point is that, as the right council, and the new licensing system. As part of that hon. and learned Lady should know, this Department is licensing system, we expect those concerns to be addressed. not responsible for school sport, which is funded by the Department for Education. What my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has championed personally is a Mr Tobias Ellwood (Bournemouth East) (Con): I do school games competition that is intended to drive up not know whether the Minister is familiar with that participation across both genders. great football club AFC Bournemouth, which is due to enter the premier league in the next decade. Until that Ms Harman: The Minister talks about driving up happens, Bournemouth, along with other non-premier participation, but will he tell us how he will monitor league clubs, continues to struggle financially. What how much sport young people are doing in schools more can be done to encourage a greater distribution of when he has scrapped the school sports survey? As his wealth in English football? Government have cut the school sports partnership, it is even more important that we know what the effect on Hugh Robertson: The distribution of, broadly, the participation in sport is. [Interruption.] Is it not remarkable broadcast moneys that go into the premier league and that Ministers are sitting there saying, “It’s nothing to football league is, of course, a matter for those leagues. do with us”? They really should be making an impact However, we expect the governance of football to allow on Ministers in other Departments to ensure that they for a proper distribution of those moneys.