The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Libraries and Information Management
PRESS RELEASE (Please copy to online discussion lists)
'LIBRARIES ARE KEY TO NEIGHBOURHOOD RENEWAL' SAYS MINISTER
The Government has announced that public libraries are to be considered in future policy initiatives to combat social exclusion and promote neighbourhood renewal. The announcement follows a meeting at the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) between the Minister for Neighbourhood Renewal, Phil Woolas MP, the Director General of the DCLG's Tackling Disadvantage Group, Joe Montgomery, and representatives of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Libraries and Information Management.
The Minister asked the All-Party Group to make policy recommendations for the forthcoming Local Government White Paper, which is expected to be published in the autumn. The White Paper will set out Government's priorities for local government reform, sustainable communities, and neighbourhood renewal. The DCLG will also be working with the All-Party Group to commission a research study into the role libraries play delivering wider policy goals on literacy, training, regeneration and social cohesion.
The Minister for Neighbourhood Phil Woolas MP said:
"The Government recognises the significant contribution that libraries can make to sustainable communities and therefore it is a priority that libraries are included in our work to combat social exclusion and promote neighbourhood renewal across the country."
The Chair of the All-Party Group Lyn Brown MP said:
"Public libraries have an excellent record in tackling social exclusion by reaching out to marginalised communities and offering a huge range of valuable services. Libraries are integral to every community in Britain and provide a neutral environment where people can access resources which might otherwise remain out-of-reach."
"I welcome the Minister's announcement that the relationship between libraries, learning, regeneration and renewal must be fully recognised in the Government's neighbourhood renewal agenda. That is why the All-Party Group will be working with ministers over the next few months to ensure that future policy initiatives take into account the role of libraries and the important part they play in reducing social inequalities and regenerating disadvantaged neighbourhoods."
The President and the Chief Executive of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) also attended the Ministerial meeting. CILIP provides the secretariat for the All-Party Group.
Martin Molloy, President of CILIP, said:
"I am pleased the Minister has acknowledged that more needs to be done to involve libraries in the Government's neighbourhood renewal policy agenda. At a local level, libraries are a vital partner in the delivery of public services, and help to foster the involvement of isolated and vulnerable social groups.
"The CILIP Libraries Change Lives awards scheme is proof of the role libraries play to lift people out of social exclusion and regenerate neighbourhoods. Public libraries represent a unique combination of culture, leisure and lifelong learning, which provides a valuable and inclusive community resource. I look forward to working with the All-Party Group and the Government to promote this cause in future policy initiatives."
Notes to Editors
* Photographs showing Phil Woolas MP, Lyn Brown MP and Martin Molloy meeting at the Department for Communities and Local Government are available on request.
* The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Libraries and Information Management is a cross-party parliamentary forum of MPs and peers with a remit to highlight the work and importance of libraries, both public and private.
* For more information about the work of the All-Party Group or CILIP, please contact Bob McKee, Chief Executive of CILIP, on 0207 255 0500. Lyn Brown MP can be contacted via her PA Ray Smith on 020 7219 8579.
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