Written question WQ82668
- Asked by
- Natasha AsgharConservative
- To be answered by
- Minister for Finance and Local Government
- Tabled
- Due
- Answered
- Time to answer
- 10 days
Question
How many public libraries have closed in Wales in each of the last five years?
Answer
Answered by Minister for Finance and Local Government
The Welsh Government is responsible for managing the Welsh Public Library Standards (WPLS) to fulfil Ministerial statutory duties in relation to the 1964 Public Libraries and Museums Act to ensure that a comprehensive and efficient library service is provided by local authorities.
The figures provided by local authorities through the WPLS indicate that the number of complete public library closures between 2015 and 2020 was 14:
2015-2016
2016-2017
2017-2018
2018-2019
2019-2020
4
4
2
1
3
These figures represent libraries open 10+ hours per week and do not represent the relocation of a library to a community hub, which may have occurred in some instances.