General Question Time – in the Scottish Parliament at on 7 November 2024.
Murdo Fraser
Conservative
To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides to local authorities to help secure the future of community libraries. (S6O-03904)
Angus Robertson
Scottish National Party
As Mr Fraser knows, library policy is devolved to local authorities. The Scottish Government provides general revenue funding to local authorities, which have the financial freedom to operate independently and to allocate the total financial resources that are available to them on the basis of local needs and priorities. The Scottish Government provides targeted support for public libraries through our annual funding to the Scottish Library and Information Council, which includes the public library improvement fund, which supports creative and innovative public library projects throughout Scotland.
Murdo Fraser
Conservative
I thank the Cabinet secretary for his response. Numerous constituents have contacted me to raise concerns about the proposed closure of seven community libraries in towns and villages across Perth and Kinross as a direct result of budget cuts by the Scottish National Party-run Perth and Kinross Council. Those libraries are not just resources to lend books; they are important community hubs that host a range of activities, and their loss will be significant to the communities that they serve. Given the uplift to the Scottish Government’s budget, what additional resource will now be made available to local authorities to ensure that those important local assets are retained?
Angus Robertson
Scottish National Party
I agree very much with Murdo Fraser about the value of libraries, including the community hub aspects of their work. A lot of very innovative work is going on across Scotland, with libraries providing additional services for communities. Mr Fraser has made a point very strongly about the value of those libraries and I hope that his local authority will listen to it.
On the budget process, Murdo Fraser will appreciate that I am not in a position to give any sneak previews of what might be coming in the weeks ahead but, again, the points that he has raised will have been heard.
Bill Kidd
Scottish National Party
Can the Cabinet secretary give an update on the work of the Scottish Government’s public library improvement fund in supporting the vital role of libraries by helping our hard-working library staff to bring their innovative ideas to life?
Angus Robertson
Scottish National Party
The Scottish Government supports the Scottish Library and Information Council, which provides leadership and advice to Scottish ministers, local authorities and the wider libraries sector. In the year 2024-25, we are providing annual funding of £665,000 to SLIC in recognition of the importance of our public libraries and to support the excellent services that they provide. That includes £450,000 for the public library improvement fund, which supports creative, sustainable and innovative public library projects throughout Scotland, with £200,000 awarded to individual projects. The projects that have been successful for 2024-25 are due to be announced soon.
Question Time is an opportunity for MPs and Members of the House of Lords to ask Government Ministers questions. These questions are asked in the Chamber itself and are known as Oral Questions. Members may also put down Written Questions. In the House of Commons, Question Time takes place for an hour on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays after Prayers. The different Government Departments answer questions according to a rota and the questions asked must relate to the responsibilities of the Government Department concerned. In the House of Lords up to four questions may be asked of the Government at the beginning of each day's business. They are known as 'starred questions' because they are marked with a star on the Order Paper. Questions may also be asked at the end of each day's business and these may include a short debate. They are known as 'unstarred questions' and are less frequent. Questions in both Houses must be written down in advance and put on the agenda and both Houses have methods for selecting the questions that will be asked. Further information can be obtained from factsheet P1 at the UK Parliament site.
The cabinet is the group of twenty or so (and no more than 22) senior government ministers who are responsible for running the departments of state and deciding government policy.
It is chaired by the prime minister.
The cabinet is bound by collective responsibility, which means that all its members must abide by and defend the decisions it takes, despite any private doubts that they might have.
Cabinet ministers are appointed by the prime minister and chosen from MPs or peers of the governing party.
However, during periods of national emergency, or when no single party gains a large enough majority to govern alone, coalition governments have been formed with cabinets containing members from more than one political party.
War cabinets have sometimes been formed with a much smaller membership than the full cabinet.
From time to time the prime minister will reorganise the cabinet in order to bring in new members, or to move existing members around. This reorganisation is known as a cabinet re-shuffle.
The cabinet normally meets once a week in the cabinet room at Downing Street.
