§ LORD IRONSIDEasked Her Majesty's Government:
- (1) What the current central and local government expenditure is on library and information services as a whole in the United Kingdom;
- (2) How this figure compares with expenditure five years ago and ten years ago; and
- (3) What information is available in each case to show what proportion of the whole has been devoted to services in the field of science and technology.
§ BARONESS PHILLIPSThe estimated expenditure on library and information services as a whole in 1966ߝ67 was £61 million, of which £41½ million was spent on public libraries, £8½ million on the libraries of academic institutions, £3 million on national and other major libraries and £8 million on libraries and information services in Government departments, agencies and grant-aided institutions. The last figure, however, is only a very rough estimate.
It is not possible to provide precise estimates of the total expenditure five years ago and ten years ago, but it appears likely that expenditure on library and information services rose by about 60 to 65 per cent. between 1956ߝ57 and 1961ߝ62 and by a similar percentage between 1961ߝ62 and 1966ߝ67. These figures do not allow for the intervening rise in prices.
In 1966ߝ67 the Central Government expenditure on libraries and information services in science and technology was at least £10 million and possibly £12 million. It is not possible to provide any useful estimate for previous years.