§ Mr. BoswellTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on school library provision.
§ Mrs. Rumbold[pursuant to the reply, 23 January 1989, columns 382–83]: My hon. Friend's oral question when tabled referred to student library provision and was correctly answered on this basis. I regret that the Department failed to note when the question was unstarred that the word "school" had been substituted for "student". On this basis the answer is as follows:
The level of funding and organisation of school library provision are matters for local decision by LEAs and schools. In recognition of the importance of libraries in supporting the school curriculum, the Department's expenditure plans for 1988–89 allow for LEAs to spend an additional sum of £10 million on improvements in secondary school libraries.