§ Mr. Geraint DaviesTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what guidance he proposes to issue to library authorities about the public library services they should be providing. [122346]
§ Mr. Chris SmithI am publishing draft public library standards on Monday 15 May, a day which already marks the celebration of 150 years of public libraries, and I shall be placing copies of those draft standards in the Libraries of the House that morning. Following a wide consultation with library authorities, users, key organisations and other interested people, I hope to publish final standards later in the year and intend that they should then take effect from 1 April 2001.