Courtesy of Yorkshire Life - April edition





click on images twice to enlarge

Practical Action You Can Take

Last week, on 7 March, Greg Clark MP, Minister of State for Decentralisation (seriously) announced that the Government is carrying out a review of statutory duties placed on local authorities by central government.  It wasn't a very loud announcement, I don't think - it had certainly slipped under my radar until yesterday, when Voices for the Library, Alan Gibbons, Katy Wrathwall (one of the CILIP Trustees), Public Libraries News, and others drew attention to it. ETA: a CILIP press release about this was issued on Monday 14 March.

The Dept for Communities and Local Government has drawn up a list of 1,200+ statutory duties that central government currently places on local authorities, the majority of which, they say, arise from primary legislation.  They are asking us, the general public, to comment on these or other statutory duties, and to say which should be kept, and which should be lost.

Three of the 1,200+ duties relate directly to public libraries.  Local authorities are currently required by law (the Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964) to provide a 'comprehensive and efficient' library service.  Three duties imposed by this legislation are included in this review.  Removing the legal obligation to provide decent library services could have really serious consequences given the pressure that libraries are facing now when council could, and are, being held to account through legal challenges to their plans.

You can comment on this review via this form. Information about the review, including spreadsheets of all the identified duties (libraries are mentioned in the Excel second file), is available on this DCLG page.  These are the three duties affecting libraries are DCMS:

DCMS_026: Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964 Section 1(2)

Duty: To provide information and facilities for the inspection of library premises, stocks, records, as the Secretary of State requires.

Function: Necessary for Secretary of State to fulfil (requirement) to superintend library service (see s1 of PLAMA 1964)

DCMS_027: Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964 Section 7

Duty: To provide a comprehensive and efficient library service. In fulfilling this duty, must have particular regard to the matters in s7(2)

Function: Secure provision of local library services

DCMS_028: Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964 Section 11

Duty: Supplemental provisions as to transfers of officers, assets and liabilities

Function: Provisions provide, for example, continuity of employment for transferring employees. This secures consistency across library transfers etc and in line with other local authority employment legislation

(This summary copied from the Voices for the Library post

Once you've filled in the form, you can also write to your local MP (find him or her here) (ETA: here's my letter) to voice your opinion on the subject.

To Library Campaigners across North Yorkshire

Last week, the Government announced a review of the statutory duties placed on local authorities by central government. 1294 are currently under review and the Government is asking the public to comment on these duties and “to challenge government on those which you feel are burdensome or no longer needed”. Three of these duties refer to public libraries and the statutory duty to provide a functioning library service.

I would therefore advice you to take part in the informal consultation process and to encourage others to do so too. The link to the questionnaire is here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/GP7BKKTvailable is a duty of central and local government and we need to make sure that the current Government recognises this.

There is more information on this review at the Voices for the Library website here and also here. These posts include the reference numbers to specific duties that the questionnaire requires of respondents.

Please take part in this and encourage other people to do so too. Making information a

Thank you,

Simon Barron
Voices for the Library

NYCC : Adult and Community Services structure

The information below was obtained via the Freedom Of Information Act.

FOIA N2667 CIPFA details

The information below was obtained via the Freedom Of Information Act.

Bentham - Core Library for West Craven

From: jimmunday@hotmail.com
To: julie.blaisdale@northyorks.gov.uk
CC: cllr.david.ireton@northyorks.gov.uk; derek.law@northyorks.gov.uk; gary.fielding@northyorks.gov.uk
Subject: Bentham - The Core Library for West Craven.
Date: Mon, 28 Feb 2011 12:46:14 +0000

Dear Julie Blaisdale

Bentham - The Core Library for West Craven.

I was pleased to meet you at the recent meeting at Bentham Town Hall. It is always good to put a face to a name.

There is a very strong reasons for retaining Bentham as a core library for this area. The current proposals pick off both the libraries in this area - i.e. Bentham and Ingleton by treating them as separate entities. However if you re-crunch the numbers - combine Bentham and Ingleton libraries as a single unit. Then it is more obvious that Bentham should be designated as a core library to service the needs in West Craven.

If the figures are recast on this basis the case for Bentham as a Core Library is made.

Bentham should be the Core Library to satisfy the legal requirements for an accessible and comprehensive public library service for West Craven. It is easily accessible to the surrounding area by regular bus, train and community transport services. Settle is not. Contrasted with the other market towns you mentioned; they are all nearer to the designated core library and probably have better transport links.

Therefore perhaps this situation can be reconsidered and Bentham designated as a Core Library to service this often forgotten corner of the county.

  

Regards

Yours sincerely  

Jim Munday

Inglefield, 57 Robin Lane,

Bentham,
North Yorkshire LA2 7AG
015242 63152
Mob 0785 498 9936

Date: Wed, 16 Feb 2011 16:41:38 +0000
From: Julie.Blaisdale@northyorks.gov.uk
To: jimmunday@hotmail.com
CC: Cllr.David.Ireton@northyorks.gov.uk; Derek.Law@northyorks.gov.uk; Gary.Fielding@northyorks.gov.uk
Subject: Re: FW: The reasons Bentham should be retained as a Core Library forWest Craven.

Dear Mr Munday

Thank you for your correspondence regarding Bentham library and for your attendance at the meeting to  discuss the library proposals on Monday evening. It was good to meet with you and discuss your
concerns.

Bentham is not the only market town affected by the proposals.
Boroughbridge, Tadcaster, Easingwold and Bedale are also affected.  However, an extra £350k has been restored into the Libraries' budget in order to provide communities such as Bentham with some time to consider how they might work on partnership arrangements with NYCC in order to find solutions that will assist with cost effective outcomes that will deliver the savings whilst, at the same time, maintaining the service in local communities. However, it has to be stressed that the current funding model, ie fully funding all elements of the current library service from mainstream NYCC funding is no longer an option.

As I said at the meeting, the County Council is still out to consultation on its library proposals and your views/comments will be taken on board as part of this process. Thank you for your contribution to the consultation process so far and I look forward to working with yourself and the residents of Bentham on developing a solution that will maintain a library presence in your community.

Kind regards -
Julie Blaisdale

Julie Blaisdale
Assistant Director, Library & Community Services
Adult & Community Services
North Yorkshire County Council
Racecourse Lane
Northallerton
North Yorkshire
DL7 8DD
Tel: 01609 533494

Jim Munday mailto:jimmunday@hotmail.com%3E%2014/02/2011%2014:41%20%3E%3E

Dear Derek Law

I understand that you and Chris Metcalfe have delegated decision making powers  over the Library Consultation proposals.

There would appear to have been an oversight in the proposals regarding the designation of "core libaries".
Bentham is the second largest population centre in Craven and sadly we seem to have been forgotten. Attached is my letter which clearly explains why Bentham should be re-assessed as a core library. I trust
you win be able to designate it as such even if this means that Crosshills or Settle were to close instead.

Regards

Jim Munday
Inglefield, 57 Robin Lane,
Bentham,
North Yorkshire LA2 7AG
015242 63152
Mob 0785 498 9936