Current status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 16 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what financial support it provides to prevent the closure of public libraries.
The Scottish Government works closely with the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC), which provides leadership and advice to Scottish Ministers, local authorities, and the wider libraries sector.
In 2024-2025 we have provided the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC) with £665K from the Culture Budget, as recognition of the importance of our public libraries, and to support the excellent services they provide. In the 2025-26 budget the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC) have been allocated £935K from the culture budget.
Public library policy is devolved to local authorities, they have a statutory duty to ensure there is adequate provision of library services for their residents.
The Scottish Government provided block grant funding of over £14 billion to Local Authorities in 2024-25, a real terms increase of 2.5 per cent. The 2025-26 Scottish Budget, published on 4 December 2024 provides local government in Scotland with record funding of over £15 billion, an increase of over £1 billion or a real terms increase of 4.7% compared to 2024-25.
Any decision around public libraries and other local services must be considered extremely carefully. We strongly encourage local authorities to work in partnership with communities to explore ways of delivering services, based on need.