Today's move follows Andy Burnham's request to Wirral Council in February to work with the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) on the proposed restructuring of library services. Following their work the MLA wrote to the Secretary of State to express concerns about the situation in the Wirral.
If the proposed changes to the library service are found to fall short of duties to provide a 'comprehensive and efficient' public library service, the Inquiry will also include practical steps that should be taken by the Wirral to put things right. The person appointed to carry out the Inquiry will be announced shortly. The Inquiry will be the first of its kind since 1991.
Andy Burnham said:
"Public libraries play a central role at the heart of our communities, providing a rich source of information, wisdom and learning. This is all the more true in difficult economic times. They should never be an optional extra for local authorities. I have a statutory responsibility to ensure everyone has access to a comprehensive and efficient service because ready access to high quality libraries for all is absolutely central to a truly public service.
"My strategic advisors on library matters, the MLA, have made it clear to me that there is a significant gap in the available evidence on the likely impact that the Wirral's plans to close 11 branches will have on the community. So I have ordered this inquiry to seek further information to help me draw my own conclusion as to whether the plans in the Wirral are consistent with its statutory duties.
"Ensuring our public library service is fit for the 21st century can sometimes mean difficult decisions and I certainly would not stand in the way of any council who wants to modernise; this is at the heart of the review that my department will publish in June. I also appreciate that the Wirral has historically had an above average number of libraries serving a changing population demographic. But the balance has to be right and modernisation should never compromise core provision of access.
"Whilst views of all interested parties will be invited and heard, this will be no long, drawn-out affair. I want a clear report with a simple and practicable action plan, if required."
The outcome of this Inquiry should also offer assistance to other library authorities in understanding the Department and Ministers' approach to library authorities' compliance with statutory duties and is expected to form part of the DCMS Library Review, to be published in June.
