BRITISH LIBRARY

Early day motion 987, tabled 26 February 2007 by Paul Holmes (Liberal Democrat). Signed by 41 members.

That this House recognises the success of the British Library as a world-class institution and leader in knowledge and innovation; applauds the almost two-fold increase in the British Library's Productivity Index from 100 in 2000 to 196 today, and its achievement of £40 million efficiency savings in the same period; deplores the Government's proposed spending cuts as indicative of its failure to recognise not only the Library's contribution to the cultural wealth of the nation, but also its economic impact, valued at a return of £4.40 for every £1 of public funding; considers that these cuts will undermine 250 years of collecting and lead to the irrecoverable loss of unique conservation skills at a time when the Library's Centre for Conservation is due for completion, undo five years of successful investment in profile-building which has led to an increase from 50 per cent. to 75 per cent. in public recognition of the Library and severely curtail the Library's digital strategy, resulting in the loss of UK digital output to future generations and creating gaps in the intellectual record of the nation; believes that a cut in funding will force a reduction in opening hours and the introduction of charges, to the detriment of the service offered; and calls on the Government to cancel the planned cuts and finally to acknowledge the Library's contribution to the economic and cultural wealth of the nation.

Signatures by party: Labour 19, Liberal Democrat 16, Conservative 2, DUP 2, Independent 1, UUP 1.