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Gloucestershire library campaigners invoice DCMS

02.06.11 | Benedicte Page

The campaign group Friends of Gloucestershire Libraries has made a stinging attack on culture secretary Jeremy Hunt, culture minister Ed Vaizey and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport over their collective failure to act over library closures in the county.

The campaigners have written to Hunt and Vaizey to ask for the DCMS' outsourcing invoice address, "seeing as you have outsourced to the people of Gloucestershire your responsibilities to superintend the delivery of statutory library services".

The campaigners say they intend to direct an invoice of £30,000 to the DCMS, that being the sum they are being asked to pay for legal fees to challenge the county council's plans through judicial review.

"Please also can you also reimburse the travel expenses and the time taken off work to the four representatives of the Friends of Gloucestershire Libraries who weeks ago came to London and spelt out to your officials the many fundamental flaws in the county council's plans and conduct, which your department have so far failed to act on, despite our highlighting of the urgency of the matter many times," the letter continues.

Culture secretary Jeremy Hunt has a legal duty under the 1964 Public Libraries Act to superintend the provision of a "comprehensive and efficient" library service by councils to their residents, but despite widespread closure plans has yet to intervene.

Meanwhile library campaigners seeking to challenge closures through judicial review are being asked for large contributions to the legal fees, even where claimants qualify for legal aid, on the grounds that the whole community will benefit from libraries being saved and therefore a "community contribution" must be levied.

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By Jo

The point that has been made and that the LSC DO NOT GET is that the people of Gloucestershire are being asked to pay for both the legal fees to challenge the plans AND the legal fees to defend the plans (the council will be defending itself with tax payers money - money it claims it does not have to fund our libraries).
The message coming from the LSC and the DCMS is that communities and individuals only have rights if they can pay. This is not fair particularly as the people who will "benefit from the libraries being saved" are those who have very little money and are the most vulnerable.

Thu, 02/06/2011 - 10:20
By Shirley Burnham

Something is very rotten in the state of Denmark. The DCMS knows about these injustices, but chooses not to prevent them, contrary to its leaders' statutory duty and contrary to all morality. That citizens should be put in this position is scandalous, nothing less.

Thu, 02/06/2011 - 12:39
By Anna Wilson

Any chance of getting this on the mainstream media, possibly the Today programme? They haven't dealt with the topic for months and months. Time perhaps that Humphries weighed in on the radio, or perhaps Paxman on the box?

Thu, 02/06/2011 - 19:45
By Helhut

Can't we get the lovely mariella Frostrop on our side - they might listen to HER!!!!!!

Sat, 04/06/2011 - 08:46
By Jo

The point that has been made and that the LSC DO NOT GET is that the people of Gloucestershire are being asked to pay for both the legal fees to challenge the plans AND the legal fees to defend the plans (the council will be defending itself with tax payers money - money it claims it does not have to fund our libraries).
The message coming from the LSC and the DCMS is that communities and individuals only have rights if they can pay. This is not fair particularly as the people who will "benefit from the libraries being saved" are those who have very little money and are the most vulnerable.

Thu, 02/06/2011 - 10:20
By Shirley Burnham

Something is very rotten in the state of Denmark. The DCMS knows about these injustices, but chooses not to prevent them, contrary to its leaders' statutory duty and contrary to all morality. That citizens should be put in this position is scandalous, nothing less.

Thu, 02/06/2011 - 12:39
By Anna Wilson

Any chance of getting this on the mainstream media, possibly the Today programme? They haven't dealt with the topic for months and months. Time perhaps that Humphries weighed in on the radio, or perhaps Paxman on the box?

Thu, 02/06/2011 - 19:45
By Helhut

Can't we get the lovely mariella Frostrop on our side - they might listen to HER!!!!!!

Sat, 04/06/2011 - 08:46

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