Lord Janvrin (CB)

My Lords, I too am grateful to the noble Baroness, Lady Sater, for the opportunity to discuss this important subject. I draw attention to my interests in the register, including being on the board of the British Library. Most of what I have to say is in relation to that institution. The British Library’s stated mission is “to make our intellectual heritage accessible to everyone, for research, inspiration and enjoyment”. In the knowledge economy, it has a vital part to play in any growth agenda. In common with other DCMS-sponsored cultural bodies, the British Library has faced a period of sustained pressure on budgets in recent years. This has been mainly due to the inflationary pressures across the whole sector. In our case, this pressure has been greatly exacerbated by the cyberattack on the library last year, which is requiring a major rebuild of our digital infrastructure. It was reassuring to see the broad commitment in the Budget to increasing grant in aid for our national museums and galleries. This will be a welcome first step in restoring financial stability for a vital part of our cultural sector. For the library, such investment, if confirmed, would be absolutely critical to our continuing recovery from the cyberattack. I pay tribute here to the essential part played by officials at DCMS to support this recovery over the past year. The Chancellor was unable to commit in the Budget to some of the capital plans announced in the previous Parliament. I am nevertheless pleased to note that the British Library’s partners in Leeds and the wider region are just as committed as we are to making the strongest possible case for a new British Library presence at Temple Works in that city. We continue to believe that a new British Library site in the north can be transformative, unlocking opportunities for innovation and research, culture and regeneration. In doing so, it offers a long-term opportunity to contribute to national economic growth, an aim which unites us all.