Baroness Rebuck (Lab)

It might also be true in this House. University students struggle to concentrate on classic texts and, this year, the first UK reading census found that 30% of the population are too distracted to read, and a further 16% are completely disengaged. As the Guardian editorial highlighted, we live in an attention span crisis, with a tsunami of data, where truth is downgraded and reality itself sometimes seems fake. This is such a troubling environment for our children, as the noble Baroness, Lady Kidron, so often and powerfully reminds us. They are captured by addictive algorithms and rising anxiety. Books, by contrast, offer quiet, immersive pleasure, real entertainment and, as the Children’s Laureate argues, genuine happiness rather than digital “sedation”. Neuroscience from the Queen’s Reading Room charity shows that just five minutes of reading a day can reduce stress by 20%. The Secretary of State for Education, Bridget Phillipson, announced a national year of reading this year, 2026: the first in the age of AI and a true public/private collaboration, delivered by the National Literacy Trust. Already, the campaign has reached 2 million children, distributed 600,000 books and signed up 11,000 teachers, 7,000 schools, 3,000 libraries, 150 local authorities and 800 partner organisations, ranging from the Premier League to parent-teacher associations and prisons. The campaign is also recruiting a growing army of community volunteers, already at 30,000 and aiming for 100,000, linking schools, homes and libraries. I welcome the Education Select Committee’s investigation into reading for pleasure, the Government’s commitment to a library in every primary school and additional funding for secondary school books. I also support calls for regular story time in primaries that distinguishes listening for pleasure from formal skills teaching. King’s College research also shows that, like reading, looking at a painting reduces cortisol levels by over 20%. Our splendid free museums are a brilliant policy legacy, and anything that adds friction and complexity, such as charging for visitors, should be avoided in my opinion. In the book industry, we must protect the creative pipeline with robust copyright and ensure that writers are fairly and transparently remunerated. AI is trained on human creativity. Human imagination has never been more important or more under threat. Reading for pleasure should be nurtured throughout the school years, including a re-evaluation of cuts to arts and humanities in further education, which the Minister might want to comment on later. Interestingly, McKinsey has pivoted to hiring philosophy and literature graduates, who are able to think creatively and are better equipped for the AI world of work. The Government have a key role to play in reversing the decline in reading for pleasure, restoring its enrichment and joy for a generation, and thereby turbocharging the creative economy. The journey has only just begun.