Part of 1. 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 2:00 pm on 20 September 2016.
Welsh Government support for libraries is welcomed, particularly in Caerphilly. We’ve seen the development of libraries in Caerphilly and Bargoed, and Ystrad Mynach is currently undergoing a lot of work. I was interested, also, in the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure’s evidence to the communication committee last week, in which he said libraries are more than just about books, they’re about a whole load of technological provisions for residents.
I wanted to ask, particularly, for an update on the Welsh Government’s plans for an all-Wales library card, which were first published a year ago. I was contacted by a constituent who has a holiday home in Burry Port—a fine place in Lee Waters’s constituency—and wanted to use the library there. He was not permitted to join the library and wasn’t permitted to use his Caerphilly county borough council card there either. I’ve written to Carmarthenshire County Council to try and clarify what’s going on, but particularly, I’d like to know, with the library card scheme, whether that would help. I understand it would also lead to quite a substantial saving for local authorities.