Responding to the pledge by the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, that every primary school will have a library by the end of this Parliament, Paul Whiteman, general secretary at school leaders' union NAHT, said: 

"One of the most important tasks of a primary school is to foster a love of reading in their pupils.

"Libraries can play a vital role in that work, giving children access to a wide variety of books to enjoy and explore. They are at the heart of many primary schools.

"Additional funding for those schools that haven't been able to afford a library to date is welcome. Some schools may face challenges in terms of space and staffing, but we hope they will be able to use this funding to help with that.”