Committees

Reading for Pleasure

Inquiry

Reading brings a range of benefits to children, young people and their families, but the number of children reading for pleasure is declining rapidly.

This inquiry will look at the reasons behind this decline and what can be done to reverse this trend. It will look at the benefits of reading for pleasure and ask how reading for pleasure differs among different groups of children. The inquiry will examine the role of schools, early years settings, libraries, and the home environment in supporting children to read for pleasure and ask what the Government could do to improve the situation.

Read the call for evidence for more detail about the inquiry.

This inquiry is no longer accepting evidence

The deadline for submissions was 11:59pm on 9 January 2026.

Upcoming events

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Past events

Tuesday 2 June 2026
2:00pm Public
Reading for Pleasure - Oral evidence 2 June 2026
2:00pm
  • Olivia Bailey MP (Minister for Early Education at Department for Education)
  • Jenny Oldroyd (Director, Curriculum, General Qualifications and Digital Strategy at Department for Education)
The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House
Tuesday 19 May 2026
10:00am Public
Reading for Pleasure - Oral evidence 19 May 2026
10:00am
  • Frank Cottrell-Boyce (screenwriter, novelist, and children's author and Waterstones Children’s Laureate 2024 – 2026 at (None))
  • Rebecca Sinclair (President at The Publishers Association)
  • Meryl Halls (Managing Director at The Booksellers Association)
  • Joelle Owusu (Editorial Director at Merky Books)
11:00am
  • Isobel Hunter MBE (Chief Executive at Libraries Connected)
  • Sonia Ramdhian (Chief Development Officer at Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP))
  • Sue Kerr (Chair of Trustees at Community Libraries Network)
  • Donna Pentelow (Chair at Chief Cultural and Leisure Officers Association (CLOA))
The Grimond Room, Portcullis House
Wednesday 13 May 2026
3:00pm Public
Reading for Pleasure - Oral evidence 13 May 2026
3:00pm
  • Frank Young (Chief Executive at Parentkind)
  • Professor Christine O’Farrelly (Research Professor and UKRI Future Leaders Fellow, PEDAL Centre for Research in Play, Education, Development and Learning at University of Cambridge)
  • Julie Cigman (Early Education Associate, consultant and author at Early Education)
4:00pm
  • Mrs Victoria Dilly (Chief Executive at School Library Association)
  • Professor Robert Eaglestone (Professor of Contemporary Literature and Thought, Royal Holloway, University of London and Policy Lead at English Association)
  • Dr Roger McDonald (Associate Professor of Primary Education (Literacy), Faculty of Education and Health at The University of Greenwich)
The Grimond Room, Portcullis House
Tuesday 3 March 2026
10:00am Public
Reading for Pleasure - Oral evidence 3 March 2026
10:00am
  • Jonathan Douglas (Chief Executive at The National Literacy Trust)
  • Annie Crombie (Co-Chief Executive at Booktrust)
  • Mrs Debbie Hicks (Creative Director at The Reading Agency)
11:00am
  • Luke Taylor (Senior Researcher at Centre for Social Justice (CSJ))
  • Ellen Broomé (Chief Executive at British Dyslexia Association)
  • Ms Anjali Patel (Lead Advisory Teacher at The Centre for Literacy in Primary Education (CLPE))
  • Onyinye Iwu (children's author, illustrator and art teacher at (None))
The Grimond Room, Portcullis House

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