§ Mr. Robert Cookeasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what progress he has made to ensure that the work of craftsmen finds a market.
§ Mr. Hugh JenkinsImprovement in marketing the work of artist craftsmen is one of the principal concerns of the Crafts Advisory Committee, which is the channel of Government assistance to the crafts in England and Wales. Specific marketing outlets assisted by the committee include the British Crafts Centre in Earlham Street, near Covent Garden, the Crafts Shop at the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Regional Crafts Centre, Lincoln, and the Birmingham Arts Shop 359W run by the West Midlands Arts Association. A further assisted crafts shop is to be opened shortly at the Castle Museum, Norwich. Exhibitions, both at home and abroad, mounted or assisted by the Crafts Advisory Committee, result in sales and the commissioning of further work. An index of craftsmen, with slides illustrating their work, is available at the committee's office in Waterloo Place for consultation by potential customers who have included a number of new retailers of craft products.