§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what plans he has to encourage the use of British stonemasons and woodcarvers in the restoration of Windsor castle.
§ Mr. BrookeManagement of the restoration of Windsor castle is the responsibility of the Royal household and so, therefore, is the selection of craftsmen. However, there is no reason to suppose that the craftsmen used will not be British.
§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will seek to provide funds to the National Trust, the English, Welsh, Scottish and Irish Heritages and the Churches to recruit and train apprentices in stonemasonary and woodcarving and to employ them subsequently.
§ Mr. BrookeI have no plans to provide specific funding on the lines proposed. English Heritage has recently established its own training centre for conservation skills at Fort Brockhurst, Hampshire. My Department also part-funds the conference on training in architectural conservation (COTAC), which aims to ensure that formal training and practical experience in conservation skills is available to all sectors of the construction industry, and works through a national network of training institutions to achieve this. Funding for such activities in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland is a matter for my right hon. Friends.