§ Mr. Fauldsasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will take steps to prevent the need for museums to refuse to accept collections in view of their inability to provide the conservation facilities needed to preserve them.
§ Mr. Hugh JenkinsResponsibility for acquisition and subsequent care of collections lies with the bodies administering museums. Assistance from central Government funds is available indirectly through grants to the area museum councils. Among the services they make available to local museums is the provision of conservation facilities and advice. In the current financial year the grant to the councils has been trebled and I have asked the Standing Commission on Museums and Galleries to suggest that the provision of additional conservation facilities and advice should receive first priority in the allocation of their additional resources.
§ Mr. Fauldsasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will take steps to set up a central research institute for conservation in view of the shortage both of trained conservators to work in Great Britain's museums and of 67W the lack of conservation facilities in national and local museums.
§ Mr. Hugh JenkinsThe national museums, for the financing of which I have direct responsibility, have good conservation facilities. Training in conservation is likely to be more effective if it is closely associated with museum practice and employment needs. I am, therefore, encouraging both national and local museums and galleries to make more training posts available in conservation and area museum councils have been funded to enable them to help.