HC Deb 16 February 1976 vol 905 cc509-10W
Mr. Robert Cooke

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what steps he proposes to take to assist artist-craftsmen in the marketing of their work.

Mr. Hugh Jenkins

The aim of the Crafts Advisory Committee is to help Britain's artist-craftsmen maintain and improve their standards and become better known to the public, as well as to help them sell their work. There is little difficulty encountered by the artist-craftsmen in achieving the latter as all their products are normally taken up quickly. Nevertheless, the CAC helps with marketing where it can, often in conjunction with other bodies. I listed various ways in which the CAC achieved this, in my answer to the hon. Member for Bristol, West (Mr. Cooke) on 4th March last—[Vol. 887, c. 358 and 359.] In addition to these measures, the Committee has a non-selective register of 4,000 craftsmen, which is in strong demand by the public, and a booklet about its selective index at Waterloo Place which has stimulated over 4,000 inquiries. Continued help is also given to various crafts societies and a further crafts shop has been opened in the City Museum and Gallery, Exeter, with CAC support. The CAC is also helping as an experiment with the attendance of 10 selected craftsmen at the Spring Trade Fair at the new Birmingham international exhibition centre. The Government grant to the CAC has increased this year by 24 per cent.