§ Mr. Gwilym JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the progress of the Welsh craft initiative.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerThe craft initiative was launched in early 1988. Crafts business advisers have been appointed
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School catering current expenditure £thousands Local authority 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–901 Cash prices Clwyd 3,317 2,995 2,883 3,262 3,684 3,688 3,734 4,006 4,256 2,984 3,751 Dyfed 3,700 2,818 3,086 3,318 3,509 3,016 3,001 3,267 3,531 3,069 4,416 Gwent 3,969 4,110 4,406 4,846 4,925 5,182 5,150 5,691 5,577 4,260 4,582 Gwynedd 2,414 2,255 2,225 2,418 2,373 2,481 2,572 2,610 2,725 2,557 2,462 Mid Glamorgan 5,807 5,432 5,595 6,281 6,742 8,090 7,566 7,596 7,417 5,775 7,301 Powys 1,344 1,165 1,156 1,494 1,537 1,391 1,167 1,111 1,091 1,053 1,179 South Glamorgan 2,321 1,780 1,947 2,065 2,208 2,389 2,482 2,119 2,138 1,882 2,318 West Glamorgan 3,191 2,879 3,006 3,324 2,768 3,460 2,802 2,867 2,841 2,859 2,904 Total Wales 26,061 23,435 24,303 27,008 27,747 29,699 28,474 29,267 29,575 24,439 28,912 and have contacted more than 1,000 Welsh businesses to tell them when help is available. The "Data Crefft" information system for buyers and producers of crafts in Wales is in place and there have been craft initiative stands at all Welsh fairs. Showcases for Welsh craft products have also been set up at the national folk museum (St. Fagans), at the David Morgan department store in Cardiff and at the Wales Centre in Piccadilly, London. There has also been a strong Welsh presence at major trade fairs outside the Principality. A series of marketing and publicity weekends for craftspeople is in progress. An evaluation of the campaign's impact will be carried out once the final year, which starts on 1 April 1990, is complete. I am delighted at the progress that has been made in the improvement of both marketing and quality control.