§ Sir David SteelTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to align the support given to craftsmen and women in Scotland with that in England and Wales.
§ Mr. LangI plan to introduce support measures to meet the special needs of individual craft makers in addition to the marketing support already provided to the crafts sector in general by Made in Scotland Ltd, set up in 1991. Following discussions with the Secretary of State for National Heritage I am arranging to make available for this purpose, through his Department, £300,000 in 1993–94. The money will be paid to the Crafts Council and the Scottish Arts Council. Through the existing mechanisms and expertise of the Crafts Council and the local resources and knowledge of the Scottish Arts Council support for individual craft makers will include: funding to equip themselves and set themselves up as small businesses; funding for training; publicity and exhibition facilities for their products on a United Kingdom basis. The details of these new arrangements, including their start date, will be publicised in due course.