LOCAL FORAL DESIGN INDUSTRY (Support for development)

Mr Tay Beng Chuan asked the Minister for Information and the Arts if the support that is being given from his Ministry and relevant Government agencies to developing arts and culture in Singapore will be extended to the local floral design industry.

The Minister for Information and the Arts (Mr Lee Yock Suan): Mr Speaker, Sir, my Ministry nurtures and supports artists and arts groups in the fields of music, dance, theatre, literature, visual arts and film. These are the core areas through which we seek to heighten Singaporeans' sense of aesthetics and cultural identity. Activities such as floral arrangement, bonsai, origami, quilt-making and embroidery fall under the category of decorative arts. My Ministry has no plans to extend public funding support to these areas.