In an act of fabulous generosity, the Queen is to fund the distribution of 800,000 children’s books – one for each Year 6 child in school – in time for Christmas. The chosen book is Kathrine Rundell’s Impossible Creatures and it will include a note from the Queen. The Queen’s support and commitment to reading for youngsters has been recognised through an invitation to become a Stationer earlier this year. It would be nice to think that there is an equal commitment to the UK printing industry, by insisting that this special edition be printed and bound in this country.
Indeed it would be nice to think that not only the Queen, but others in high places could use their influence to support the British printing industry. No doubt behind the scenes, the BPIF, IPIA, Picon et al are pressing the case. But it needs to be front of house. We gain a new prime minister today when Andy Burnham visits the Queen’s husband for the formalities. Burnham has already pledged to support a strategy of reindustrialisation. He could do worse than start by insisting the government supports the UK printing industry.
It has been all too easy for government and those that depend on government funds to seek the overseas suppliers for their print needs, meaning that book work heads east towards Asia and not East Anglia. Those culpable can hide behind the cost and value for taxpayers arguments. If so then everything would be sourced from China and other low cost producers in the region, not the UK where government policies ought to support high value employment producing goods rather than low value warehouse workers moving them around. There is no reason for our great museums, for example, to print in China when holistic ways of thinking about cost, environmental as well as financial, can keep this work closer to home. The print on demand model cuts waste, transport, storage and other non tangible costs. Government should try it. It works.
Her Majesty should make a request
In an act of fabulous generosity, the Queen is to fund the distribution of 800,000 children’s books – one for each Year 6 child in school – in time for Christmas. The chosen book is Kathrine Rundell’s Impossible Creatures and it will include a note from the Queen. The Queen’s support and commitment to reading for youngsters has been recognised through an invitation to become a Stationer earlier this year. It would be nice to think that there is an equal commitment to the UK printing industry, by insisting that this special edition be printed and bound in this country.
Indeed it would be nice to think that not only the Queen, but others in high places could use their influence to support the British printing industry. No doubt behind the scenes, the BPIF, IPIA, Picon et al are pressing the case. But it needs to be front of house. We gain a new prime minister today when Andy Burnham visits the Queen’s husband for the formalities. Burnham has already pledged to support a strategy of reindustrialisation. He could do worse than start by insisting the government supports the UK printing industry.
It has been all too easy for government and those that depend on government funds to seek the overseas suppliers for their print needs, meaning that book work heads east towards Asia and not East Anglia. Those culpable can hide behind the cost and value for taxpayers arguments. If so then everything would be sourced from China and other low cost producers in the region, not the UK where government policies ought to support high value employment producing goods rather than low value warehouse workers moving them around. There is no reason for our great museums, for example, to print in China when holistic ways of thinking about cost, environmental as well as financial, can keep this work closer to home. The print on demand model cuts waste, transport, storage and other non tangible costs. Government should try it. It works.
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Prayers for the future of the print industry
Prayers for the future of the print industry