Captain Cook Museum chair Sophie Forgan has backed a new Museum Association (MA) initiative, which is designed to help make it easier for UK attractions to loan collections.

Forgan was speaking at the launch of the MA's Smarter Loans: key principles for loans in the UK at the British Museum's Hartwell Room in London earlier this month.

Addressing delegates, Forgan said: "I was amazed that bringing material over from Gdansk in Poland cost us a fraction of what it takes to bring stuff up from London."

MA director Neil MacGregor said: "Smarter Loans is an important initiative, encouraging us all to think more pragmatically about lending."

Details: www.museumsassociation.org (PDF)