§ 48. Dame Irene Wardasked the Prime Minister whether he will recommend the appointment of a Royal Commission to consider problems arising out of subsidising the arts.
§ The Prime MinisterNo, Sir; I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Aberdeenshire, East (Sir R. Boothby) on Tuesday last.
§ Dame Irene WardIs my right hen. Friend aware that that answer was not satisfactory? Will he reconsider the 1311 position in view of the fact that a very large number of people feel that the only way of getting to the root of this problem and of finding a solution is by the appointment of a Royal Commission? Will my right hon. Friend, therefore, very kindly reconsider the matter in this light?
§ The Prime MinisterI will, of course, reconsider it. We had almost a little discussion on this matter last Tuesday, and I would certainly recognise that my hon. Friend's suggestion is narrower than the one put forward by the hon. Member, in that it deals only with the question of the arts and, therefore, might be more useful; but I still do not think that this is the right method to proceed.