§ 39. Mr. Fisherasked the Minister for the Arts whether he will commission research into the position of women in the arts in Great Britain.
§ Mr. LuceNo, Sir. I do not consider it necessary. It is more valuable to spend time encouraging women to participate in the arts.
§ Mr. FisherI am sorry that the Minister's interest in research into the arts, which he demonstrated in his support for the Policy Studies Institute report, which we wait with impatience, does not extend to this important subject, which affects 52 per cent. of audiences. Indeed, women make up more than half the audiences of the performing arts. Does the Minister not understand that the problem is deep rooted? If his mind is not entirely closed, he should welcome research.
§ Mr. LuceThere are some non-Government bodies undertaking research in that area. I have already said that it is more productive for me, to spend time not carrying out or launching research, but encouraging, more women to participate in the arts, if they so wish. That is a more useful way of going forward. That is why I have written to every sponsoring body of the arts—that is, bodies that use taxpayers' money—asking them to ensure not only that they are pursuing equality of opportunity policies, but that, when considering nominees for their boards, there is always a woman on the short list.
§ Mr. LeighIs it not a grotesque and ludicrous excrescence on the face of artistic freedom to suggest that a person's sex is of the slightest interest in the assessment of merit in the artistic world? Have we not today been treated to a farrago of feminism gone mad from the hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent, Central (Mr. Fisher)?
§ Mr. LuceMany women would take it as an insult if they were selected on any basis other than equality of opportunity and merit. If they qualify for the job, based on their qualities and talents, that is fine, but only on that basis.