§ 96. Mr. BOOTHasked the Home Secretary whether he has appointed a censor of cinematograph films; and, if so, who is the officer appointed for that duty; and, if there is no Government censor of cinematograph films, will he, in the public interest, be willing to appoint such an official?
§ Mr. BRACEThe Home Secretary has no power to appoint a censor, and is not prepared to introduce legislation to establish a Government censorship. An unofficial board for the censorship of films was set up by the trade in 1912 in order to check the exhibition of objectionable films, and the board has done very useful work.
§ Mr. BOOTHIs my hon. Friend aware that pictures giving the antics of drunken men for children to jeer and laugh at are nightly exhibited with the word "censored" on the pictures, and how does he explain that?
§ Mr. WHITEHOUSECan the hon. Gentleman state whether the unofficial censor to whom he referred is the late theatrical censor of plays?