§ Motion made and Question proposed, "That the Clause stand part of the Bill."
§ Mr. A. V. ALEXANDERI want to say a few words upon this Clause with a view of getting a little information about it. As far as I am able to understand this Clause, it proposes to increase very considerably the preference given to films produced in the British Empire for foreign firms. Some of us spent many weary days debating the Films Bill, and we had many discussions on the merits of British films and those produced in various parts of the Empire. At present, there is a foregn import duty on foreign film negatives of 5d. per foot while the film negatives from the Empire are charged 3ࡩd. per foot. The effect of the proposals in this Clause is to charge all 338 negative films from the Empire at the same rate is blank films; that is to say, at the rate of 2/9ths of a penny per foot. Already, the producers have to get a spec al licence to exhibit the films, and they are bound to take a certain quota of British films. I think we ought to have some statement from the Minister in charge as to why it is necessary to increase the preference so much as is proposed in this Clause.
§ The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for SCOTLAND (Major Elliot)The hon. Member for Hillsborough (Mr. A. V. Alexander) has correctly stated the facts. The import duty on foreign film negatives is 5d. per foot while film negatives from the Empire are to be charged ⅓d. per foot. This Bill therefore affords an instance in which we are lowering a tax. The reason for our action is that this concession was previously confined 339 to United Kingdom films made overseas, made by the United Kingdom producers overseas and brought to this country. We are now extending this concession to British Empire films. The loss to the revenue caused by the proposals we are now making will only amount to something like £350, which is not a very large amount. The British Empire film nega-
§ tive imports amount to 23,400 feet as against foreign film negative imports of 5,462,000 feet. I hope the hon. Member for Hillsborough will be satisfied with this information.
§ Question put, "That the Clause stand part of the Bill."
§ The Committee divided: Ayes, 207; Noes, 118.
341| Division No. 190.] | AYES. | [8.42 p.m. |
| Acland-Troyte, Lieut.-Colonel | Fermoy, Lord | Making, Brigadier-General E. |
| Agg-Gardner, Rt. Hon. Sir James T. | Fielden, E. B. | Malone, Major P. B. |
| Albery, Irving James | Finburgh, S. | Manningham-Buller, Sir Mervyn |
| Alexander, E. E. (Leyton) | Ford, Sir P. J. | Margesson, Captain D. |
| Alexander, Sir Wm. (Glasgow, Cent'l) | Fraser, Captain Ian | Mason, Colonel Glyn K. |
| Applin, Colonel R. V. K. | Frece, Sir Walter de | Merriman, Sir F. Boyd |
| Ashley Lt.-Col. Rt. Hon. Wilfrid W. | Fremantle, Lieut.-Colonel Francis E. | Meyer, Sir Frank. |
| Astbury. Lieut.-Commander F. W. | Gadie, Lieut.-Col. Anthony | Milne, J. S. Wardlaw |
| Atholl, Duchess of | Galbraith, J. F. W. | Mitchell, S. (Lanark, Lanark) |
| Baldwin, Rt. Hon. Stanley | Ganzoni, Sir John | Monsell, Eyres, Com. Rt. Hon. B. M. |
| Balfour, George (Hampstead) | Gates, Percy | Moore, Sir Newton J. |
| Barclay-Harvey, C. M. | Gilmour, Lt.-Col. Rt. Hon. Sir John | Morrison Bell, Sir Arthur Clive |
| Barnett, Major Sir Richard | Glyn, Major R. G. C. | Nall, Colonel Sir Joseph |
| Bellairs, Commander Carlyon | Grace, John | Nield, Rt. Hon. Sir Herbert |
| Benn, Sir A. S. (Plymouth, Drake) | Grenfell, Edward C. (City of London) | Nuttall, Ellis |
| Bennett, A. J. | Guest, Capt. Rt. Hon. F. E. (Bristol, N.) | Oakley, T. |
| Berry, Sir George | Gunston, Captain D. W. | O'Neill, Major Rt. Hon. Hugh |
| Bethel, A. | Hamilton, Sir George | Percy, Lord Eustace (Hastings) |
| Birchall, Major J. Dearman | Hammersley, S. S. | Perring, Sir William George |
| Bird, Sir R. B. (Wolverhampton, W.) | Hanbury, C. | Philipson, Mabel |
| Blundell, F. N. | Hannon, Patrick Joseph Henry | Pilcher, G. |
| Boothby, R. J. G. | Harland, A. | Pilditch, Sir Philip |
| Bourne, Captain Robert Croft | Harmsworth, Hon. E. C. (Kent) | Preston, William |
| Bowyer, Capt. G. E. W. | Harrison, G. J. C. | Radford, E. A. |
| Braithwaite, Major A. N. | Harvey, G. (Lambeth, Kennington) | Ramsden, E. |
| Brass, Captain W. | Haslam, Henry C. | Rawson, Sir Cooper |
| Briggs, J. Harold | Headlam, Lieut.-Colonel C. M. | Rees, Sir Beddoe |
| Brocklebank, C. E. R. | Henderson, Capt. R. R. (Oxf'd, Henley) | Reid, D. D. (County Down) |
| Buchan, John | Henderson, Lieut.-Col. Sir Vivian | Remer, J. R. |
| Burgoyne, Lieut.-Colonel Sir Alan | Heneage, Lieut.-Colonel Arthur P. | Rentoul, G. S. |
| Burman, J. B. | Henn, Sir Sydney H. | Richardson, Sir P. W. (Sur'y, Ch'ts'y) |
| Burney, Lieut.-Com. Charles D. | Hennessy, Major Sir G. R. J. | Roberts, Sir Samuel (Hereford) |
| Burton, Colonel H. W. | Hills, Major John Waller | Ropner, Major L. |
| Cassels, J. D. | Hilton, Cecil | Ruggles-Brise, Lieut.-Colonel E. A. |
| Cecil, Rt. Hon. Sir Evelyn (Aston) | Hopkins, J. W. W. | Rye, F. G. |
| Christie, J. A. | Hopkinson, Sir A. (Eng. Universities) | Samuel, A. M. (Surrey, Farnham) |
| Churchill, Rt. Hon. Winston Spencer | Horlick, Lieut.-Colonel J. N. | Samuel, Samuel (W'dsworth, Putney) |
| Cobb, Sir Cyril | Hudson, Capt. A. U. M. (Hackney, N.) | Sandeman, N. Stewart |
| Cohen, Major J. Brunel | Hudson, R. S. (Cumberl'nd, Whiteh'n) | Sandon, Lord |
| Colfox, Major Wm. Phillips | Hume, Sir G. H. | Savery, S. S. |
| Cooper, A. Duff | Hurd, Percy A. | Shaw, Lt.-Col. A. D. Mcl. (Renfrew, W) |
| Cope, Major Sir William | Hurst, Gerald B. | Shepperson, E. W. |
| Couper, J. B. | Iliffe, Sir Edward M. | Slaney, Major P. Kenyon |
| Courtauld, Major J. S. | Iveagh, Countess of | Smith, R. W. (Aberd'n & Kinc'dine, C.) |
| Courthope, Colonel Sir G. L. | Jackson, Sir H. (Wandsworth, Cen'l) | Smith-Carington, Neville W. |
| Cowan, Sir Wm. Henry (Islington, N.) | James, Lieut.-Colonel Hon. Cuthbert | Somerville, A. A. (Windsor) |
| Craig, Capt. Rt. Hon. C. C. (Antrim) | Jephcott, A. R. | Sprot, Sir Alexander |
| Craig, Sir Ernest (Chester, Crewe) | Jones, Sir G. W. H. (Stoke New'gton) | Stanley, Lieut.-Colonel Rt. Hon. G. F. |
| Crooke, J. Smedley (Deritend) | Kennedy, A. R. (Preston) | Stanley, Hon. O. F. G. (Westm'eland) |
| Crookshank, Cpt. H. (Lindsey, Gainsbro) | Kindersley, Major Guy M. | Storry-Deans, R. |
| Curzon, Captain Viscount | King, Commodore Henry Douglas | Styles, Captain H. Walter |
| Dalkeith, Earl of | Lamb, J. Q. | Thomson, F. C. (Aberdeen, South) |
| Davidson, Major-General Sir John H. | Lane Fox, Col. Rt. Hon. George R. | Tinne, J. A. |
| Davies, Maj. Geo. F. (Somerset, Yeovil) | Leigh, Sir John (Clapham) | Titchfield, Major the Marquess of |
| Davies, Sir Thomas (Cirencester) | Lister, Cunliffe-, Rt. Hon. Sir Philip | Tryon, Rt. Hon. George Clement |
| Davies, Dr. Vernon | Loder, J. de V. | Vaughan-Morgan, Col. K. P. |
| Davison, Sir W. H. (Kensington, S.) | Looker, Herbert William | Wallace, Captain D. E. |
| Dixon, Captain Rt. Hon. Herbert | Lougher, Lewis | Ward, Lt.-Col. A. L. (Kingston-on-Hull) |
| Drewe, C. | Lucas-Tooth, Sir Hugh Vere | Warner, Brigadier-General W. W. |
| Eden, Captain Anthony | Luce, Maj.-Gen. Sir Richard Harman | Waterhouse, Captain Charles |
| Edmondson, Major A. J. | Lynn, Sir Robert J. | Watts, Sir Thomas |
| Elliot, Major Walter E. | MacAndrew, Major Charles Glen | Wells, S. R. |
| Ellis, R. G. | Macdonald, Capt. P. D. (I. of W.) | Williams, A. M. (Cornwall, Northern) |
| Erskine, Lord (Somerset, Weston-s.-M.) | Macdonald, R. (Glasgow, Cathcart) | Williams, Herbert G. (Reading) |
| Erskine, James Malcolm Monteith | McLean, Major A. | Wilson, R. R. (Stafford, Lichfield) |
| Everard, W. Lindsay | MacRobert, Alexander M. | Winby, Colonel L. P. |
| Falle, Sir Bertram G. | Maitland, A. (Kent, Faversham) | Winterton, Rt. Hon. Earl |
| Wolmer, Viscount | Wragg, Herbert | TELLERS FOR THE AYES.— |
| Wood, E. (Chest'r, Stalyb'ge & Hyde) | Yerburgh, Major Robert D. T | Mr. Penny and Sir Victor Warrender. |
| Wood, Rt. Hon. Sir Kingsley | Young, Rt. Hon. Sir Hilton (Norwich) | |
| NOES. | ||
| Adamson, Rt. Hon. W. (Fife, West) | Henderson, Right Hon. A. (Burnley) | Scurr, John |
| Adamson, W. M. (Staff., Cannock) | Henderson, T. (Glasgow) | Sexton, James |
| Alexander, A. V. (Sheffield, Hillsbro') | Hirst, G. H. | Shepherd, Arthur Lewis |
| Attlee, Clement Richard | Hirst, W. (Bradford, South) | Shinwell, E. |
| Baker, J. (Wolverhampton, Bilston) | Hore-Belisha, Leslie | Short, Alfred (Wednesbury) |
| Baker, Walter | Hudson, J. H. (Huddersfield) | Simon, Rt. Hon. Sir John |
| Barker, G. (Monmouth, Abertillery) | Hutchison, Sir Robert (Montrose) | Sinclair, Major Sir A. (Caithness) |
| Barr, J. | Johnston, Thomas (Dundee) | Sitch, Charles H. |
| Batey, Joseph | Jones, Henry Haydn (Merioneth) | Slesser, Sir Henry H. |
| Bowerman, Rt. Hon. Charles W. | Jones, Morgan (Caerphilly) | Smillie, Robert |
| Broad, F. A. | Jones, T. I. Mardy (Pontypridd) | Smith, Ben (Bermondsey, Rotherhithe) |
| Bromfield, William | Kelly, W. T. | Snowden, Rt. Hon. Philip |
| Bromley, J. | Kennedy, T. | Stamford, T. W. |
| Brown, Ernest (Leith) | Kirkwood, D. | Stewart, J. (St. Rollox) |
| Brown, James (Ayr and Bute) | Lansbury, George | Strauss, E. A. |
| Buchanan, G. | Lawson, John James | Sutton, J. E. |
| Charleton, H. C. | Lee, F. | Thomas, Rt. Hon. James H. (Derby) |
| Cluse, W. S. | Livingstone, A. M | Thorne, G. R. (Wolverhampton, E.) |
| Clynes, Rt. Hon. John R. | Lowth, T. | Thorne, W. (West Ham, Plaistow) |
| Compton, Joseph | Lunn, William | Thurtle, Ernest |
| Cove, W. G. | MacDonald, Rt. Hon. J. R. (Aberavon) | Tinker, John Joseph |
| Dalton, Hugh | Mackinder, W. | Tomlinson, R. P. |
| Day, Harry | Maclean, Neil (Glasgow, Govan) | Townend, A. E. |
| Dennison, R. | Malone, C. L'Estrange (N'thampton) | Varley, Frank B. |
| Dunnico, H. | March, S. | Viant, S. P. |
| Edge, Sir William | Morris, R. H. | Watson, W. M. (Dunfermline) |
| Evans, Capt. Ernest (Welsh Univer.) | Morrison, R. C. (Tottenham, N.) | Watts-Morgan, Lt.-Col. D. (Rhondda) |
| Fenby, T. D. | Murnin, H. | Westwood, J. |
| Garro-Jones, Captain G. M. | Naylor, T. E. | Wheatley, Rt. Hon. J. |
| Gibbins, Joseph | Oliver, George Harold | Whiteley, W. |
| Gillett, George M. | Owen, Major G. | Wiggins, William Martin |
| Gosling, Harry | Palin, John Henry | Williams, T. (York, Don Valley) |
| Greenall, T. | Paling, W. | Wilson, R. J. (Jarrow) |
| Greenwood, A. (Nelson and Colne) | Pethick-Lawrence, F. W. | Windsor, Walter |
| Griffith, F. Kingsley | Potts, John S. | Wright, W. |
| Groves, T. | Purcell, A. A. | Young, Robert (Lancaster, Newton) |
| Grundy, T. W. | Richardson, R. (Houghton-le-Spring) | |
| Hall, F. (York, W. R., Normanton) | Riley, Ben | |
| Hardie, George D. | Ritson, J. | TELLERS FOR THE NOES.— |
| Harris, Percy A. | Roberts, Rt. Hon. F. O. (W. Bromwich) | Mr. Allen Parkinson and Mr. Charles |
| Hayday, Arthur | Scrymgeour, E. | Edwards. |