4. Mr. BECKETTasked the President of the Board of Trade how many films have been produced in this country to meet the quota requirements; and how many of these were financed by foreign capital to meet the quota requirements of foreign interests?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTER263 British films, including 118 long films, have been registered, and of these 234 were produced in this country. I have not the necessary information to answer the second part of the question.
Mr. BECKETTHas the right hon. Gentleman any ground for thinking that it would be advisable to try to get that information?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERNo, none. I am delighted that capital should be invested in the British film industry, whether that capital is British or foreign.
Mr. BECKETTIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that American renters are financing very bad and cheap films, and that they are block-booking them as a condition of getting a long film, and that in 12 months the British film industry will be excluded?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERNo. I have never heard a more gross travesty of the working and the success of the Act. If it should be a fact that any American producers produce bad British films—I do not know that they are doing so—there is an ample number of admirable British films to take their place.
Mr. BECKETTIf the right hon. Gentleman sees any prominent figure in the British film industry, he will find that what I stated is not a travesty but the fact.
§ Colonel HOWARD-BURYIs it not the case that the production of the 234 shows the great success of the Cinematograph Films Act in encouraging the film industry in this country?
§ 9. Sir WILLIAM WAYLANDasked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in view of the attempt by American film interests to prevent American talking pictures from being projected in British cinemas on British apparatus, he will introduce legislation making it a condition of the exhibition of such films that the apparatus, or a certain proportion of the apparatus, used for the purpose shall be of British manufacture?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERI would refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave him on 5th March.
§ Mr. DAYIs it not a fact that these American talking films cannot be portrayed on British machines, but must be portrayed on American machines, and will the right hon. Gentleman not con- 1575 sider amending the Act so that the British film industry, with reference to machines, can have an opportunity of showing these films?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERNo, Sir; there is no such provision, I understand. There is a contract by which certain films must be shown on either American machines or machines that give equally good results. Plainly, it would be a contract—I speak subject to legal correction—in restraint of trade if people were not free to show these films on any machines, English or otherwise, which gave equally good results. I take note of the hon. Gentleman's offer to assist me in any necessary extension of the Cinematograph Films Act.
§ Sir W. WAYLANDIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that if all this talking apparatus were made in the Unified Kingdom, it would mean orders for British manufacturers to the extent of £3,000,000 to £4,000,000?
§ Mr. MACQUISTENIn reference to the last part of the question, asking that a certain proportion of the apparatus should be of British manufacture, is it not more important that the voices of the actors should be of British manufacture instead of having the Amercian accent?