57. Viscountess ASTORasked the Home Secretary whether he will consider the advisability of taking steps to transfer the responsibility of censorship of films from the film trade to the Home Office?
§ Sir J. GILMOURI am of opinion that it is best that final responsibility in this matter should rest, as at present, with the cinematograph licensing authorities.
Viscountess ASTORDoes the right hon. Gentleman really think that it is very satisfactory for the film trade to censor itself, and does he not know perfectly well that before the late Labour Government came in they hurriedly put in an ex-Home Secretary so as to protect themselves from this House; and will he give the House of Commons a chance of saying what it thinks about the film industry censoring itself?
§ Sir COOPER RAWSONWill the right hon. Gentleman say if the Film Censor Board have ever censored a film, and, if so, how many?