§ 56. Mr. LOGAN (for Mr. THORNE)asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department the number of local authorities which have taken a referendum for the opening of cinemas on Sundays; the number in favour and the number against; the number of authorities which have voted in favour but which the Government have vetoed; and the reason for such veto?
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for the HOME DEPARTMENT (Sir John Gilmour)I have no information of the number of polls under the Sunday Entertainments Act at which the majority voted against the Sunday opening of Cinemas; for the local authorities are not required to notify me when proposals in favour of such Sunday opening have been defeated. Polls at which the majority voted in favour of the Sunday opening of cinemas have been held in 14 areas; and in three further areas a decision in favour of Sunday opening was reached without a poll being required. The Government have no authority to veto an application for the extension of section 1 of the Sunday Entertainments Act to a new area; but one such application, in respect of the Urban District of Sidcup, was rejected by this House on the 14th February.