§ 12. Mr. D. GRENFELLasked the Home Secretary whether he will consider the desirability of setting up a board of film censors responsible to his office and acting quite independently of the film industry?
§ Sir J. GILMOURThis question has been raised from time to time, and I am not in favour of a system of Government censorship. I would remind the hon. Member that the final decision as to what films may be exhibited rests with the cinematograph licensing authorities.
§ 13. Mr. D. GRENFELLasked the Home Secretary whether his attention has been drawn to cinema films showing wild beasts spurred and driven into combat; and whether he will take power to prevent the release of any film depicting a fight between two animals and any film in which cruelty or suffering to any animal has been produced?
§ Sir J. GILMOURThe answer to the first part of the question is in the negative: and I learn from the British Board of Film Censors that no film as passed by them contains any such incident. As to the second part of the question, I would refer to the answer which my right hon. Friend the Under-Secretary gave on the 1st instant to my hon. Friend the Member for East Dorset (Mr. Hall-Caine). I am informed that the board are giving special attention to all animal films produced abroad, that no such film as passed by the board depicts a fight between two animals, and that, where it is obvious that cruelty or restraint amounting to cruelty has been involved in the production of a particular incident, that incident is not passed by the board.