HC Deb 23 February 1938 vol 332 cc456-8

8.27 p.m.

Captain Wallace

I beg to move, in page 5, line 17, after "Britain," to insert: or who proposes to acquire it in any such period for distribution in Great Britain.

This Amendment is designed to enable the exemption from renters' quota which is given in the Clause to be taken advantage of more readily. This Clause, as the House will realise, refers to special films, in respect of which there is a limited demand. It may happen that a renter who wishes to acquire one of these specialised foreign films, against which British quota would not be required, would like to be quite certain, before he acquires the film for distribution in this country, that it comes under this Clause. As the Clause is drafted, this would not be possible, because he would not be able to apply until he had acquired the film. This Amendment simply enables him to find out beforehand whether it will be all right.

Amendment agreed to.

Captain Wallace

I beg to move, in page 5, line 31, to leave out "on the day on," and to insert, "with the date of application upon."

This Amendment, like others on Clause 4, is made to facilitate the application of these provisions. The renter who wants to get exemption from renters' quota for a foreign film in this particular class, may want to begin distributing before the formal directions are finally given by the Board. The Amendment would enable him to proceed with the distribution as from the date on which he applied.

Amendment agreed to.

Captain Wallace

I beg to move, in page 5, line 33, after "therein," to insert or be exhibited to the public at more than twelve theatres in Great Britain or at more than six theatres in the administrative county of London, or be exhibited to the public at more than one theatre in Great Britain on the same day.

This Amendment, together with the next Amendment, gives effect to a promise which my right hon. Friend gave upstairs to the hon. Member for East Wolverhampton (Mr. Mander), to substitute for the existing conditions of exemption from renters' quota—namely, that the foreign film must not be exhibited for more than 12 weeks of the year—the condition that it should not be exhibited at more then 12 theatres. This, I think, had the general consent of the Committee. The Amendment also meets another wish expressed in the Committee, that out of those 12 theatres not more than six should be in the administrative county of London. This is in order to get a wider circulation for this particular type of film, which generally appeals to serious-minded people.

8.32 p.m.

Mr. T. Williams

We welcome these Amendments, because we feel that any specialised film, particularly a film displaying art, whether of an ancient or a modern type, ought not to be shown exclusively for the people living in London. There are plenty of artistically-minded people in the provinces.

Amendment agreed to.

Further Amendment made: In page 5, line 34, to leave out from the beginning to the end of the Clause—[Captain Wallace.]

8.33 p.m.

Captain Wallace

I beg to move, in page 6, line 5, at the end, to insert: and if the renter delivers the film, after the end of that year, to an exhibitor for exhibition to the public at a theatre in Great Britain, then for the purpose of determining whether any quota conditions have been fulfilled by him, the film shall be treated as if, at the time when he first so delivers it, he had acquired it for distribution in Great Britain. This is a drafting Amendment, to make clear the object of the Clause. It also permits one of these films to be exhibited every other year, and if the renter waits until a year has elapsed, it is then open to him to apply for another year's exemption. The opinion of the Committee was that, while it would not be in the interests of the industry to allow one of these films to be exhibited without quota year after year, there would be certain advantages to be gained in keeping the position open.

Amendment agreed to.