HC Deb 24 February 1938 vol 332 cc594-5

4.21 p.m.

Captain Wallace

I beg to move, in page 28, line 5, to leave out from "films," to "or," in line 6, and to insert: consisting wholly or mainly of photographs which, at the time when they were taken, were means of communicating news or were of special interest by reason of their relation to topics of the day.

This Amendment aims at defining the class of film to be included under the existing paragraph (a) of this Clause. We thought that in its original form the net was cast too wide. Difficulty has occurred in the past in interpreting the Clause, and we think that it has had a harmful effect on the production of documentary films. Films of this kind frequently deal with what have necessarily been regarded as current events. The present definition confines the class of films exempted from the operation of the Act to what are essentially news films, that is to say, just everyday news of passing events of special interest, An example which has been suggested to me is a film of a prominent public man speaking on some aspect of the League of Nations. We think that the new definition will considerably facilitate the production and registration of documentary films for renters' quota provided that they satisfy the conditions for renters' quota which other films are required to satisfy. I think that Members in every quarter of the House will desire to encourage the production of these documentary films, and that this Amendment will be a means of doing so.

Amendment agreed to.

Captain Wallace

I beg to move, in page 28, line 8, at the end, to insert:

or (c) films certified by the Board of Education under Sub-section (2) of Section seven of the Finance Act, 1935, as being entitled to exemption from customs duties under the convention for facilitating the international circulation of films of an educational character which is referred to in that Subsection. This Amendment would exclude from the films falling within the Bill, and therefore requiring a quota against them if they are foreign, educational films certified by the Board of Education, under Section 7 (2) of the Finance Act, 1935, as entitled to exemption from customs duty on coming into this country. This is simply a means of carrying out our obligations under an international convention signed at Geneva on 11th October, 1933, by which the signatories agreed to exempt films coming from each other's countries from the operation of any condition such as the necessity for the provision of a quota against them. The object is simply to allow of a freer international circulation of specially certified educational films which we wish to exchange with other countries.

Mr. Day

Who is to decide whether these films are educational?

Captain Wallace

I have already said that it is the Board of Education.

Amendment agreed to.