§ 4.25 p.m.
§ Captain WallaceI beg to move, in page 28, line 24, to leave out from the first "sum," to "as," in line 25.
This Amendment has two effects. It will remove the limit of one-quarter by which the total labour costs or the costs per foot of a film, or the price paid for the acquisition of foreign rights, may be varied by the Board of Trade in a draft Order made after consultation with the Cinematograph Films Council. It is the outcome of an undertaking given in Committee, arising from an Amendment moved by my hon. Friend the Member for South Croydon (Mr. H. G. Williams), who wished to leave out the overall figure of £7,500 for labour costs of a film qualifying for renters' quota, and simply to leave the figure of so much per foot. It was pointed out in reply that this minimum could already be reduced considerably on the recommendation of the Films Council, under the existing provisions, but my right hon. Friend, as a result of discussion, feels that it would be best to take away the limit altogether, and to leave it entirely open to the council to recommend to the Board of Trade any alteration in either direction, either in the overall costs or in the footage costs.
§ Amendment agreed to.