HC Deb 31 January 1952 vol 495 c339
6. Mr. John E. Crowder

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will prohibit the import into this country from the United States of America of undesirable comic strip publications, especially those dealing with crime and violence.

Mr. P. Thorneycroft

For balance of payments reasons, import licences are not granted for comic strip publications from the United States of America, and the world open general licence for newspapers was amended on 8th March, 1950, so as to exclude comic strip supplements. Single copies may be imported under the world open general licence for periodicals, magazines and the like, imported as single copies through the post by persons who pay or have paid the overseas supplier direct, but the import of comics in this way is believed to be small, and without postal censorship it would not be practicable to ensure their exclusion from the mails.

Many of the comics of the American type on sale in this country are copies of American originals printed and published in the United Kingdom. The importation of indecent or obscene literature is prohibited under Section 42 of the Customs Consolidation Act, 1876.

Mr. Crowder

Will my right hon. Friend consult the Home Secretary and the Minister of Education as to the harm they think that these publications do, because a lot of them get into the hands of children?

Mr. Thorneycroft

I will certainly consult my right hon. Friends, but my hon. Friend will appreciate that I cannot use import licensing as a method of censorship.

Mr. Hector Hughes

Would the right hon. Gentleman bear in mind the implications of the Question, and give the matter great consideration before taking any action which might be regarded as interfering with the liberty of the Press?