§ 11. Mr. Swinglerasked the President of the Board of Trade the number of prosecutions for film quota defaults initiated by his Department in the calendar year 1952; and the number of convictions for such offences distinguishing between cases involving proprietors of the major circuits, proprietors of cinemas in the West End of London and proprietors owning fewer than five cinemas, respectively.
§ Mr. P. ThorneycroftIn the calendar year 1952 the Board of Trade initiated nine prosecutions for film quota defaults and eight convictions were secured; although in two cases where there had been defaults on both first feature and supporting programmes the convictions were in respect of supporting programmes only.
2016 In all the cases where convictions were secured, the proprietors concerned owned less than five cinemas and all the cinemas were outside the London area.
§ Mr. SwinglerIs the Minister satisfied with this situation? Is he persuaded that in the attempt to enforce the quota full account is being taken of the difficult circumstances of small exhibitors, because the cream of the bookings goes to the major circuits? Is the right hon. Gentleman persuaded that justice is being done as between big exhibitors who have defaulted and small exhibitors who have defaulted?
§ Mr. ThorneycroftThe decisions in the cases are not for me: they are for the court which hears the evidence upon the subject.
§ Mr. SwinglerBut the decision to prosecute is a decision of the Minister.
§ Mr. ThorneycroftYes. We have, of course, prosecuted both large and small exhibitors, as the hon. Member knows.
§ Mr. ShepherdIs not it a fact that the number of exemptions to relatively small cinemas last year probably amounted to well over 1,000?