§ 20. Mr. Shepherdasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is aware that some local authorities refuse to disclose the charities to which they apply moneys collected as a result of Sunday cinema performances; and if 552 he will amend the law so as to make disclosure of the disposal of such public moneys compulsory.
§ Major Lloyd-GeorgeI can hold out no prospect of legislation which would be necessary for this purpose.
§ Mr. ShepherdWill not my right hon. and gallant Friend agree that this is a most immoral piece of legislation in which we extract money from exhibitors to bribe the public conscience? Are they not at least entitled to know where the money goes?
§ Major Lloyd-GeorgeI do not want to express an opinion about the immorality or otherwise of the legislation. All I said was that it cannot be altered without further legislation and that I am satisfied that under the present Act the distribution is going on as it ought to go on.
§ 24. Mr. J. Hyndasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware of the growing difficulty experienced by small cinema proprietors from the operation of the Sunday charity levy, having regard to the growing competition from Sunday television; and whether he will consider legislation to remove this disadvantage.
§ Major Lloyd-GeorgeI would refer the hon. Member to the Answer which I gave on 1st December, 1955, to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Cheadle (Mr. Shepherd).
§ Mr. HyndDoes not the Home Secretary consider that this situation is getting ever more difficult for small cinema proprietors and that, whatever justification there might have been for this special levy at the time when cinemas held a practical monopoly of Sunday entertainment, now, due to the counter attraction of television, small cinemas are suffering considerable hardship?
§ Major Lloyd-GeorgeI would not contradict that, but the difficulty is the practical impossibility of introducing the necessary legislation at present.