§ 17. Mr. Hirstasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the number of cinemas which have closed during the year compared with the previous year.
§ Mr. PowellThe provisional net figure for the number of cinemas closed in the year ended 31st March, 1957, is 221 compared with 72 in the previous year.
§ Mr. HirstDo not those figures indicate a fact of which my hon. Friend must be well aware, that the position has worsened since, and that the Entertainments Duty has played a large part in that? Does my hon. Friend consider it reasonable that cinemas which lose money in consequence of the payment of Entertainments Duty should also thereby be forced to close?
§ Mr. PowellIt is by no means certain how far this decline is either largely or entirely due to Entertainments Duty, but the changes in the Entertainments Duty which have been made by the Budget should certainly be a help in the present financial year.
Mr. H. WilsonYes, but is the hon. Gentleman aware that last year we warned the Government that this which has happened would happen, that there would be this closure of cinemas, and that that was denied from the Treasury Bench? In view of the fact that those warnings have regrettably been justified in the event, will the hon. Gentleman pay a little, more attention to the warnings which we gave him last week on the same subject?
§ Mr. PowellI do not know about warnings, but it seems to me a pity that the party opposite put up the tax on the cinema industry in their last year of office.
Mr. H. WilsonSince the levels of taxation should always be related to ability to pay, will the hon. Gentleman 584 say how many cinemas have closed down in our last year of office?
§ Mr. PowellI will try to get the figure for the right hon. Gentleman, if he wants it.