HC Deb 20 May 1958 vol 588 cc1095-6
38. Mr. Rankin

asked the President of the Board of Trade on what estimate of cinema attendances he has calculated the yield for the films levy for the years ending October, 1958, and 1959, respectively.

The Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade (Mr. F. J. Erroll)

The yield of the levy depends on a number of factors in addition to the level of cinema attendances. The new levy rate has been fixed on the assumption that attendances will continue to fall, but not so sharply as during recent months when they have been about 20 per cent. lower than a year previously.

Mr. Rankin

Does the Parliamentary Secretary realise that it is not in the best interest of British film production that its income, to a large extent, should be tied to such an unstable source as cinema admissions, and would not he consider some other method of subsidising production because, after all, this method is just a subsidy?

Mr. Erroll

I cannot consider an alternative method at present.