HC Deb 07 April 1960 vol 621 cc557-8
38. Mr. E. Fletcher

asked the President of the Board of Trade what representations he has received from persons and firms relating to the dumping in this country of United States pornographic paper-back books, which are now arriving in large numbers and being sold at cheap prices.

Mr. Erroll

The Board of Trade was approached some months ago about the possible dumping of cheap books from the United States. No application has been made for the imposition of an antidumping duty. As regards the law on the import of pornographic books, I would refer the hon. Member to the replies given to him and to the hon. and learned Member for Ilkeston (Mr. Oliver) and my hon. Friend the Member for Heston and Isleworth (Mr. R. Harris) on 10th December last.

Mr. Fletcher

I am aware of that, but is the Minister aware that this is now becoming a serious problem? My information is Chat a great many wholesalers are cutting back drastically their orders for English books because of the higher profit margin which they can obtain on American pornographic books, which are being imported into this country very cheaply. Does not the Minister think that, in the public interest, something ought to be done about this?

Mr. Enroll

The pornographic material is properly dealt with under separate legislation, which I have described to the hon. Member on a previous occasion. It would be quite wrong to use the anti-dumping legislation as a form of censorship. If, however, from the viewpoint of material injury to British printing and publishing interests, it were desirable for them to proceed with an application under the anti-dumping legislation, the Board of Trade would, of course, be willing to consider it.

Sir L. Plummer

Does the Minister recognise that there is a liberalising of censorship all over the world? Will he ensure that the general restrictive powers which he possesses are not used in the direction of censorship of literature?

Mr. Erroll

I am glad to give that assurance. We have no intention of using for censorship purposes our powers to control imports.