§ 4 and 5. Mr. Swinglerasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will set up a committee to investigate the system whereby, under the Cinematograph Films Acts, a trade organisation and local authorities at present censor films, to consider whether such censorship is necessary or desirable, and to make recommendations on legislation;
(2) if he will set up a committee to investigate all forms of censorship now existing in the United Kingdom, and to make recommendations on legislation.
§ Mr. R. A. ButlerI am not convinced that such an inquiry would serve a useful purpose.
§ Mr. SwinglerWould the Home Secretary study the article by Mr. Derek Hill in Encounter, of which I delivered a copy to him and which, I believe, he will realise constitutes a prima facie case for investigation in this sphere? In view of the concern about horror films and the abuse of the X certificate, the anomaly of continuing censorship of cinemas and having no censorship of television, and in view of the ridiculous farce of so-called censorship of plays, surely the time has come to have some form of general inquiry about the future of censorship in the country?
§ Mr. ButlerI do not accept that the office performed by the Lord Chamberlain is a farce, because latterly it has been considerably liberalised, I think with some success. I would not suggest that we could find a more logical or efficient way of doing it, however illogical it may appear. I certainly have read the article in Encounter. It leaves the need for some form of censorship as an open consideration. It considers also that censorship is necessary for children. Therefore, on the whole, the non-statutory form of censorship at present exercised for the films is probably as good as we can get. As regards T.V. that raises a separate consideration.
§ Mr. SwinglerIt certainly raises a separate consideration. It is completely illogical to have a situation in which films are shown on television without any form of censorship, whereas an elaborate trade system of censorship is maintained in the cinemas. Without pre-judging this question, would it not be a good idea to have some objective-minded people examine this system and the necessity and desirability of continuing it in future?
§ Mr. ButlerI am not persuaded that an inquiry would be advisable, but that is not to say that I would ignore the representations made by the hon Gentleman.