HC Deb 24 July 1969 vol 787 cc2108-10
10. Mr. Whitaker

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has now considered the Arts Council report on censorship; and if he will make a statement.

44. Mr. Waddington

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has received the report from the Arts Council working party proposing that the Obscene Publications Act and the comparable sections of the Theatres Act should be repealed for a trial period of five years; and what action he proposes to take in this matter.

Mr. Callaghan

I shall study the working party report with care but my present view is that, although there may be defects in the existing law, I shall need a great deal of convincing that repeal of the obscenity laws would be preferable, and I can see no prospect of time being made available for this purpose.

Mr. Whitaker

Whatever view one takes, would not my right hon. Friend agree that there is a good deal more emotional opinion on the subject than factual data? Does he not therefore agree that it would be sensible to carry out some research into the question whether certain literature does or does not corrupt anybody, before embarking on legislation?

Mr. Callaghan

I should certainly be very happy to see further research carried out into the matter, because I have indicated that I see no prospect of legislation this Session. Certain provisions of the 1964 Act are intended to cover authors, artists and dramatists. To the extent that they succeed in doing so my conclusion is that interference with the freedom of these artists and authors is minimal at present.

Mr. Waddington

Will the Home Secretary recognise that there is widespread concern in the country at the working party report; and that any change in the present law would be widely regarded not as a step towards a more civilised society but as a step further towards an unduly permissive society?

Mr. Callaghan

Different views are held on this subject. Everyone should read the report of the working party, be- cause it shows the illogicalities in the existing law. In this matter, I do not want to jump out of the frying pan into the fire. My own view is that, whatever the existing defects, repeal would make the situation worse from the point of view of the average person in the country.

Mr. Maclennan

Would not my right hon. Friend agree that the best control of licence in society is public taste? Will he look with favour upon any individual efforts at legislation which may give more scope to public taste?

Mr. Callaghan

If it represented public taste, I would, but I find that a very subjective question. On the whole, matters like taste seem to change from generation to generation.

Sir G. Nabarro

While expressing myself wholly in sympathy with the view of the Home Secretary, may I ask him to have some regard to the strongly expressed view of 60 of my hon. Friends and myself, and one right hon. Gentleman opposite, in Motion No. 407 on public decency and the Arts Council, placed on the Order Paper of the House during the last three days?

[That this House rejects the recommendations of Lord Goodman's working party of the Arts Council chat the statutes of 1959 and 1964 (Obscene Publications) and 1968 (Theatres) should be repealed; and calls for the reasonable safeguard of public decency inherent in these statutes to be retained.]

Mr. Callaghan

I shall be very happy to read that Motion in due course.