HC Deb 22 February 1979 vol 963 cc599-601
3. Mr. Stoddart

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will set up a departmental working party into the effects of scenes of violence in television programmes on society, and the influence which they have on the viewing public, particularly children and young people.

The Secretary of State for the Home Department (Mr. Merlyn Rees)

In response to the Government's White Paper on broadcasting, the BBC and the IBA have been reviewing their codes of guidance on violence and have set up their own working parties to advise them, in the light of available research. My Department has recently conducted, and published in 1977, a wide-ranging research study on "Screen Violence and Film Censorship", a copy of which is in the Library of the House. The available research also includes the study by Dr. Belson, published last year, on "TV Violence and the Adolescent Boy".

Mr. Stoddart

I thank my right hon. Friend for that reply. Is he aware that I am very disappointed that he has not set up a high-level working party in his Department? Is he also aware that, judging from a recent reply that I received from the chairwoman of the IBA, the working parties do not seem to be working very well? Does he accept that the balance of evidence now shows that the disgusting scenes of violence on television are increasing the tolerance of violence in society and encouraging the aping of violence among the young? Will he reconsider his position and set up an urgent inquiry?

Mr. Rees

I indicated to my hon. Friend that research has been done. I shall willingly help in any way. The problem is that I believe it has been proved that violence on television does have this effect. I am not sure whether I need more advice in that regard. What matters now is what the BBC and IBA do about it.

Mr. Cormack

Will the right hon. Gentleman give a little more urgency to this matter? His hon. Friend the Member for Watford (Mr. Tuck) has a motion on the Order Paper that has been signed by hon. Members in all parts of the House. Can we have a ministerial reaction to that?

Mr. Rees

It is on the same subject, as to whether one could grade films that are shown on television in the same way as films are graded for the cinema. The difference is that control in the home is different from control in the community, and is something that can be done only by the head of the household.

Mr. Cryer

Does my right hon. Friend accept that as a first step at least feature films on television could carry the BBFC grading that is operated for cinemas? Surely it seems a bit ludicrous to have censorship indication for cinemas but no indication at all for films shown on television. Could not that suggestion, which I made more than two years ago, be adopted?

Mr. Rees

I shall certainly put it to the BBC and the IBA. But it is still a fact that notification outside a cinema leads to those who control the cinema controlling people who move in and out on the basis of age. I shall put that suggestion to the authorities, but it is a fact that the use of television in the home is rather different from paying to go to the cinema.

Mr. Whitelaw

I agree with the right hon. Gentleman that we do not need any more inquiries, because they tend only to delay the action that is required. Does he also appreciate that if this House tells the governors of both the BBC and IBA that they must act now—and we believe that they should do so—they then must respond to our request?

Mr. Rees

I do not know that they have to, but we can bring that matter to their notice. There are schemes in the legislation for the BBC and the IBA that I believe would help us in monitoring, or whatever the word is.