HL Deb 01 July 1959 vol 217 cc526-8
LORD AMWELL

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

[The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the procedure adopted by the Board of Film Censors in viewing screen plays; and if their attention has been called to the picture advertised The Mating Game.]

LORD CHESHAM

My Lords, the British Board of Film Censors is an independent body appointed by the film trade. It determines its own methods and standards, in consultation with the trade and with the local authorities who are responsible for licensing the public exhibition of films. I understand that the film referred to in the Question has been passed for universal exhibition.

LORD AMWELL

My Lords, may I ask whether it is possible to get an answer to a question? I asked about the method and what is done. Do the members of the Board view the pictures as a Board, or individually? Is that known? Do they take each picture separately? Can we have any details about that?

LORD CHESHAM

My Lords, I think I should make it clear that the procedure and the methods adopted by the Board of Film Censors are purely its own affair. The Board has nothing to do, in any shape or form, with the Government. I will, however, do my best; I do not want to be disobliging to the noble Lord. As I understand the position, the Board has examiners whose job it is to view the pictures individually, after which those which are passed are put in one or other of three categories: Category "U", denoting that the film is suitable for exhibition to people of any age; Category "A", which denotes that children under the age of 16 should not be admitted unless they are accompanied by, or within the charge of, a parent or some other person who has attained the age of 16; and Category "X" denoting that persons under the age of 16 years should not be admitted.

LORD AMWELL

My Lords, is there then no way in which the nation can deal with the constant glamorisation of lust, and is it a fact that this great and rich industry has descended to the level of pimps and panders? Can we do nothing about it?

LORD CHESHAM

It is the view of Her Majesty's Government, and has been the view of successive Governments, that the existing arrangement whereby it falls to local, authorities to license any particular film—which usually they do not do unless it has first a certificate from the Board of Film Censors—is quite adequate.

EARL WINTERTON

My Lords, may I ask my noble friend, disclosing my interest in the industry, whether he is aware—as, indeed, he has already pointed out—that this arrangement has lasted for a long time and has given general satisfaction; and that the film industry indignantly repudiates the charge which the noble Lord opposite has just brought against it?

LORD CHESHAM

My Lords, I was aware of that.

VISCOUNT ELIBANK

My Lords, may it be made clear that as this Board is an independent body Her Majesty's Government should not meddle with its procedure?

LORD CHESHAM

My Lords, I should perhaps have made clear that Her Majesty's Government have no intention of interfering with the procedure of the Board.

LORD AMWELL

My Lords, does that mean that the poster advertising the particular film I mentioned in my Question is not to be criticised by anybody and not to be dealt with at all? It is frankly pornographic—there is no doubt at all about that. To say that everybody is satisfied is not true. I never had so big a correspondence on this subject, or one so favourable to what I did, as when I raised this question the other day in this House. Surely something should be done about it.

LORD CHESHAM

My Lords, if the noble Lord wishes to refer to posters advertising films he should put down a Question about it. That matter does not arise from the Question on the Order Paper, because posters advertising things—films or anything else—are nothing whatever to do with the British Board of Film Censors.

LORD AMWELL

So I get no answer?