§ After Clause 14 insert the following new clause:
§ Applicant for registration of film to give certain statutory undertaking
§ ". Section 9 of the Films Act 1960 shall be amended by adding at the end the words:—
§ ' (8) The applicant for the registration of a film shall at the same time as he makes an application under this section furnish to the Board of Trade a statutory undertaking to the effect that he has either given or offered or offered to sell at cost price to the National Film Archive of the British Film Institute a positive print of the film.'"
§ The Commons disagreed to this Amendment for the following Reason:
§ Because the Amendment raises questions which are considered irrelevant to the purposes of the Bill.
§ BARONESS PHILLIPSMy Lords, I beg to move that this House doth not insist on the Amendment to which the Commons have disagreed. Noble Lords will have read the debate which took place in another place and will have noted that there was general agreement to the principle underlying the Amendment moved in this House by the noble Lord, Lord Willis. However, the Government are unable to accept the Amendment, for two main reasons. First, this Bill, which deals with the support which the Government give to the commercial side of the films industry, is not the proper place for measures dealing with the deposit of films in the Archive. In addition, there are defects in the Amendment itself which render it unworkable. These matters were very fully debated in another place, and I will not weary the House by going into the details now.
874 Secondly, acceptance of the Amendment would involve extra demands on public funds, which the Government cannot contemplate at the present time. Assurances have been given in another place—and I should like to repeat them now—that positive action is being taken by the right honourable lady the Minister of State for the Arts to explore further the practical issues, with particular reference to the possibility that costs should be shared by the film industry, the television industry and the British Film Institute. Having received these assurances, may I ask the House to accept my Motion? I beg to move that this House doth not insist on the said Amendment, with which the Commons have disagreed.
§ Moved, That this House doth not insist on the said Amendment with which the Commons have disagreed.—(Baroness Phillips.)
§ LORD DRUMALBYNMy Lords, I should have thought that the original mover of this Amendment might have been here to give his thanks to the noble Baroness, but as he is not, on behalf of the whole House I should like to thank her for the statement she has made and the consideration that has been given to this matter. I think that at any rate the spirit of what we were trying to do has been achieved: and with that I would not demur from the Commons decision in this matter.
§ On Question, Motion agreed to.