HL Deb 12 May 1986 vol 474 cc955-7
Lord Ashbourne

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

The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the position with regard to the implementation of the Video Recordings Act 1984.

Viscount Davidson

My Lords, Sections 9 and 10 of the Act are in force for works first sold, let on hire or offered for sale or hire to the public in video form after 31st August 1985. Those sections prohibit, subject to certain exemptions, the supply, offer to supply or possession for supply of unclassified works in video form. We intend to bring those sections fully into force in a series of stages up to 1st September 1988 as the backlog of older works is classified. The remaining provisions of the Act are fully in force.

Lord Ashbourne

My Lords, I thank the noble Viscount the Minister for his helpful reply. Perhaps I may ask him whether he will consider having a word with his right honourable friend in another place to see whether this whole process could not be expedited; because in practical terms until the Act is fully in force it is extremely difficult to walk into a video shop (if that is the right term) and evaluate exactly whether the proprietor is or is not breaking the law. It can be done, but only with a lot of research. May I ask the noble Viscount whether he will ask his right honourable friend to consider allocating possibly public funds, perhaps on a loan basis, so that the BBFC can employ more personnel to get this whole operation done more speedily?

Viscount Davidson

My Lords, I shall certainly convey my noble friend's remarks to my right honourable friend. It was necessary to allow some time for the backlog to be cleared by the British Board of Film Classification before the criminal provisions of the Act could reasonably be brought to bite on all video works. The board is making good progress and the timetable for implementation is on course. I have no reason to doubt that the board has sufficient resources to complete on time the work of classifying the backlog. It is of course open to it to take on additional staff if necessary.

Lord Mishcon

My Lords, when the Act came before the House as a Bill and met with all-party support, did we not have in mind in particular the nasties? Can the noble Viscount the Minister indicate to the House whether the Act has been implemented to the extent that those nasties are now no longer appearing and are under control?

Viscount Davidson

My Lords, I think that the noble Lord, Lord Mishcon, will be pleased to know that, according to reports from the police, most objectionable material has already virtually disappeared from the shelves of video dealers.

Lord Houghton of Sowerby

My Lords, may I ask the noble Viscount whether he has any information regarding the scale of newly-published videos which are requiring current attention? Is he aware that something like 9,000 new films for video are likely to come under review in the near future and that many more thousands represent the backlog? Is this not a task which to begin with was never foreseen in its magnitude and which cannot be accelerated with any pretence of looking carefully at the films to be classified?

Viscount Davidson

My Lords, I agree that it is a task of some considerable magnitude, and that is why the implementation of it has been phased in six-month periods, starting on 1st September this year and being completed on 1st September 1988. I understand that there are between 10,000 and 12,000 titles in circulation at the moment. The BBFC had already classified 2,816 works by 30th April 1986. I can only repeat that it is satisfied that it is on target and on course.

Lord Jenkins of Putney

My Lords, may I ask whether the noble Viscount the Minister is aware that later today we shall be discussing the pirating of copyright material and that video tapes are among the items which are regularly pirated? Does he know whether the process which is being gone through here will be of some assistance in ensuring that pirating, when it is carried out in this country, is perhaps reduced in future?

Viscount Davidson

My Lords, I am afraid that I cannot answer the noble Lord's supplementary question.

Viscount Ingleby

My Lords, may I ask the noble Viscount whether he has seen the extracts from some of these videos which Scotland Yard showed here at my request two years ago?

Viscount Davidson

My Lords, I have not, but I have heard about them and I think that they are of the type about which the noble Lord, Lord Mishcon, asked. As I said to the noble Lord, Lord Mishcon, according to the police, they have virtually disappeared from the shelves of video dealers.

Viscount Ingleby

My Lords, would the noble Viscount be willing to see them?

Viscount Davidson

Yes, my Lords.