HC Deb 11 December 1946 vol 431 c242W
118. Mr. Driberg

asked the Secretary of State for Air the average age of films shown for the entertainment of airmen stationed in Saigon; and if he will take steps to secure a supply of more modern films than some of those shown recently.

Mr. P. Noel-Baker

Sixteen months from the date of general release at home. Part of this delay is due to the fact that special 16 millimetre prints have to be made and sent out to the Far East. The R.A.F. Cinema Corporation is now negotiating new renting contracts with the film industry and hopes to improve the cinema service throughout the Air Force

121. Mr. Teeling

asked the Secretary of State for Air if he will explain why, up to the middle of this month, in spite of his assurance to the hon. Member for Brighton to the contrary, films were being shown at the R.A.F. station, Sharjan in Iraq, which had previously beer shown there only six weeks before and airmen are expected to pay for this service twice over; and if he has taken any further steps to put the matter right.

Mr. P. Noel-Baker

Neither my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State nor I has ever given any assurance that the same film may not sometimes be shown twice at the same station. We are short of new films, and we have sometimes to choose between showing the same film, and showing none at all. As I have just indicated in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Maldon (Mr. Driberg), we are doing all we can to improve our cinema service.