§ Mr. Adleyasked the Secretary of State for Trade by what criteria the National Film Finance Corporation decides to provide assistance towards the production costs of British films; and if he is satisfied that these criteria have been met, in the light of films selected for assistance by the National Film Finance Corporation, in the last two years.
§ Mr. DellUnder the provisions of the Films Act 1970 the National Film Finance Corporation may make loans to persons who, in the judgment of the Corporation, have4W
reasonable expectations of being able to arrange for the production or distribution of films on a commercially successful basis.Within these statutory limitations the criteria used for selecting films are a matter for the Corporation, and I have no reason to believe that the Corporation has acted otherwise than in accordance with the statute.
§ Mr. Adleyasked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will list the films for which the National Film Finance Corporation has provided finance in the last three years, together with a comment, on each film, as to the actual financial outturn at the box office, compared with the estimated outturn on which the National Film Finance Corporation funding was based.
§ Mr. DellThe films are: "Akenfield"; "The Man Who Fell to Earth"; "Bugsy Malone"; "Sam and the River"; "The Romantic Englishwoman"; "Overlord"; "Duel Blade"; "The James Dean Story"; "Lisztomania"; "At the Earth's Core"; "Jabberwocky"; "The Duellists"; "The Disappearance"; "Black Joy"; and "Tarka the Otter". The criteria by which loan applications are judged are matters for the NFFC within its statutory limitations. The individual earnings of films are regarded as commercially confidential information by the NFFC, with disclosure being a matter for the individual producers.
§ Mr. Adleyasked the Secretary of State for Trade what, if any, representations he has received from sectional interests in the film and cinema industry, concerning representation on the National Film Finance Corporation; and if he proposes to make any changes in the composition of the National Film Finance Corporation.