§ Mr. Meadowcroftasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what are the guidelines governing seizure of imported books by Her Majesty's Customs and Excise; and when they were last reviewed;
(2) if he is satisfied that the current guidelines have in all cases been followed by staff of Her Majesty's Customs and Excise in respect of seizure of obscene or indecent property; and if he will initiate and publish the results of a review of current practices;
86W(3) whether the criteria for seizure of imported books applied by Her Majesty's Customs and Excise ensures non-discrimination on grounds of sex and sexuality.
§ Mr. HayhoeThe guidelines governing the seizure of imported books are necessarily general but the main considerations are the explicit portrayal by descriptive text or pictorial means of sexual activities or of extreme violence other than in a sexual context and they are nondiscriminatory on the grounds of sex and sexuality. The guidelines are under constant review so as to reflect contemporary standards as determined by the courts.
As I am not aware of any cases where they have not been followed by Customs and Excise staff I do not regard it necessary to institute a review of current practices.
§ Mr. Simon Hughesasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether Her Majesty's Customs and Excise retain an index of titles which they are authorised to seize.
§ Mr. HayhoeNo. Such an index could be misleading because the content of a book might change following say, a new translation or the issue of a bowdlerised version. Each edition of a book has to be considered in the light of the most recent court rulings.