§ Mrs. Ann WintertonTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the United Kingdom is meeting its obligations under the agreement and convention for the suppression of the circulation of obscene publications; and what steps he is taking to ensure future compliance. [30020]
§ Mr. BaldryThe 1910 agreement requires contracting states to designate an authority to co-ordinate information and communicate it, where appropriate, to the authorities in other countries. In the United Kingdom, the Home Secretary is the designated authority.
The 1923 convention encourages signatories to introduce domestic and import legislation to curb the trade in obscene publications. The UK meets its main obligations under the convention through the provisions of the Obscene Publications Acts 1959 and 1964 and the Customs Consolidation Act 1876.