§ Sir W. de FRECEasked the Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department if his attention has been called to the refusal of the Metropolitan police authorities to permit the filming of the Chiswick fire brigade in ordinary dry practice drill; whether he is aware that this suggested filming was approved by the local council and not objected to either by the residents of the street in which it was to take place, far away from all main traffic; and whether he will, in the interests of the British film industry, state why this facility was refused when on a recent occasion permission was given to an American film firm for photographing in Trafalgar Square?
§ Mr. BRIDGEMANI am informed that a film company attempted to reproduce a fire scene on a derelict house in Chiswick. They started operations without getting the sanction of the police; the roadway was soon completely obstructed, and finally, as a result of warnings from the police that an offence was being committed, the project was abandoned. I am told that the Chiswick Urban District Council, when agreeing to allow the fire brigade to take part, stipulated that the film company should obtain the approval of the Commissioner of Police to the arrangements. There is no comparison between this case and the arrangements made for a film scene in Trafalgar Square, where the conditions were not such as to cause obstruction or danger to the public.