§ 88. Mr. Gibsonasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware of the practice in the cinema industry of restricting competition by barring certain exhibitors from showing current films and of the unfair position in which this puts small independent exhibitors; and whether he will promote legislation to protect the small exhibitors from this restrictive practice.
§ Mr. Walker-SmithI see nothing inherently unfair in a distributor's agreeing to give an exhibitor the exclusive right to exhibit a film in his area for a period. There is no element in this of a collective boycott and, therefore, my right hon. Friend sees no reason for legislation on this specific point.