asked the President of the Board of Trade what representations he has received from the Film Selection Committee about the exhibition of films showing the Olympic Games; and what action he has taken under Section 5 of the Cinematograph Films Act, 1948.

No application under subsection (2) of Section 5 of the Cinematograph Films Act, 1948, has so far been made to the Board of Trade in respect of any such film, and indeed it could not effectively be made until the film had been completed and registered as a British film. There has, therefore, been no reference to the Film Selection Committee and no recommendation from them.

But is the hon. Gentleman not aware that it has already been announced that a film of the Olympic Games will be shown only in very small extracts of not more than three minutes in newsreels or in stills, and that the major film circuits have boycotted the long film which is now being made whilst the Games are being played? Is not that a scandalous abuse of their monopoly powers, and will not the President of the Board of Trade compel them, with the powers that he has, to show this important film in Britain?

I should make it clear that nothing can be done until the film is in this country and registered as a British film. In any case, it should not be assumed that the United Kingdom exhibitors will refuse to show films that are made of the Olympic Games.

Is this not a matter that calls for further consideration? In view of the fact that the Games are being held in a British Commonwealth country and that the Duke of Edinburgh opened them, ought there not to be the maximum publicity in the Commonwealth and in the rest of the world? The Government really ought to give it more serious attention.

Very serious attention has been given to the matter, but nothing can be done under this Section until the film is in this country and registered as a British film.