Therapeutic Shock
Only a kind of collective amnesia can explain the sincere belief of Government and Opposition alike that the latest Cinematograph Film Production (Special Loans) Bill was a non-controversial measure, suitable to be put through peaceably on a Friday afternoon. A solitary Labour back-bencher, Mr. N. H. Lever, upset the general harmony and held up the Bill by a remarkable feat of Parliamentary pole-squatting. The athletic or, sporting aspect of Mr. Lever's performance should not draw attention away from its serious purpose, which he explained when the debate was resumed on Wednesday. He was not making a party attack. It was, indeed, his own party that started this method of financing commercial film produc- tion by Government loans, and Mr. Lever expressed his misgivings frankly then. It is just five years since the first Special Loans Bill for the film industry went through the Commons. Mr. Harold Wilson, who was its pilot, explained quite firmly that the loans must be repaid in five years and after that there would be no more lending; by then it must stand on its own feet. It was never easy to see how this could happen. Today there is no talk of the industry standing on its own feet, and the new Bill would not only extend the lending powers for another three years, but would permit the Film Finance Corporation to remit payments of principlil or Interest, accepting shares in the film companies instead if it thought fit, to avoid "harmful consequences to the production of films." If this goes through, the Government will not be getting out of the film business, it will be getting deeper in. If the Government is going into the film business permanently, it would be best to say so. Thought could then be given to the purpose for which this is being done.
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