TNAG-1689-FCO40-2339-Hong-Kong-legislation-regarding-the-control-of-publications--1987 — Page 251

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NOTE ON THE GOVERNOR'S WITHOLDING OF ASSENT (AND SUBSEQUENT REFUSAL TO ASSENT) TO THE BRITISH CINEMATOGRAPH FILMS ORDINANCE 1946

IN MAY 1946 THE HONG KONG DISTRIBUTORS FOR BRITISH FILMS (EAGLE-LION DISTRIBUTORS LTD.) DREW THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT'S ATTENTION TO WHAT THEY REGARDED AS UNFAIR COMPETITION FROM AMERICAN FILM DISTRIBUTORS. THE AMERICANS HAD ALLEGEDLY A NEAR MONOPOLY OF ENGLISH-LANGUAGE FILMS SCREENED IN HONG KONG. THE U.K. DISTRIBUTORS POINTED OUT THAT U.K. HAD INTRODUCED A QUOTA SYSTEM WHEREBY U.K. CINEMAS WERE COMPELLED BY LAW TO DEVOTE 30% OF THEIR SCREENING TIME TO FILMS MADE IN BRITAIN. THEY ALSO CITED THE EXAMPLE OF MALAYA WHERE THE 'MILITARY GOVERNMENT, BY EDICT' HAD RULED THAT EVERY 'FOREIGN-STYLE CINEMA IN MALAYA WAS OBLIGED TO ASSIGN 'SEVEN DAYS OUT OF EVERY SEVENTY OF THEIR PLAYING TIME TO THE SCREENING OF BRITISH FILMS.

2. ON 20 JUNE 1946 THE EAGLE-LION DISTRIBUTORS LTD. SENT THE HKG A COPY OF THE BRITISH MILITARY ADMINISTRATION, MALAYA'S GAZETTED LEGISLATION FOR A QUOTA SYSTEM FOR BRITISH FILMS. THE MALAYAN GAZETTE NOTICE HAD BEEN PUBLISHED ON 15 MARCH 1946. IT REQUIRED EXHIBITORS TO SCREEN A SPECIFIED QUANTITY' WAS THE SCREEN- ING OF BRITISH FILMS FOR SEVEN DAYS IN EVERY QUOTA PERIOD OF

SEVENTY DAYS.

3. ON 24 JUNE 1946 THE HK GOVERNOR SENT A SAVINGRAM TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES, SEEKING THE LATTER'S VIEWS ON A PROPOSAL TO INTRODUCE PROVISIONS SIMILAR TO THOSE IN MALAYA INTO HONG KONG AND ASKING WHETHER THE S FOR S WOULD WISH TO SEE THE RELEVANT DRAFT LEGISLATION IN ADVANCE OF ITS CONSIDERATION BY THE

LEGISLATURE.

4. ON 16 JULY 1946 A SAVINGRAM WAS RECEIVED FROM THE S FOR S WHICH INDICATED THAT NEITHER HE NOR THE BOARD OF TRADE WOULD HAVE ANY OBJECTIONS TO HONG KONG TAKING STEPS SIMILAR TO THE MALAYAN ONES. THIS SAVINGRAM WAS NOT IN RESPONSE TO THE GOVERNOR'S SAVINGRAM OF

24 JUNE.

5. ON 31 JULY 1946 THE GOVERNOR AUTHORIZED THE DRAFTING OF LEGISLATION FOR A QUOTA SYSTEM FOR BRITISH FILMS ALONG THE LINES OF

THE MALAYAN PROCLAMATION OF MARCH 1946

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