Agenda item - Film Classification

Report of Assistant Director of Public Safety (copy attached).

RESOLVED – that the licence application for films be granted.

21.1    The Licensing Manager, Ms J Cranford, presented a report on Film Classification to the Committee and noted that at present there was no formal process to classify films without a British Board of Film Classification certificate being shown within the city. This report was to recommend a procedure for the issuing of classifications by Brighton and Hove City Council as the Licensing Authority.

21.2    Concern was raised by a Member of the Committee that the procedure recommended that only the Chairman or Deputy Chairman of the Licensing Committee would be consulted on sensitive cases, and asked that the process be amended to include the full Committee in these instances as this would be more democratically representative.

21.3    The Chairman noted however the logistical problems of arranging a full Committee to view a film as the department only ever received one copy and that copy would typically have to be returned within a couple of days. It was also noted that the department wanted to avoid accusations of censorship, and needed a process that was as streamlined as possible.

21.4    RESOLVED – to agree the procedure for issuing a classification for a film to be exhibited in Brighton and Hove.