The B.b.c. and Censorship

from Pat Jordan When an official from the Soviet Embassy complaied about the Penkovsky papers being published in this country he was blandly told: "We have no. censorship here," However, it would appear that this claim rests on a rather insecure base, Early next month, Mr. William Hamilton, Labour MP for West Fife is to ask in the House of Commons how many times has the Postmaster=General used his power under Section 44 of the Licensing . Agreement, in the last year, to stop certain items from being broadcaste, The question has arisen because of press reports that pressure from Whitehall has stopped the showing of a television film, "The War Game," The most informative of these reports appeared in the November 14th Sunday Times. By Cal McCrystal, the report stateds "Mr, Peter Watkins, producer. of the controversial television film, "The War Game," who resigned from the BBC last month suspects that the Home Office played a part in the suppression of his film, He told me last week that he has asked the Corporation to name the non-BBC personnel who viewed the film privately on September 24, but so far has received no reply. Last week, the Home Office stated “The War Game, which is about a nuclear atfack on Britain was seen privately 'by a Home Office representativet in the BBC viewing theatre. 'This was on the invitation of the BBC,' the spokesman said, ‘but it is up to them to name the representative,!" The report concluded: "As far back as autumn of last year,.when Huw Wheldon (then head of TV documentaries) told Watkins he could start research on "The War Game", there was doubt whether the film would ever be screened. Watkins said: 1 was to start research on the assumption that I might not get the final go-shead,! At’ the beginning of April this year, he was told he could start filming, but was again warned that the film might not be transmitted, The Home Office apparently.- had misgivings about the project even in the research stages 'In January or February,' said Watkins, ‘I went to the Civil. Defence department of the Home Office and discussed the matter with three peoplee One of them implied that the making of the filn was immoral,!" We are only given hints as to what the authorities found objectionable in the film. However, it is pretty clear that one of the things which caused uneasiness was Mr. Watkins graphic realism. ‘Translated into practical terms this amounts to a political censorship, the Home Office doesn't want it brought home to people just how right the CND is when it points out, the. absolute futility of civil defence in the nuclear age.