Open Government

[emperor]

It seems that the UK screwed up, and so the Video Recordings Act 1984 is currently unenforceable (and will be for 3 months, while we formally notify the EU). The Minister for Culture and Tourism, Barbara Follett MP, wrote to the Director of Public Prosecutions, Keir Starmer QC, telling him this, and advising him to try and suppress this information. Wikileaks has the letter here.

ETA Beeb article

Comments

[mhoulden.livejournal.com]

If Mary Whitehouse was alive today she'd be spinning in her grave. Or something.

I'm surprised the (old) EEC needed to be formally notified. It's not as if the video nasties moral panic was low profile and I thought they might have noticed. I vaguely remember it myself and I was 5 when the video recordings act was passed. I can even just about remember going to a video rental place at the time, although I was just interested in cartoons.

[emarkienna.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the link - I knew about the Video Recordings Act balls-up, but wasn't aware of the letter.

Heaven forbid, adults might end up seeing something they shouldn't!

[rustica.livejournal.com]

*snicker*

[(Anonymous)]

It's obviously mad that failure to notify the European Commission should render an Act of Parliament unenforceable, but what exactly is wrong with trying to keep a lid on that while the situation is sorted out, in order to avoid people taking advantage of a loophole caused by an adminstrative error?

Would you prefer that the government shouted from the rooftops, 'for three months you can sell any videos you like to anyone you like'?

S.