Agenda, decisions and minutes

To elect a Chairman for this meeting.

Nominations for a Chairman of the Licensing Sub Committee were sought and it was

Resolved:

To elect Councillor Allison Bucknellas Chairman for this meeting only.

To receive any declarations of disclosable interests or dispensations granted by the Standards Committee.

There were no declarations of interest.

The Chairman will explain the attached procedure to those present.

The Chairman explained the procedure to be followed at the hearing, as contained within the “Hearing Procedure Summary – Classification of Films” (Page 5 of the Agenda refers).

To consider whether to exclude the press and public from the meeting for the

business specified in Agenda item 5 in accordance with Section 100A (4) of the Local Government Act 1972 because it is likely that if members of the public were present there would be disclosure to them of exempt information as defined in paragraph 6b of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Act and the public

interest in withholding the information outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information to the public.

The Sub Committee were in agreement that the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of Agenda item 5 and duly

Resolved:

To agree that in accordance with Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 to exclude the public from the meeting for the business specified in Minute Number 5 because it is likely that if members of the public were present there would be disclosure to them of exempt information as defined in paragraph 6b of Part I of Schedule 12A to the Act and the public interest in withholding the information outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information to the public.

To consider and determine the classification that the film Marcello, Marcello should be given.  The Sub Committee will view the film and make its determination following this.  The briefing report of Linda Holland (Licensing Manager) is attached. 

Linda Holland (Licensing Manager) explained to the Sub Committee that a request had been received from Bradford-on-Avon Film Society to classify the film “Marcello, Marcello” which has been distributed around Europe but has never been put on release in the United Kingdom and so has not been given age certification by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC).

The Sub Committee Members present asked why the film needed to be classified to be shown in the United Kingdom.  Mrs Holland reported that as the film was intended to be shown to a public audience for a charge then the film must be classified.

The film was then shown to the Sub Committee Members with English subtitles.

At the end of the film viewing the Licensing Sub Committee:

Resolved:

That in relation to the film, “Marcello, Marcello”, to grant the film a PG classification for any public viewing in Wiltshire.

Reasons

Having viewed the film “Marcello, Marcello” in Part II private session on 15 October 2019, the Sub Committee took into account the British Board of Film Classification (UK) (BBFC) classification guidelines and unanimously agreed that the content should be subject to a PG parental guidance classification.  The Sub Committee noted that the film, which was a romantic comedy, contained only mild violence justified by its context and there was a brief reference to nudity with no sexual context.  There was no glamorisation of weapons such as guns, nor any focus on anti-social behaviour or drugs or discriminatory language or behaviour and only minimal use of mild bad language (which was in context).  There were no frightening sequences and no prolonged situations where the characters are in danger.

In reaching its decision the Sub Committee also took into account the relevant provisions of the Licensing Act 2003 and the Council’s agreed procedure for the classification of films which was approved in September 2019.