Overview

This bill increases the accountability of the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) to Parliament and introduces an appeals process for its decisions. It also increases penalties for distributing illegal video recordings.

Description

The bill makes several key changes:

• Parliamentary Scrutiny of Appointments: Parliament will scrutinize appointments to senior BBFC positions. The BBFC must provide a list of candidates to the Home Affairs Committee, and the Secretary of State cannot appoint someone the Committee deems unsuitable.
• Appeals Body: An independent appeals body will be created to hear appeals against BBFC classifications and decisions. This body will consist of a randomly selected jury of 12 from a panel of independent individuals, with decisions made by majority vote. The appeals body must consider public concerns about violence and the sexualisation of children. Results of all appeals must be published.
• Parliamentary Scrutiny of Guidelines: The BBFC must submit its guidelines to the Home Affairs Committee for approval before implementing them or revising them.
• Increased Penalties: Penalties for offences related to supplying and possessing unclassified or illegally classified video recordings will be significantly increased. Fines for other offences will also be increased from a “level 5 on the standard scale” to set monetary amounts (£10,000 or £20,000).

Government Spending

The bill will likely lead to increased government spending on the establishment and operation of the appeals body and associated administrative costs. No specific figures are provided in the bill text.

Groups Affected

• BBFC: Increased accountability and scrutiny of its processes and decisions.
• Film Industry: Potential changes to classification processes and increased penalties for non-compliance.
• Home Affairs Committee: Increased responsibilities in scrutinizing BBFC appointments and guidelines.
• Individuals: Increased opportunities for appealing BBFC classifications and harsher penalties for those distributing illegal video recordings.
• Public: Increased transparency and public involvement in the film classification process.

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