Supporting Local Cinemas

EDM number 459 in 2004-05, proposed by Sarah Teather on 10/01/2005.

That this House welcomes Time Out magazine's campaign to support local and independent cinemas in London; notes research by the Greater London Assembly's Culture committee showing that 13 London boroughs have no or only limited access to cinemas compared to the national average; further notes the growing concentration of cinema exhibition and ownership in the UK, with multiplex venues accounting for 71 per cent. of cinema screens in 2003 compared to 10 per cent. in 1988, 37 per cent. in 1995 and 57 per cent. in 1999; believes that these trends have restricted access to the cinema for many people and the choice of films on offer to cinema goers, with 9 out of 10 films screened in Outer London cinemas coming from the United States; believes that this is particularly regrettable in a multicultural city such as London, which would benefit from the wider distribution of a greater diversity of films in different languages; further believes that local cinemas make an important contribution to the economic and social vitality of local communities and to social inclusion; and therefore calls on Her Majesty's Government to reform planning law to remove cinemas from the use class category D2 (Leisure) so that any change of use involving a cinema building requires planning permission, and to amend the Local Government Finance Act 1988 to allow local authorities to provide business rate relief to local cinemas.

This motion has been signed by a total of 46 MPs.