Written question asked by Chris Ruane (Labour) on Thursday, 19 April 2012, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 23 April 2012. It was answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot (Conservative) on Thursday, 26 April 2012 on behalf of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

Television

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what recent assessment he has made of (a) the system for rating television and films in respect of violent content and (b) arrangements for monitoring that system; and whether he plans to commission a formal review of that system.

Answer: No assessment has been made. The rules on media content standards are the responsibility of media regulators that are independent of Government. It is these regulators who assess the sort of material that is appropriate for different audiences. In relation to broadcasting, Ofcom is responsible for maintaining standards to protect children and the wider public from harmful material. Ofcom's Broadcasting Code therefore includes specific requirements to protect people under 18. Within this framework, it is the broadcasters' job to make judgements about what individual programmes should contain and the time at which they are broadcast.The statutory powers for controlling access to cinema films lie with local authorities. They are generally guided by the age ratings awarded by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC).

Secondary information