1955: Children and Young Persons (Harmful Publications) Bill introduced in UKtrello1955

“In the course of my studies of one of these delightful books the other day, I saw an advertisement on the back, which is the publishers' or the newsagents' advertisement—I am not sure which—and it said this: “Imagine—you are selling a nice line in Comfy Kiddies Komics and Dainty Dailies when a parcel of putrid patter slithers slimily in at the back door; you hold your nose and cut the string, and your reeking ration of horror has arrived.” That is a description of the publication by the people who are publishing it. They go further and say that if anyone who has not got a copy writes to the publishers, they will be very happy to supply one. Some of the wording is very funny, but I think this is a very serious thing. I have read it out simply to show that if we had any difficulty about deciding what it was, these gentlemen, the publishers, had none at all.” The legislation was passed into law after being signed off on by Queen Elizabeth. The same year India does the same.

🔗 api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1955/feb/22/children-and-young-persons-harmful