27 JANUARY 1950, Page 5

This week's report of the Select Committee on Estimates on

the activities of the Arts Council shows once more how valuable a body the Select Committee is. Of the many features of its report brie is of particular interest here, for I have repeatedly protested against the aegis of the Arts Council being thrown over plays like Tobacco Road and Streetcar Named Desire, which, thanks to that, are exempted from entertainments duty. On these subjects various members of the committee uged language stronger than I have, and the committee finally recommended that "the Arts Council be not associated any longer with the remission of entertainments duty " ;

and that "general phrases such as 'In association with the Arts Council of Great Britain' should no longer be used." These are eminently sensible recommendations, and it can hardly be imagined that the Chancellor of the Exchequer will fail to comply with them.