The Joint Committee on Theatre Censorship, which had been set up in 1966, published its report on 19 June 1967. The report disagreed with the Lord Chamberlain that pre-censorship was needed to protect the Royal Family and other distinguished persons from offensive attacks on stage. The report concluded that all forms of pre-censorship should cease and recommended that the theatre should be allowed the same freedom of speech subject to the requirements of the criminal law which generally applied to other forms of art in the country. The licensing powers of the Lord Chamberlain were to be abolished and would not be replaced by any other form of pre-censorship, national or local. At a meeting of the Cabinet's Home Affairs Committee following the publication of the report, it was proposed that the main recommendations should be accepted by Harold Wilson's Government and this decision should be announced in Parliament. Theatre censorship was finally abolished in 1968, with the passing of the Theatres Act.