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sorry it has taken a while to reply...

The BBFC is an independant non-governmental body.

In the UK the Cinemas Act 1985, which consolidates the 1909 and 1982 Cinematograph Acts covers cinema exhibition.
Part of this Act places a duty on the Local Authority to ensure that no premises is used for exhibition to children without the Authority's consent, and with any special conditions that they may require, for example, more attendants.

Statutory power concerning film licencing remains with the Local Authorities, being those in control of a particular Town/City, rather than State.

as Local Authorities dont have the time or the staff to view and certificate every film released it is normal for the BBFC certificates to be used, and this is normally written into the general conditions of the cinema licence.

If the Local Authority decides that a particular film may be unsuitable it will arrange for a group of Councillors and Council Officials, known as a Watch Committee, to view the film to decide on its suitability.
This committee may decide that the film is unsuitable to be shown at a particular certificate, and that a higher classification may be used, or that the film is not suitable to be shown at all.

I've been working for my Local Authority for the past fourteen years in its Arts Centre, and I've only ever had one film 'Romper Stomper' which had an '18' certificate, viewed by the watch committee, and they decided that it was suitable to be screened as an '18' film.

As a Local Authority cinema I have to obey the letter of the law, so that accusations of favouritism cannot be slung about...

I have had people who work as Trading Standards Officers, who's job it is to ensure that children under fifteen cannot buy '15' certiticate films in stores amongst other things ask if it is okay for their eleven year old son to see a '15' certificate film, hence the original comment...

As an aside, we did once have a Mrs Edwards contact us to find out if her sixteen year old son Jason could come and see Peter Greenaway's 'Drowning By Numbers' which had an '18' certificate. Jason had starred in the film, lived locally and had seen the film at its premiere. On inquiring, we were told we could let him in as a guest of the cinema, but couldn't sell him a ticket, as he was under age...