HC Deb 16 March 1970 vol 798 cc30-1
51. Mr. R. C. Mitchell

asked the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications to what extent the issue of television licences in the Southampton area has increased since his visit on 23rd February to inaugurate the local campaign against licence evasion.

Mr. Stonehouse

In the four weeks since 9th February when the first publicity appeared in Southampton, weekly sales of new television licences averaged 1,100 compared with 160 in the preceding weeks, an increase of 600 per cent. The extra revenue produced so far will be well over £17,500 each year.

Mr. Mitchell

Those are very startling figures. What conclusions does my right hon. Friend draw from them?

Mr. Stonehouse

I conclude that there were a lot of forgetful people in the Southampton locality. I am very glad that as a result of the campaign and the publicity they have been reminded.

52. Mr. Alfred Morris

asked the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications if he will make a statement on his official visit to Manchester in connection with the campaign against television licence evasion.

Mr. Stonehouse

I visited Manchester on 9th March to launch the counter evasion campaign, which included a mass drive by eight detector cars. First reactions show that new television licences taken out in the first two days were 1,454 compared with an average of 320 in a full week before the campaign started.

Mr. Morris

Can my right hon. Friend give any figures on the comparative incidence of evasion in the city of Manchester? Are we a good area or a had area in comparative terms?

Mr. Stonehouse

The experience in Manchester is similar to that in some of the other large towns. Evasion there is about 12 per cent. compared with about 6 per cent. for the United Kingdom as a whole.

Mr. Marten

Can the right hon. Gentleman explain why he has to visit the Labour constituencies to find out about evasion?

Mr. Stonehouse

I can assure the hon. Gentleman that I have had to visit Conservative ones as well. I do not think that we can make a political point about evasion, although I think that we can agree that it is a very good thing that at last something is being done about it.