HC Deb 15 December 1977 vol 941 cc902-4
21. Mr. Madden

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received about the introduction of a scheme whereby all retired people living alone are eligible to either a free or a half-fee television licence.

30. Mr. Edwin Wainwright

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations he has received on the granting of concessionary television licences to elderly citizens who are living on their own and are not under the coverage of a warden's system.

Mr. John

Representations have been received this year from two hon. Members and from several members of the public suggesting television licence concessions for pensioners living alone. The Government are currently considering the question of licence concessions in the light of the Annan Committee's recommendation that no further concessions should be introduced.

Mr. Madden

Can my hon. Friend confirm that the hierarchy of the British Broadcasting Corporation is clamouring for what it calls a substantial increase in the licence fee? Does he agree that if that came about it would represent a substantial burden on the shoulders of many retired people living alone? Is it not high time that these people were given either a free television licence or a half-rate licence?

Mr. John

What the BBC clamours for—as my hon. Friend puts it—and what the Home Secretary judges to be a proper basis for television licensing may well be different things. The Annan Committee studied this matter and came to the conclusion that no further concessions should be introduced. Such a concession would have an implication in respect of licence fees for all other people.

Mr. Henderson

Would not the Minister consider a system similar to that for motor vehicle licences, where people who give up the use of a television set during the period of a year should be entitled to a refund for the remainder of that year? Is he not aware that this causes considerable annoyance to people when it happens?

Mr. John

Yes, I am well aware of that, but this question arises in particular not out of concessions to elderly people but more generally. It has been found impracticable to introduce such a system at the moment, but we are continuing to give it thought.

Mr. Alexander W. Lyon

The Annan Committee could be wrong about the television licence. Is it right to go on with a poll tax of this kind which is increasing in size very considerably and bears heavily on the poorest part of the population? Cannot BBC revenue come out of taxation?

Mr. John

Nothing that I suggested was meant to imply that I believed that the Annan Committe ewas infallible. That is why we are studying its findings with such care. We want to sift out those recommendations which we believe ought to be implemented from those that ought not. But when the Annan Committee studied this matter with care it came to the conclusion that revenue should continue to be raised by a licence fee.