Free Television Licences (Hansard, 7 November 1991)

§ 7. Mr. Skinner
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will now introduce free television licences for pensioners; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Peter Lloyd
As I have made clear to the hon. Member on the many previous occasions on which he has asked this question, we have no plans to introduce free or concessionary television licences for all pensioners. That would be a crude and non-selective instrument of social policy costing £470 million a year. It would benefit many pensioners who can well afford the fee and would mean that other licence holders would have to pay £116 for their colour licence.

§ Mr. Skinner
This Tory Government are a hard-hearted bunch. Have not we reached a pathetic state of affairs when, as a result of the 1988 decision, 75-year-old widows in warden accommodation cannot have a free television licence, yet others who are younger might receive it because they qualified before 1988? Now, with all their claptrap about citizens charters, the Government have had the BBC send to every Member of Parliament letters carrying the Tory party propaganda that they cannot allow pensioners to have a free television licence. They should be ashamed of themselves.

§ Mr. Lloyd
Not merely does the hon. Gentleman ask the same question each time; he asks the same supplementary. The only difference this time is that arrangements have been made for the BBC to collect the licence fee, but the rules are precisely the same as they were when they were collected by the Government. The hon. Gentleman ought to bear it in mind that the rules are very clear. It is possible for local authorities to organise their elderly people's accommodation provision in such a way as to gain the concessionary licence. The benefit should be given to those who are most in need of it. We have concentrated the money that the hon. Gentleman would give to pensioners, whether they need it or not, into the income support rates of those who are worst off. That is the correct, fair and just way to do it.

§ Mr. Hind
Does my hon. Friend accept, however, that among pensioners, particularly those who took up residence in sheltered accommodation after 1988, there is a real fear of injustice, in that some of them have to pay the full licence and some of them do not? I hope that my hon. Friend will look at that problem, together with the BBC licence as a whole. Pensioners are aware that they do not have to pay for ITV or any other channels but that they are called upon to pay for BBC television programmes. My hon. Friend should look at the licence as a whole.

§ Mr. Lloyd
We are going to look at the whole question of BBC financing and the licence fee in the run-up to the renewal of the charter.

§ Mr. Salmond
Will the Minister reconsider the point made by the hon. Member for Bolsover (Mr. Skinner)? Is the Minister aware that Members of Parliament, and anybody else with two homes, need only one television licence to cover both homes, the assumption being that they are not watching television simultaneously in both homes. Will the Minister therefore announce a concession: 563 that all old age pensioners should be given the right to watch television without having to pay for a television licence?

§ Mr. Lloyd
I do not believe that the hon. Gentleman correctly states the law. No doubt a BBC inspection van will be visiting him.