HC Deb 25 October 1993 vol 230 cc568-9
16. Mr. Bennett

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what percentage of viewers have a valid television licence in the United Kingdom (a) as a whole, (b) in Scotland, (c) in Northern Ireland, (d) in Wales and (e) in England.

Mr. Sproat

I understand from the BBC that the percentage of viewers with a valid television licence, as at 31 March this year, is estimated to be, for the United Kingdom as a whole, 92.3 per cent.; for Scotland, 92 per cent.; for Northern Ireland, 69.7 per cent.; for Wales, 92.7 per cent.; and for England, 92.9 per cent.

Mr. Bennett

I thank the Minister for those figures. I am sure that he appreciates that many of my constituents would be horrified if there were any thought of BBC programmes being interrupted by advertisements; at the same time, however, many of them—particularly pensioners—feel considerable resentment about the present licence fee system.

Will the Minister ensure that further investigations are carried out into new ways of financing the BBC? The figures suggest that some people in some parts of the United Kingdom are not paying the licence fee—indeed, that that is widespread—and that, in many cities elsewhere, individuals are cheating on the system. That is not fair on the pensioners who must pay the full amount.

Mr. Sproat

The hon. Gentleman has made an important point. It has been estimated that £173 million a year is lost through evasion of the fee. That is a substantial sum, and reinforces the hon. Gentleman's point. I certainly undertake to examine the matter again, although I cannot undertake to say that we will cut the licence fee for pensioners.

Mr. Fabricant

If my hon. Friend is considering alternatives to the licence fee, will he note that, when Michael Grade gave evidence to the Select Committee on National Heritage only last week, he said that allowing advertising on the BBC would mean the end of Channel 4? Will he also note that, when Nigel Walmsley came along —he is the managing director of Carlton and the former managing director of Capital Radio—he said that it would also mean the end of ITV and independent radio? There is not the advertising money to go round.

Mr. Sproat

As my right hon. Friend said in answer to a previous question, we are aware of those beliefs. I am grateful to my hon. Friend for giving me the details, and I assure him that they will be taken into account.

Mr. Trimble

I have been advised to preface my question by saying that I have paid my licence fee.

Does the Minister have any explanation for the remarkable discrepancy in the figures? In other parts of the United Kingdom, 92 per cent. of licence fees have been paid, while in Northern Ireland the figure drops to below 70 per cent. Does the Minister agree that the figures reinforce the general impression which already exists among the licence payers of Northern Ireland that certain republican areas are immune from any effort to enforce the licence?

Mr. Sproat

The Northern Ireland figures are, as the hon. Gentleman rightly says, shockingly different from those elsewhere in the United Kingdom, and they may be a result of terrorist activity. I will draw his remarks to the attention of my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

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