HL Deb 06 July 1966 vol 275 cc1060-1

2.31 p.m.

LORD INGLEWOOD

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

[The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many cases have been discovered over the last three months, or other convenient period, of radio or television sets installed in domestic premises or in motor cars for which the appropriate licence has not been taken out.]

LORD SORENSEN

My Lords, I regret that I cannot give the information in exactly the form desired, but of 4 million households of which inquiries were made in 1965 some 285,000 which should have had licences for radio or television were found to be without them. No figures are available for car radios. Perhaps I may anticipate a supplementary question by informing the noble Lord that it has been estimated, quite independently, that approximately 1,800,000 licences have been evaded, and that this amounts to a loss to the B.B.C. of approximately £10 million per year.

LORD INGLEWOOD

My Lords, while thanking the noble Lord for anticipating one of my supplementary questions, may I ask him whether he is satisfied that those responsible are in fact becoming more efficient at detecting these people who evade paying their licence duty? Because it really is not fair to the large majority of honest people to know that there is this great number evading the law, almost with impunity.

LORD SORENSEN

My Lords, I am sure we all appreciate the observations of the noble Lord, and the Postmaster General himself is very well aware that the procedures for enforcing the licence fee system need to be supplemented. That is why he is overhauling the Department's present procedures and is considering what new measures might be adopted, including the possibility of enlisting the help of dealers. Might I, further to that, assure the noble Lord that the Government are considering ways of associating dealers with the enforcement of the licence fee system, and that, in addition, the Postmaster General is doubling the number of television detector cars?

LORD PEDDIE

My Lords, may I ask my noble friend whether Her Majesty's Government have considered the possibility of having the licence fee paid at the time when the purchase of the radio, particularly if it is a car radio, is made?

LORD SORENSEN

Indeed, my Lords; that is exactly what I suggested in the reply which I gave to the noble Lord, Lord Inglewood.

LORD INGLEWOOD

My Lords, might I ask the noble Lord one more supplementary question? Will he suggest to his right honourable friend the Postmaster General that an effective way of getting on top of this problem might be that when a set is found to have no licence it should be confiscated?

LORD SORENSEN

I will convey those sentiments to the Postmaster General.

BARONESS SUMMERSKILL

My Lords, could my noble friend say whether it is found generally that the defaulters come from the lower-income groups, or, is this distinction not observable?

LORD SORENSEN

My Lords, I have no information of a precise nature to give the noble Lady, but, for myself, I assume they come from all sections of the community.