§ Mr. Pardoeasked the Postmaster-General if he will estimate the cost of charging retirement pensioners who do 217W not live in homes or homes provided by local authorities the same television licence fee as those who do; and if he will estimate the additional revenue to be obtained by charging the same licence fee for portable radios as is now charged for car radios.
§ Mr. StonehouseBecause the number of retirement pensioners who are members of households already licensed to receive television is not known no reliable estimate can be made. If all pensioners were given the suggested concession the cost would be over £20 million a year.
There is no record of the number of portable radios in use and so I am unable to make an estimate.