§ Mr. Andrew BowdenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what would be the total cost of allowing pensioner households currently holding a colour television licence to pay only a monochrome licence fee; and what would be the additional cost per licence for non-pensioner licence holders if this additional cost was met through increases in the licence fee.
§ Mr. RentonThe cost would be about £260 million a year in terms of revenue lost to the BBC, which would mean that other licence holders would have to pay about £22 more for their licences.
§ Mr. MarlowTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give the number of television licences and the number of households; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. RentonIt is estimated that there are about 22,150,000 households in the United Kingdom, the Channel islands and the Isle of Man. As at 31 May 1989 there were 19,440,211 television licences in force.