§ Dr. KumarTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many older people will receive free television licences(a) in the UK and (b) in Middlesbrough, South and Cleveland, East. [16435]
§ Dr. HowellsApproximately 3.2 million people who previously paid the full television licence fee and 475,000 people who previously paid a £5 concessionary licence fee currently benefit from free television licences for the over-75s. TV Licensing, which administers this concession for the BBC as Licensing Authority, is not able to provide geographical breakdowns of the number of free licences issued. However, estimates based on the 1991 Census indicate that there were approximately 4,800 people aged 75 or over in the Middlesbrough. South and Cleveland, East constituency.