§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications whether, as a means of combating the television licence evasion which is now prevalent, he will examine the possibility 472W of making a special tax payable on television tubes equivalent to £6 per annum of the average life of the tube, and pay this money over to the British Broadcasting Corporation in place of the present licensing system.
§ Mr. ChatawayI have considered and rejected this suggestion. The proposed tax would add considerably to the cost of buying or renting and maintaining television sets, and would be bound to affect the trade adversely. The system would be complex to administer. The revenue would depend on the actual life of the tubes. The incidence of contributing to the B.B.C.'s revenue might fall unfairly on some viewers if replacement were necessary within the average life, whereas less revenue would accrue if the actual life significantly exceeded the average life of the tube. Moreover, the revenue could fluctuate year by year and would not provide a sufficiently reliable basis for the B.B.C. to plan its future expenditure.