§ Mr. Thorpeasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what would be the cost, in loss of revenue to the Post Office, of extending the 5p cheap television licence to all pensioners with television 848W receivers; and if she will make a statement on current Government policy.
§ Mr. Alexander W. LyonI have been asked to reply.
About £40 million.
As my right hon. Friend said in his reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Sowerby (Mr. Madden) on 5th August, as a result of a study carried out on this subject, the Government does not propose to extend the present concession. The matter has been drawn to the attention of Lord Annan's Committee on the Future of Broadcasting.—Vol. 897, cc. 149–50.)