§ Mr. Mikardoasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is satisfied with the present administrative arrangements for operating the old persons' home television licence scheme.
§ Mr. Merlyn ReesI have reviewed the old persons' home concessionary broadcast receiving licence scheme under the Wireless Telegraphy (Broadcast Licence Charges and Exemption) Regulations 1970 (SI 1970 No. 548) in relation to their application to dwellings provided for pensioners by local authorities, housing associations or development corporations in association with other accommodation or facilities intended for the common use of all the occupants.
I have decided to dispense with the requirements that, first, a warden employed to look after pensioners living in such accommodation must himself be 160W resident within the group of dwellings and, secondly, any other kind of communal facility provided for the pensioners must be within the boundary of the group of dwellings. In future, wardens resident, and other facilities situated, outside the boundary of a particular group of old persons' dwellings will be regarded as a common facility for this purpose so long as they are provided in association with the dwellings.
This change will take effect from today. I have also decided that those persons who are today living in accommodation which comes within the scope of the new arrangements for this concessionary licence for the first time, and who hold a current licence which was obtained at the full rate or at the blind persons' concessionary rate, will be eligible for a payment. The amount of this payment will be the cost of the licence held less 5p, which is the cost of the old persons' home concessionary licence with which it will be replaced.
I am arranging for this change to be brought to the notice of directors of social services and of the National Federation of Housing Associations and the development corporations so that they may consider the effect of this change on their dwellings. Old persons who think that they may now come within this extension of the concessionary scheme should approach their warden or the supervisor of the accommodation in which they live for advice as applications have to be made through the organisation responsible for the dwellings.
I am arranging for a copy of the revised leaflet about the concessionary scheme which is being issued by the television licensing organisation to be placed in the Library of the House.