HL Deb 25 March 1986 vol 472 cc1385-6WA
The Earl of Selkirk

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will give figures showing the increase in television licences from 1950 to the present.

Lord Glenarthur

The number of general form television licences in force in February this year was 18,644,766, of which 15,971,443 were colour and 2,693,323 monochrome. The number of licences in force at 31st March each year from 1950 to 1985 was:

Year Monochrome Colour Total
1950 343,882
1951 763,941
1952 1,449,260
1953 2,142,452
1954 3,248,892
1955 4,503,766
1956 5,739,593
1957 6,966,256
1958 8,090,003
1959 9,255,422
1960 10,469,753
1961 11,267,741
1962 11,833,712
1963 12,442,806
1964 12,885,331
1965 13,253,045
1966 13,567,090
1967 14,267,271
1968 15,068,079 20,428 15,088,507
1969 15,396,642 99,419 15,496,061
1970 15,609,131 273,397 15,882,528
1971 15,333,221 609,969 15,943,190
1972 15,023,691 1,634,760 16,658,451
1973 13,792,623 3,331,996 17,124,619
1974 11,766,424 5,558,146 17,324,570
1975 10,120,493 7,580,322 17,700,815
1976 9,148,732 8,639,252 17,787,984
1977 8,098,386 9,957,672 18,056,058
1978 7,099,726 11,049,192 18,148,918
1979 6,249,716 12,131,445 18,381,161
1980 5,383,125 12,901,740 18,284,865
1981 4,887,663 13,779,548 18,667,211
1982 4,293,768 14,260,552 18,554,220
1983 3,795,587 14,698,648 18,494,235
1984 3,261,272 15,370,481 18,631,753
1985 2,896,263 15,819,674 18,715,937