§ Mr. Fallonasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the revised arrangements for the independent television levy will take effect; and what will be the rates of levy under those arrangements.
§ Mr. HurdWe intend to make the changes by means of the 1986 Finance Bill and to make them effective from 1 April 1986. However, levy will not be collected under the new arrangements until the new statutory provisions have been enacted. We propose that the standard rate of levy on ITV contractors' profits should be reduced from 66.7 per cent. to 45 per cent. and that the rate applying to profits from the provision of programmes abroad should be 22.5 per cent. We also propose to increase the value of the minimum "free slice" of profits which are not liable to levy from £650,000 to £800,000. This figure will be reviewed from time to time.