§ Dr. CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has available on evasion rates of television licences, including any information on the numbers of black and white licences purchased instead of colour, by region or by local authority areas.
§ Mr. RentonIt is estimated that in the United Kingdom as a whole there are about 1.4 million households with television but without a licence, and in addition about 400,000 households with colour television and a monochrome licence. Figures by region or local authority areas could not be obtained without disproportionate effort. In terms of lost revenue this represents an evasion rate of about 9 per cent.