HC Deb 17 October 1989 vol 158 cc18-9W
Mr. Winnick

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the representations he has received regarding the further restrictions on the availability of the concessionary television licence fee for pensioners.

Mr. Renton

Since the changes in the regulations in May 1988, we have received visits from four hon. Members1, and 311 letters, 168 of them from hon. Members, about aspects of the concessionary TV licensing system. The nature of each is not separately recorded, but the main points raised were whether the scheme should be extended to ordinary housing, the treatment of new residents of schemes which no longer qualified and whether the circumstances of individual housing schemes fitted the new regulations. 1 The figure of five hon. Members given in the answer of 3 July 1989 at column 19 to the question from the hon. Member for Oldham, West (Mr. Meacher) was unfortunately incorrect, and I am writing to the hon. Member.

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