§ Mr. PaiceTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what sanctions are available to him to ensure that details of television purchases provided to the BBC for licensing enforcement are not used for commercial purposes; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Peter LloydUnder section 180 of the Broadcasting Act 1990, responsibility for the issue and renewal of television licences passed to the BBC on 1 April 1991. The right to use the records existing before 1 April for television licensing purposes was transferred to the corporation by deed of gift laid before the House on 8 March. Its use of those records for any other purposes would need my prior approval. However, subject to the provisions of the Data Protection Act 1984, it is for the BBC to decide what use to make of the records created since it became the statutory licensing authority.