§ Mr. KirkwoodTo ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage (1) if he will set out the reasons used by the National TV Licence Records Office for withdrawing a full concessionary TV licence entitlement from Richmond Row sheltered housing complex in Jedburgh; and if he will make a statement;
(2) what recent representations he has received about the operation of the current rules governing eligibility for full concessionary TV licence schemes; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. BrookeUnder section 180 and schedule 18 of the Broadcasting Act 1990, responsibility for the administration of the television licensing system, including determining eligibility for concessionary licences in individual cases, passed to the BBC with effect from 1 April 1991. Any questions about specific schemes should therefore now be directed to the secretary of the BBC, and it would be inappropriate for me to comment on particular cases. Since the establishment of the Department of National Heritage in April last year, we have received 107 letters from hon. Members and 178 letters from members of the public about the operation of the concessionary licence scheme.