§ Mr. WigleyTo ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what consideration he has given to alternative sources of revenue for the BBC other than licence fees; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. BrookeOur consultation document on the future of the BBC, published in November 1992, invited views on a number of possible alternatives to the licence fee. The Government's conclusions will be set out in the White Paper that we plan to publish shortly.
§ Mr. WigleyTo ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what is the total licence revenue of the BBC arising from those purchasing licences in(a) England, (b) Northern Ireland, (c) Scotland and (d) Wales; and what proportion of the total income of the BBC is represented by revenue derived from television licences.
§ Mr. BrookeBBC licence fee income for 1992–93 was £1,597.7 million. This represented 87 per cent. of total BBC income in 1992–93. Figures for television licence revenue by country are not available. However, the number of television licences in force by country as at 31 March 1993 was:
Number England 16,869,000 Northern Ireland 338,000 Scotland 1,724,000 Wales 1,066,000
§ Mr. WigleyTo ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what assessment has been made by his Department of the value for money provided by the BBC to its viewers, in relation to the cost of a television licence and to the services provided by other networks.
§ Mr. BrookeWe appointed independent consultants, Touche Ross, in mid-1993 to advise on the level of the television licence fee from 1994–96. The study, as well as examining the BBC's progress in pursuing efficiency measures, included comparisons of the BBC's performance and staff costs with those of commercial broadcasters. A copy of the management summary of the study is in the Library. I announced the Government's decision on the future level of the licence fee on 4 November 1993 at columns309–10.