§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what is Her Majesty's Government's policy on index linking the television licence fee to maintain its value; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. DorrellAs announced by my predecessor on 4 November 1993,Official Report, columns 309–10, the Government's policy, in the light of a study by independent management consultants, Touche Ross, is to link increases in the television licence fee to the retail prices index for the remaining years of the BBC's current royal charter, that is, until the end of 1996.
§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what would be the cost of free television licences to all pensioners.
§ Mr. DorrellIf free television licences were made available to all pensioners, regardless of their means, the cost to the BBC, in terms of lost licence fee revenue, is currently estimated at £510 million.
§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what representations his Department has made 1295W on the subject of concessionary television licences in warden-aided accommodation being available to some and not to others; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. DorrellAs indicated in the White Paper "The Future of the BBC", published on 6 July 1994, the Government have considered the possibility of reviewing the concessionary television licence scheme, as recommended by the National Heritage Select Committee. We have, however concluded that any attempt to remove the perceived anomalies of the scheme would most likely only have the effect of creating fresh ones. The Government therefore have no plans for any changes in the concessionary regulations.