§ Mr. RowlandsTo ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage when she plans to introduce regulations amending the television licence concessionary scheme. [10644]
§ Mr. DavidsonTo ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage when she plans to bring forward new consolidated television licensing regulations. [10664]
§ Mr. SproatAs I indicated on 3 December 1996, in my reply to the hon. Member for Sunderland, South (Mr. Mullin),Official Report, column 588, the Government intend that new, consolidated television licence fee regulations will come into force from 1 April 1997. In accordance with the Government's undertaking during the passage of the Broadcasting Act 1996, these regulations will include an amendment to address the anomalous situation where the residents of a sheltered housing scheme, which meets all the other qualifying criteria, fail to qualify for concessionary television licences because a small number of units within the scheme were purchased under the right-to-buy provisions before the accommodation was designated as sheltered 4W many statutory instruments were introduced during the same period; and how many of the latter were (a) deregulatory and (b) fee orders. [9365]
§ Mr. Sproat[holding answer 17 December 1996]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Member for Langbaurgh (Mr. Bates) on 17 December 1996, Official Report, column 492.