Concessionary Television Licences (Hansard, 19 November 1998)

§ Mr. Jenkins
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) what plans he has to amend the current concessionary television licence scheme for pensioners living in sheltered accommodation; [60392]
(2) what assessment his Department has made of the appropriateness of the current level of concessionary television licences for pensioners living in sheltered accommodation. [60391]

§ Mr. Wigley
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will make a statement on the review of legislation relating to BBC funding with particular reference to concessionary licences for disabled people and pensioners. [60422]

§ Janet Anderson
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced details of the review of BBC funding on 14 October. It will cover a number of closely defined issues, including the structure of the current concessionary television licence scheme and possible alternative arrangements. The review panel will make recommendations to my right hon. Friend by the end of July next year, after which we shall consult on the panel's findings.

§ Mr. Jenkins
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) how many pensioners in sheltered accommodation with an on-site warden qualified for a concessionary television licence in(a) 1988 and (b) the last year for which figures are available; and how many claimed their entitlement in each of these years; [60389]
(2) how many pensioners in sheltered accommodation have had their concessionary television licence withdrawn as a result of the removal of the on-site warden in each of the last 10 years. [60390]

§ Janet Anderson
TV Licensing records total membership of the scheme but cannot provide detailed breakdowns between pensioners and beneficiaries, or between recipients in sheltered housing and those in other qualifying accommodation (i.e. residential homes). Nor is information available on the number of people who are entitled to the concession but fail to apply, though the numbers are likely to be minimal. Approximately 629,000 units of accommodation were covered by a concessionary television licence in December 1988, compared with 644,000 in October 1998.