§ Mr. CoxTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many people living in the London Borough of Wandsworth will benefit from the introduction of a free television licence for a person aged 75 years or over. [131952]
§ Janet AndersonTelevision licences cover households rather than individuals. Figures for the number of households which will benefit from the concession are not available. However, the 1991 Census County Report Series, published by the Office for National Statistics, shows the population of the London Borough of Wandsworth as 252,425 of which 2.10 per cent. were men aged 75 and over and 4.47 per cent. were women aged 75 and over.
§ Mr. WillettsTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to his answer of 2 May 2000,Official Report, column 21W, if he will provide a breakdown of the £23.4 million cost of administering the concessionary television licence scheme for people aged 75 years and over. [131655]
§ Janet Anderson[holding answer 24 July 2000]: The estimated costs of administering free television licences for people aged 75 or over in 2000–01 are £24.3 million rather than £23.4 million as stated in my reply to the hon. Member of 2 May 2000, Official Report, column 20W, a transposition error for which I apologise. £3.3 million of these costs represent a carry over of set-up costs incurred in 1999–2000.
These costs will be met by the Department of Social Security, via payments to the BBC. The BBC is responsible for the administration of the scheme and has advised that a detailed breakdown of these costs is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost and by diverting resources which would otherwise be devoted to the successful implementation of the scheme.