§ Mr. ChopeTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what will be the cost of administering the free television licence scheme in 2000–01; and how the cost is to be funded. [113130]
§ Janet Anderson[holding answer 6 March 2000]Estimates of the cost of administering free television licences for people aged 75 or over have still to be finalised. The cost will be met from public funds, via a payment from the Department of Social Security to the BBC.
§ Mr. EnnisTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the number of families in Barnsley East and Mexborough who will benefit from the introduction of free TV licences for households with a member aged 75 years or over. [112980]
§ Janet AndersonThis information is not available. 1991 Census information is out of date and no household survey has a sample size sufficient to make reliable estimates of qualifying households at a constituency or local authority level.
§ Mr. ChopeTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what is his estimate of the(a) number and (b) percentage of households in (i) Northern Ireland, (ii) Wales (iii) Scotland and (iv) England that are evading payment of the television licence fee. [113024]
§ Janet Anderson[holding answer 3 March 2000]The BBC, as Licensing Authority, estimates evasion principally on a UK-wide basis and estimates of evasion by country cannot be produced on the same basis or to the same level of accuracy. All estimates relate to licensable 605W premises rather than households. As at 31 March 1999, the latest date for which figures are available, the estimated evasion figures were:
(a) (b) Estimated evasion (number of licensable premises)1 Estimated evasion (percentage) Northern Ireland 148,000 24.2 Wales 93,000 7.7 England 957,000 4.9 1 Estimates calculated by applying the estimated percentage evasion rate to the estimated number of licensable premises
§ Mr. ChopeTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if a household exempt from having to pay for a television licence from November by virtue of including a pensioner aged 75 years or over will be required to hold a licence document. [113020]
§ Janet Anderson[holding answer 3 March 2000]Yes. The provision of free television licences for people aged 75 or over will be a concession, not an exemption from the television licensing requirements. This will preserve the traditional structure of the television licensing system which is one of the safeguards of the BBC's independence.