HC Deb 25 October 2001 vol 373 cc358-9W
Pete Wishart

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what income the BBC raised in the last 12 months from licence payers in Scotland; and how much of this is spent on the production and broadcasting of television and radio programmes in Scotland. [10098]

Dr. Howells

The BBC income and budgets are calculated for the financial year. In the financial year 2000–01, the total licence fee income from television licence fee payers in Scotland, minus approximately £10 million collection costs, was £195 million.

BBC Scotland's budget income for the same period breaks down as follows:

£ million
Specific television and radio services for Scotland 68.1
Scottish productions for network TV 35.1
Scottish productions for network Radio 3.4
Co-production/Gaelic Broadcasting Funds 13.8
Total 120.4

The projected budget for BBC Scotland in 2001–02 is £140 million, and in 2002–02 is £160 million.

Scotland also benefits, of course, from the programming which the BBC provides across the UK as a whole.

The costs of transmitter operations, which are paid for centrally by the BBC, are not included. The budgets for independent production companies commissioned by network television and radio on behalf of BBC Scotland are included, but the costs of independent companies commissioned by the networks for their own productions are not included.