§ Mr. Paul MarsdenTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many pensioners have claimed free television licences in(a) Shrewsbury and Atcham and (b) Shropshire in each year since 1997.[93080]
§ Dr. HowellsFree television licences for the over-75s were introduced in November 2000, but no free licences were available prior to that date. TV Licensing, who administer the free licence scheme as agents for the BBC, are not able to provide geographical breakdowns of the number of free licences issued. However, estimates based on the 1991 Census indicate that there were approximately 6,500 people aged 75 or over living in the Shrewsbury and Atcham constituency, and 23,800 in Shropshire.