The BBC has statutory responsibility for the administration of the television licensing system and TV Licensing carries out the day to day administration under the contract to the Corporation. I have therefore asked the BBC’s Head of Revenue Management to consider the question raised by the hon. Gentleman about the number of letters issued by TV licensing which threaten legal proceedings and to write to him direct. Copies of the reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
However, the free-standing figures for the number of people proceeded against and found guilty at all courts for offences relating to television licence evasion in the last five years are in the following tables.
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 Orkney and Shetland 4 0 0 2 4 The Highlands and Islands 123 53 86 89 124 Scotland 2,185 1,181 1,747 2,606 2,856 England and Wales 96,470 110,158 93,896 115,623 139,194
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 Orkney and Shetland 4 0 0 2 4 The Highlands and Islands 122 53 83 89 122 Scotland 2,131 1,137 1,725 2,594 2,806 England and Wales 83,738 96,587 79,855 97,752 119,341
The figures for Northern Ireland are not available.