The BBC's Royal Charter contains a specific duty for the BBC Trust to ensure that the arrangements for the collection of the licence fee are efficient, appropriate and proportionate.
The Government provide no personal data to TV Licensing to aid in the detection and prosecution of licence evaders.
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has no plans to do so. For the reasons set out in the BBC Charter Review White Paper published in March 2006, the Government have no plans to extend the availability of free TV licences.
TV Licensing, who administer free television licences for people aged 75 or over as agents for the BBC, are not able to provide geographical breakdowns of the number of free licences issued. However, the number of households with at least one person aged 75 or over claiming the winter fuel payment in the Livingston constituency in 2005-06 was 3,480, according to Department for Work and Pensions records.
(2) which part of the UK the most TV licence evaders were caught in the last 12 months; and what percentage that figure represents of all households in that area;
(3) whether TV Licensing has access to data held by other Government departments to aid them in tracking licence evaders;
(4) whether TV Licensing has (a) identified and (b) applied more resources to the (i) areas and (ii) households that most consistently evade the television licensing authorities.
The BBC has statutory responsibility for the administration of the television licensing system and TV Licensing carries out the day-to-day administration under contract to the Corporation. I have asked the BBC’s Head of Revenue Management to consider the questions raised by the hon. Member and to write to him direct. Copies of the reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.