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Television: Licensing

Volume 508: debated on Wednesday 7 April 2010

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the percentage change was in (a) the cost of the television licence fee and (b) the number of licence fee payers in each year since 1997. (324384)

The percentage increase in the licence fee in each year is set out in the tables.

Level of colour licence fee (£)

Percentage increase

1997

91.50

1998

97.50

6.6

1999

101.00

3.6

2000

104.00

3.0

2001

109.00

4.8

2002

112.00

2.8

2003

116.00

3.6

2004

121.00

4.3

2005

126.50

4.5

2006

131.50

4.0

2007

135.50

3.0

2008

139.50

3.0

2009

142.50

2.2

2010

145.50

2.1

Level of black and white licence fee (£)

Percentage increase

1997

30.50

1998

32.50

6.6

1999

33.50

3.1

2000

34.50

3.0

2001

36.50

5.8

2002

37.50

2.7

2003

38.50

2.7

2004

40.50

5.2

2005

42.00

3.7

2006

44.00

4.8

2007

45.50

3.4

2008

47.00

3.3

2009

48.00

2.1

2010

49.00

2.1

The percentage increase in licence fee payers each year since 1997 is set out in the table.

Licence fee payers (excludes free licences to entitled persons introduced autumn 2000)

Percentage increase

1997

21,305,247

1998

21,722,714

2.0

1999

22,240,032

2.4

2000

22,625,387

1.7

2001

22,838,887

1.0

2002

23,157,215

1.4

2003

23,485,613

1.4

2004

23,898,749

1.8

2005

24,161,532

1.1

2006

24,418,757

1.1

2007

24,545,516

0.5

2008

24,740,047

0.8

2009

24,877,070

0.6