Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Free TV Licences

Thursday 16 January 2020 · 1 question

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 0 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Government disappointed with BBC's decision on free TV licences for over-75s
  • Responsibility for the over-75 concession transferred to the BBC in 2015
  • Deal was intended to provide financial stability for the BBC

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Questions & Answers

Q1 Diana R. Johnson Lab Bosworth
Benefits & Welfare
Context

The BBC has restricted the free TV licence concession to those in receipt of pension credit, affecting many older individuals who rely on television.

Question

If she will make it her policy to maintain free TV licences for people over the age of 75. I am sure that when the Minister was knocking on doors in November, he was struck by the number of older people who were living on their own and relying on the TV for company. Four out of ten older people nationally do rely on television during the day and evenings.

Answer from Nigel Adams (Minister for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)

The Government are disappointed with the BBC's decision. However, we agreed a deal in 2015 where responsibility for the over-75 concession transferred to the BBC in June 2020. This was provided as financial stability for the corporation. The former shadow Secretary of State Tom Watson criticised this deal previously.

Answered
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