Lucy Frazer says ‘morally indefensible’ to jail TV licence defaulters
Threatening to ship TV licence defaulters to jail is ‘morally indefensible’, the Culture Secretary mentioned final night time.
Lucy Frazer’s hard-hitting feedback got here as she introduced a £10.50 rise within the annual price – far decrease than the rise sought by the BBC.
Writing completely within the Daily Mail, she put the company on discover with a pledge {that a} evaluate into its funding mannequin will ‘particularly have a look at the problem of legal prosecution of the licence price’.
It comes after a report revealed that almost 1,000 persons are prosecuted each week for not paying their licence price – making it the most typical crime within the nation, excluding motoring offences.
Concerns have been raised concerning the disproportionate variety of girls being pursued by the authorized system, with females accounting for 70 per cent of those that get fined.
Lucy Frazer’s (pictured) hard-hitting feedback got here as she introduced a £10.50 rise within the annual price – far decrease than the rise sought by the BBC
It comes after a report revealed that almost 1,000 persons are prosecuted each week for not paying their licence price – making it the most typical crime within the nation, excluding motoring offences. Pictured: The BBC headquarters at New Broadcasting House
Campaigners have been calling for a reform of the system for years, saying it discriminates in opposition to girls and the weak. Ms Frazer mentioned it was ‘one thing I personally really feel is morally indefensible in fashionable occasions’.
A Whitehall supply mentioned: ‘The funding evaluate will contemplate whether or not a licence price enforced with legal sanctions continues to be applicable.’
Ministry of Justice figures present that there have been 47,622 prosecutions and 44,106 convictions for failing to pay the tv licence within the 12 months to the tip of June 2022.
Nearly all circumstances are handled below the Single Justice Procedure. If the accused fail to reply to a letter saying they’ve been charged, the court docket merely rubber-stamps the responsible verdict and points a high quality of as much as £1,000. Anyone who refuses to pay the high quality may very well be jailed, based on the sentencing pointers.
Yesterday Ms Frazer mentioned the licence price will go up by £10.50 subsequent 12 months, somewhat than by the practically £15 the BBC had been anticipating. The present £159 cost will go as much as £169.50 in April. It signifies that as an alternative of a 9 per cent rise, the settlement is consistent with September’s 6.7 per cent charge of inflation. This follows a two-year-freeze on the quantity.
Ms Frazer additionally unveiled the main points of the extremely anticipated authorities evaluate into the BBC’s funding mannequin, which can have a look at alternative routes of paying for the broadcaster. The evaluate, which can embody a panel of specialists, will report again in autumn subsequent 12 months.
Many anticipate the licence price to be axed on the conclusion of the present constitution on the finish of 2027. Alternatives embody a subscription mannequin, a levy on broadband and promoting income.
Campaigners have been calling for a reform of the system for years, saying it discriminates in opposition to girls and the weak (Stock Image)
Ms Frazer mentioned the licence price rise was a ‘truthful deal’ which supplied worth for cash for the general public, however ensured the BBC can ‘proceed to provide world-leading content material’
Yesterday the BBC mentioned the diminished licence price improve would ‘require additional adjustments’ on prime of the ‘main financial savings’ it was already delivering, with content material budgets being ‘impacted’.
It mentioned it will ‘affirm the results’ within the coming months.
Ms Frazer mentioned the licence price rise was a ‘truthful deal’ which supplied worth for cash for the general public, however ensured the BBC can ‘proceed to provide world-leading content material’. She added: ‘We know household budgets are stretched, which is why we now have stepped in once more – following two years of licence price freezes – to cut back this 12 months’s improve to lower than a £1 a month.
‘But this settlement has highlighted different challenges confronted by the BBC with the altering media panorama making the battle for audiences extra aggressive and the variety of individuals paying the licence price lowering. This raises elementary questions as to sustainability of the present licence price system.
‘So we’re additionally launching a funding evaluate of the BBC that can take a forensic have a look at the licence price, and whether or not a reformed funding mannequin may higher assist our nationwide broadcaster to stay sustainable and reasonably priced for audiences whereas driving progress in our inventive industries.’ The BBC’s most up-to-date annual report confirmed the quantity shopping for a TV licence had dropped by 500,000 to 24.3 million – with individuals blaming the price of residing disaster and competitors from streaming companies corresponding to Netflix.
MPs raised considerations concerning the BBC’s impartiality after Ms Frazer introduced the licence price deal to Parliament. Tory James Sunderland mentioned he was ‘more and more involved’ concerning the ‘political bias’ that was ‘creeping in’ to its protection.
A BBC spokesman mentioned: ‘There is at all times a debate available about the easiest way to handle non-payment of the licence price, however based on newest figures no person is in jail for not paying it and prosecutions are down 66 per cent.
‘As we now have at all times made clear, TV Licensing’s goal is to assist individuals keep licensed and keep away from prosecution – which is at all times a final resort.’
