The requirement to hold, and pay for, a TV Licence is set out in the Communications Act 2003 and the Communications (Television Licensing) Regulations 2004.<\/p>
Parliament approved the BBC assuming the role of the TV Licensing Authority in 1991, and under the Communications Act 2003, the BBC is authorised to collect and enforce the Licence Fee by law on the government's behalf.<\/p>
The TV licence fee was administered under the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1949 until the passage of the 2003 Act.<\/p>
The Ministry of Justice currently publishes the number of prosecutions, convictions and sentencing outcomes for the non-payment of TV licence fees annually as part of their criminal justice statistics quarterly publications, which can be viewed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/criminal-justice-statistics-quarterly<\/a><\/p> Figures for each year since 2005 up to 2021 are available in the Outcomes by Offence data tool, and can be found in the following tables:<\/p> 2017-2021: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1076459/outcomes-by-offence-tool-2021-v2.xlsx To view the relevant figures in these tables, select \u2018191A Television licence evasion\u2019 in the Offence filter.<\/p> The number of people convicted for TV licence evasion in the years between 1992 and 2004 can be found in the attached tables. Table 1 sets out the number of convictions for television licence evasion in this period under the Communications Act 2003. Table 2 sets out convictions for offences against the Wireless Telegraphy Acts, 1949 to 1967 in the same period. While television licence evasion was an offence under the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1949, the figures in Table 2 may include other offences under the specified Acts.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4647", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Julia Lopez"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Hornchurch and Upminster"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Julia Lopez"}
, "attachment" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1523393/answer/attachment/1", "fileName" : {"_value" : "PQ 65608 table final.pdf"}
, "title" : "Table outlining information sources "}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2022-10-24", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "true", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "previousAnswerVersion" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1523393/answer/previousversion/26685", "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4647", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Julia Lopez"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Hornchurch and Upminster"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Julia Lopez"}
}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2022-10-24T16:37:09.993Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
], "questionFirstMinisteriallyCorrected" : [{"_value" : "2022-10-25T16:09:44.037Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "10"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Digital, Culture, Media and Sport"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Digital, Culture, Media and Sport"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2022-10-18", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Television Licences: Non-payment"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many people were convicted for not paying their TV license under the provisions of the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1949 since 1992.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/411", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr Barry Sheerman"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Huddersfield"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mr Barry Sheerman"}
], "uin" : "65608"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1360275", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1360275/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " For the Public Lending Right (PLR) Scheme year 2019/20, PLR payments were made to 20,911 registered authors in the United Kingdom. The British Library, which administers the PLR Scheme on behalf of the department, does not maintain a record of payments to authors by country of residence in the United Kingdom.<\/ins><\/p> <\/strong> <\/p> <\/p> The government is committed to delivering lightning-fast, reliable broadband to everyone in the UK. \u2018Project Gigabit\u2019 is ambitious, challenging and central to how we build back better. Our plan - to stimulate investment, bust barriers and drive competition - is working. We are on track for one of the fastest rollouts in Europe and for 60% of all households to have access to gigabit speeds by the end of the year. It is a huge leap forward from 2019, when it was 9%.<\/ins><\/p> <\/p> We are backing Project Gigabit with £5 billion so hard to reach communities are not left out - starting to level up now, not waiting for the end of the commercial rollout, and building on the half a million rural homes and businesses already given coverage through our support.<\/ins><\/p> <\/p> As part of Project Gigabit we are funding up to £210 million worth of vouchers over the next three years to help with the costs of installing gigabit to people\u2019s doorsteps and up to £110 million to connect up to 7,000 rural public buildings such as GP surgeries, libraries and schools. All premises not covered through these measures or through commercial coverage will be in scope for new Project Gigabit contracts.<\/ins><\/p> <\/p> According to Thinkbroadband (http://labs.thinkbroadband.com/local/E14000958<\/a>) 99.61% of premises in Southport currently has access to superfast broadband - up from 23% in 2011. On top of this, 19% also have access to Gigabit speeds. So far, 9 gigabit connection vouchers have been issued in the Southport area with a value of £19,600. Eligibility of other premises for vouchers can be checked at https://gigabitvoucher.culture.gov.uk/ <\/a><\/ins><\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4361", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Matt Warman"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Boston and Skegness"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Matt Warman"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2021-05-26", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "true", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "previousAnswerVersion" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1315662/answer/previousversion/2742", "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4361", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Matt Warman"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Boston and Skegness"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Matt Warman"}
}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2021-05-26T10:02:45.91Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
], "questionFirstMinisteriallyCorrected" : [{"_value" : "2021-05-27T14:48:37.277Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "10"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Digital, Culture, Media and Sport"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Digital, Culture, Media and Sport"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2021-05-18", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Broadband: Southport"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to increase broadband speeds in Southport.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4669", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Damien Moore"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Southport"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Damien Moore"}
], "uin" : "3136"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1289556", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1289556/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " Since the start of the first lockdown, we\u2019ve provided a range of targeted measures to see the UK tourism sector through COVID-19. On top of the Government\u2019s wider economic support package, we've provided business rates relief and grants for many in the sector, as well as a substantial cut in VAT for tourism and hospitality activities until the end of March. The Chancellor will deliver the Budget on 3 March, in which he will set out the next phase of our plan to tackle the pandemic and build back better.<\/p> <\/p> We recognise that heightened travel restrictions are significantly impacting international tourism and we are closely monitoring the situation. We will continue to engage with stakeholders via the Tourism Industry Council to assess how we can most effectively support the sector\u2019s recovery.<\/p>
<\/a>2016: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1063880/outcomes-by-offence-2020-revised.xlsx
<\/a>2005-2015: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/524326/cjs-outcomes-by-offence.xlsx<\/a><\/p>The Public Lending Right Act 1979 provides a right for authors, known as the \u201cpublic lending right\u201d, to receive payments from a central fund for the loan of their books to the public by local library authorities. The central fund is provided from government grant-in-aid, and the PLR Scheme is administered for DCMS by the British Library.<\/del><\/p>The PLR Scheme sets out how to calculate the payments that authors can expect to receive from the central fund and this is calculated, and recommended to the government, by the British Library using the number of \u2018notional loans\u2019 of their books from public libraries in the UK. The PLR Scheme sets out a maximum payment threshold per author of £6,600 and the minimum level for authors to receive payments is £1.<\/del><\/p>
<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4407", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Nigel Huddleston"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Mid Worcestershire"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Nigel Huddleston"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2021-10-20", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "true", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "previousAnswerVersion" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1360275/answer/previousversion/25187", "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4407", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Nigel Huddleston"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Mid Worcestershire"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Nigel Huddleston"}
}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2021-10-20T09:23:49.287Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
], "questionFirstMinisteriallyCorrected" : [{"_value" : "2021-10-22T10:13:38.82Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "10"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Digital, Culture, Media and Sport"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Digital, Culture, Media and Sport"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2021-10-15", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Public Lending Right"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many authors received compensation through the Public Lending Right in (a) Wales, (b) Scotland, (c) Northern Ireland and (d) England in 2019.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4630", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Ben Lake"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Ceredigion"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Ben Lake"}
], "uin" : "57257"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1315662", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1315662/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "The Government is working with mobile operators and suppliers to build an open, flexible, and diverse telecoms supply market, following the recommendations of the Diversification Taskforce, published on 20 April on GOV.UK<\/a>.<\/del><\/p>The Taskforce recommendations are helping to guide our approach delivering the Diversification strategy, including its central pillar of attracting new suppliers. The Government is designing a programme of targeted R&D to level the playing field for smaller suppliers, and we continue to consider all options.<\/del><\/p>Suppliers are themselves taking positive steps to support this agenda and a number of smaller suppliers have already announced new research facilities in the UK.<\/del><\/p>