Mike Graham clashes with John Mair over BBC licence fee
Labour is moving forward with plans to decriminalise non-payment of the BBC TV licence fee as experts say prosecutions disproportionately impact women.
This proposed reform will play a key role in the upcoming discussions between the government and the BBC on the renewal of the corporation’s royal charter.
Negotiations are expected to start in January.
A senior government source said: “The administrative burden of policing non-payment of the licence fee should not be falling on the taxpayer. It should be carved out. It’s not worth the hassle it creates.”
Labour to axe licence fee prosecutions that ‘unfairly penalises women’ (Image: Getty)
Currently, nearly 1,000 individuals are prosecuted every week for not paying the £169.50 annual fee, making it one of the most common offences in the UK, second only to motoring violations.
The disproportionate number of women facing prosecution has sparked concern, with women accounting for around 70% of those fined.
Lucy Frazer, the former Conservative culture secretary, said last year that prosecuting people for not paying the TV licence fee is “morally indefensible in modern times”
Human Rights Lawyer Cherie Blair said: “When you think that a third of all female convictions are for not paying their TV licence. It’s absurd.
“The cost of those women’s places in prison, the impact on their children, the fact that they’ll probably lose their accommodation — I mean, what is the sense in that?
“There is absolutely no sense in it whatsoever. I think, really, the solution is not to send so many women to prison. And it’s honestly as simple as that.”
In response to these concerns, a senior figure at the BBC has attempted to ease tensions, claiming the corporation has implemented an amnesty for vulnerable women to reduce prosecutions. However, the BBC has denied this, saying no such amnesty exists.
One insider did admit that the BBC has made a “conscious effort” to cut down on prosecutions, but cautioned that persistent non-payers will still face action. “We are busy helping people to avoid prosecution, but prosecutions will still happen. Without an enforcement mechanism, there is no system,” the source said.
