The Labour MP for North Ayrshire and Arran has called for action against the way TV Licensing terrorises innocent individuals by sending them threatening reminder letters.
A TV licence is only required by those properties where equipment is used or installed to receive TV programmes at the same time as they are broadcast to other members of the public.
Katy Clark tabled a parliamentary question on the subject following complaints from non-viewing constituents about the way TV Licensing continued to send them threatening letters, despite being informed about their no-TV status.
TV Licensing sends an average of 100,000 of the intimidating letters every day, despite the BBC acknowledging that at least 80% of the recipients have no legal need for a TV licence.
TV Licensing sends an average of 100,000 of the intimidating letters every day, despite the BBC acknowledging that at least 80% of the recipients have no legal need for a TV licence.
Speaking about the subject on her website, Katy said: "I appreciate that those responsible for TV Licensing do an important job and it goes without saying that all those who require a TV License should purchase one. I am however concerned that at present the language which is used in letters sent by TV Licensing to households without televisions can be inappropriate.
"Often those who do not have a TV Licence are either elderly or vulnerable people for whom receiving a letter threatening legal action can be a distressing experience. There should be a simple way for households without televisions to register that fact with TV Licensing and then should any further correspondence be necessary it can be conducted in a much more considerate tone than at present."
Ed Vaizey MP, the Liberal Democrat Minister for Culture, Media and Sport, provided the following response to Katy's question: "TV Licensing is responsible for all operational decisions regarding enforcement of the licence fee, including correspondence. Any changes to the enforcement regime, including outcomes from the TV Licence Fee Enforcement Review, would need to be considered as a part of the review of the BBC's Royal Charter."
2 comments:
I note a second person has decided to sue the BBC/TVL over their unpleasant letters.
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/tv_licensing_successfully_sued#comment-56877
Is there any other organisation that sends out a letter threatening legal action against an unnamed person ('Legal Occupier') when they have no evidence whatsoever? They don't know or care if the recipients of their letters are elderly or vulnerable or how much stress they cause.
"There should be a simple way for households without televisions to register that fact with TV Licensing and then should any further correspondence be necessary it can be conducted in a much more considerate tone than at present."
People DON'T need to "register" for anything if they have no need for it. This whole nonsense of these letters could be put to an end if the licence was made an OPT IN system instead of an OPT OUT one. We've said it many times before, everything is more or less in place, but NO ONE will do a damned thing to make that change. It's all about keeping things the same. The things Katy Clark has said is evidence of that. Until the licence fee is made OPT IN, NOTHING WILL CHANGE. The letters will still flow and the visits will continue. Also, if things aren't changed, people who ALREADY HAVE A LICENCE will continue to get harrassed whenever there is an "error in the system".
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