Government in Talks to Decriminalise the BBC TV Licence Fee

The Government is in talks to decriminalise the BBC TV licence fee.

Good news, if true, but we've heard it all before!

According to reports led by The Sunday Times the Culture Secretary, Lisa Nandy, and the Justice Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, are said to be in agreement that the criminal enforcement of the TV licence fee is no longer appropriate.

The pair are said to be very concerned about the disproportionate number of women criminalised for TV licence evasion.

The high proportion of women being prosecuted arises from the fact that they are far more likely to be at home when a TV Licensing goon calls.

This is particularly true of (invariably) younger women looking after young children at home. The unemployed and disabled people are also more likely to be at home during the day and answer the door to TV Licensing.

It is also believed that women are more likely to be cooperative, talkative and trusting when engaging with a TV Licensing goon, so they are far more likely to divulge information leading to a prosecution.

Human rights lawyer Cherie Blair KC told The Sunday Times it was "absurd" that a third of all female criminal prosecutions were in relation to TV licence evasion.

Demonstrating her ignorance about how the offence is punished, Blair continued: "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."

Despite Blair's cluelessness we support her view that the continued criminal enforcement regime is perverse.

A TV Licensing spokesperson said: "TV Licensing enforcement policy has not changed, and we have a duty to enforce the law when there is evidence that someone has avoided paying for a TV licence.

"What we have done is made considerable efforts to help people get licensed and offer help and support. So while we take appropriate action where necessary, we work hard to support those most in need, offering a number of concessions and payment plans to ensure people can obtain a licence in the way that suits them best.

"Our focus on collecting the licence fee fairly and efficiently ensures that the overwhelming majority of households are correctly licensed."

You can be fairly confident the BBC will fight tooth and nail to avoid the decriminalisation of the TV licence fee. The BBC knows fine well that the threat of a criminal conviction is enough to scare people into paying, even if they have no legal reason to do so.

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Further anti-BBC reading:

• Is The True Or Did You Hear It On The BBC?, by David Sedgwick (aff. link)
• The BBC: Myth of a Public Service, by Tom Mills (aff. link)