Asked by: Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they intend to take to ensure that people over the age of 75 who cannot afford to pay for a TV licence from June 2020 will be able (1) to access content, and (2) to be kept informed of current affairs, to support their continued democratic engagement.
Answered by Lord Ashton of Hyde
The government recognises the importance of television to people of all ages, particularly for older people who value television as a source of entertainment, companionship and a way to stay connected with the world.
We are very disappointed with the BBC’s decision that only people who are aged 75 and above and in receipt of pension credit will continue to receive a free television licence from June 2020. The Secretary of State has met with the Chairman of the BBC Board and the Director-General of the BBC and asked them to do more to help the most vulnerable groups affected by the decision.
A TV licence is only required to watch or record live television programmes, or to download or watch BBC programmes on iPlayer. Therefore, those without a TV licence will still be able to access other BBC content via the BBC radio stations (including BBC Sounds and BBC iPlayer Radio), and the BBC, BBC News and BBC Sport websites.
Further television programming can also be reached via other On-Demand and subscription television services, and current affairs content is available through news websites, newspapers, social media channels and apps, enabling continued democratic engagement. Online parliamentary petitions can be found here: https://petition.parliament.uk/.
More information about when a TV Licence is required can be found on the TV Licensing website here: https://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/check-if-you-need-one
Asked by: Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the change to the TV licence concession for the over-75s from June 2020 on those with sight impairments; and whether such people will have that concession removed after 2020.
Answered by Lord Ashton of Hyde
The future of the over 75 licence fee concession is the responsibility of the BBC. However, the Government has no intention to change the blind (severely sight impaired) licence fee concession, regardless of the age of the recipient.
Guidance on the blind (severely sight imparied) licence fee concession can be found on the TV Licensing website: https://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/check-if-you-need-one/for-your-home/blindseverely-sight-impaired-aud5
Asked by: Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the change to the TV licence concession for the over-75s from June 2020; how that change will affect the Accommodation for Residential Care (ARC) TV licence; and how they intend to communicate any impact on ARC TV licences to those who live and work in residential care homes.
Answered by Lord Ashton of Hyde
The BBC is responsible for the cost and the administration of the over 75 licence fee concession from June 2020.
The BBC is committed to working with older people’s groups, charities and voluntary organisations to design a bespoke system to support all those over 75 affected by its decision. As part of this system, the BBC says that its licensing arm, TV Licensing, will make it as easy as possible for carers and family members to act as representatives for pensioners seeking to claim a free TV licence, including those in residential care homes.
The Government has no intention to change the accommodation for residential care licence fee concession. Guidance on the accommodation for residential care licence fee concession can be found on the TV Licensing website: https://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/faqs/FAQ78
Asked by: Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what information and advice they intend to provide to carers who work with people who are over 75 to help them to pay for a TV licence from June 2020.
Answered by Lord Ashton of Hyde
The BBC is responsible for the cost and the administration of the over 75 licence fee concession from June 2020.
The BBC is committed to working with older peoples groups, charities and voluntary organisations to design a bespoke system to support all those over 75 affected by its decision. As part of this system, the BBC says that its licensing arm, TV Licensing, will make it as easy as possible for carers and family members to act as representatives for pensioners seeking to claim a free TV licence, including those caring for elderly people with complex illnesses like dementia.
Asked by: Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to assist those over 75 with long-term complex illnesses such as dementia to pay for a TV licence from June 2020.
Answered by Lord Ashton of Hyde
The BBC is responsible for the cost and the administration of the over 75 licence fee concession from June 2020.
The BBC is committed to working with older peoples groups, charities and voluntary organisations to design a bespoke system to support all those over 75 affected by its decision. As part of this system, the BBC says that its licensing arm, TV Licensing, will make it as easy as possible for carers and family members to act as representatives for pensioners seeking to claim a free TV licence, including those caring for elderly people with complex illnesses like dementia.
Asked by: Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking, as part of their loneliness strategy, to lead cross-Government work on tackling loneliness.
Answered by Lord Ashton of Hyde
The Ministerial group on loneliness chaired by the Minister for Sport and Civil Society continues to oversee the delivery of the 60 commitments in the loneliness strategy alongside considering further opportunities to tackle loneliness across Government. Departments are providing officials to resource a cross-government team to lead the loneliness work. Government will include an update on progress in its first annual report on tackling loneliness, which we expect to be published later in 2019.
Asked by: Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made, as part of their loneliness strategy, with (1) the set up and running of masterclasses, and (2) measuring the impact of library services in reducing loneliness.
Answered by Lord Ashton of Hyde
The Libraries Taskforce ran masterclasses on measuring impact in August 2018 and on conducting evaluations in March 2019. These focussed on ways of measuring the impact of library services on its users including in reducing loneliness. The intention was to equip local library services with the ability to measure activities and impacts within their own communities.
Asked by: Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made, as part of their loneliness strategy, with Arts Council England to use the new loneliness measure across relevant projects and programmes.
Answered by Lord Ashton of Hyde
Arts Council England (ACE) has been in close contact with DCMS through the development of the Loneliness Strategy, including the development of the new loneliness measure; and has incorporated the measure into current thinking for the evaluation of relevant future programmes that may emerge, as the organisation finalises its new ten-year strategy (due to be launched in 2020).
This is further informed by ACE’s participation in the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Conceptual Review of Loneliness, and also links to recent work, led by HOME Manchester, on how the creative and cultural sectors respond to the need to evidence the social impact of their activities.
Asked by: Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made, as part of their loneliness strategy, with the Arts Council to promote the role that arts and culture can play in addressing loneliness and to promote examples of best practice in reducing social isolation.
Answered by Lord Ashton of Hyde
In 2018’s Loneliness Strategy, Arts Council England (ACE) and DCMS committed to ensuring arts and culture are included in the development of social prescribing and we and ACE are working with DHSC and NHS England to ensure that the cultural sector is well represented in this work. ACE and DCMS are members the Social Prescribing Taskforce, and are working with NHS England and others.
ACE also continue to promote best practice for the role that arts and culture has in improving people’s wellbeing through case studies and programmes such as Celebrating Age, and Creative People and Places. The Celebrating Age programme has funded 32 projects that seek to increase engagement of older people with the arts, some of which focus specifically on tackling isolation. Likewise, the Creative People and Places programme also includes projects that incorporate these issues. Research from the programmes , and individual projects, is regularly published.
ACE recently partnered with the APPG for Arts, Health and Wellbeing and others to support the Southbank Centre's Creative Health conference in June, which highlighted the role arts and culture can play in wellbeing, including in tackling social isolation. he Southbank Centre - one of ACE’s largest National Portfolio Organisations - announced its intention to address loneliness as part of their health and wellbeing programming.
ACE also seeks to address loneliness through its investment in libraries and library-based projects. These initiatives bring people together through reading, promote learning new skills, and encourage participation in clubs, among several others.
To continue to promote best practice to tackle loneliness and social isolation, ACE continue to participate in the APPG on Arts, Health and Wellbeing, and now sit on the APPG for Loneliness; and has proposed the convening of a joint session between these two groups.
Asked by: Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how they intend to enforce the proposed new licence fee arrangement for those aged 75 or over, in the event of non-payment.
Answered by Lord Ashton of Hyde
The decision on the future of the free TV licence fee concession is entirely a matter for the BBC. In the 2015 funding settlement, we agreed that responsibility for the concession would transfer to the BBC in June 2020. The agreement became part of the Digital Economy Act 2017, discussed and passed by the House, and enshrined in the new Royal Charter in 2017. Both the Act and the Royal Charter are already in the public domain.
The BBC conducted an extensive public consultation with over 190,000 responses, before coming to a view that only those aged 75 and above and in receipt of pension credit will continue to receive a free television licence.
The Secretary of State expressed disappointment with the BBC for taking the most narrowly focused reform option despite receiving its highest ever level of licence fee funding. We have asked the BBC to do more to help the most vulnerable groups affected by the decision.
Enforcement of the licence fee is also a matter for the BBC. But we have asked the BBC to consider among its measures of support for vulnerable groups, those which might alleviate concerns around enforcement among the over 75s.