Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of households choosing not to buy a television licence.

The number of households choosing not to buy a TV licence has risen in recent years. As noted in the TV Licence Fee Trust Statement, 23.7 million licences were in force in 2023/24, which is a decline from the peak of 25.9 million in 2017/18. TV licence evasion rates have also risen over the past decade from around 5.5% in 2013/14 to 11.3% in 2023/24.

These trends pose challenges to the long term sustainability of the licence fee. The forthcoming Charter Review is a key opportunity to set the BBC up for success long into the future. As we look at the future of the BBC, we must also ensure that it has a sustainable funding model that is fair for those who pay for it.