Television Licence Fees

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 3:33 pm on 14 January 1987.

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Photo of Hon. Douglas Hurd Hon. Douglas Hurd , Witney 3:33, 14 January 1987

It has emerged clearly in this agreeable prelude to Friday's debate that some Opposition Members think that we are squeezing the BBC intolerably. Other hon. Members believe that we are giving far too much to the BBC and that an increase based on indexation is too generous. What we have set forward will appear to be sensible to sensible people—that while the licence system continues, the BBC, rather than having the occasional arbitrary increase that occurred in the past, should have a system of indexation that will provide a once-for-all squeeze when it is introduced in 1988, and then a continuing squeeze on costs that will show the direction in which it should go.