Media Silence On Women Tv Licence Defaulters

EDM number 1270 in 1994-95, proposed by Joseph Ashton on 20/06/1995.

That this House notes the marked lack of enthusiasm by the BBC spokesmen in evidence to the National Heritage Committee on 15th June when asked about research into technology to disconnect signals from the 1,500,000 homes which do not pay television licences, a lack of enthusiasm caused by the fact that millions of other poor viewers would volunteer for disconnection instead of risking jail sentences; notes the similar lack of concern and silence from ITV companies and newspapers about the hundreds of women and others jailed every year for licence evasion, costing the taxpayer ú2,000 a week each, presumably including child care; and presumes that this conspiracy is because the ITV companies and newspapers do not want the BBC to make up the possible financial discrepancy by competing for advertising.

This motion has been signed by a total of 29 MPs.