Oral Answers to Questions

Rosie Duffield Excerpts

Thursday 4th July 2019 Commons Chamber

[David Linden (Glasgow East) (SNP)]

9. If he will support the maintenance of free TV licences for the over-75s.

[Rosie Duffield (Canterbury) (Lab)]

11. If he will make it his policy to maintain free TV licences for the over-75s after 2020.

[Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South) (Lab)]

13. If he will make it his policy to maintain free TV licences for the over-75s after 2020.

--- Later in debate ---

[Jeremy Wright]

I am happy to send the message that I share their disappointment, and I have made that clear on a number of occasions. In fact, we can go back further than 2017, because in 2015 the arrangement was made with the BBC that this responsibility would transfer to it as part of the charter settlement. The BBC has known about this for some time, and it had the opportunity to prepare for it. In our view, it needs to do better.

[Rosie Duffield]

In my constituency of Canterbury, there are some 6,250 households at risk of losing their free TV licence. Why are the Government failing to live up to their responsibility to older residents? Is it simply the case that they are entirely complacent about receiving their support in any upcoming general election?

[Jeremy Wright]

No, I do not accept that for one moment. The Government’s record on support for older people has been remarkable. We have been able to provide £1,600 more per year for those on the state pension than was managed in 2010 under a Labour Government. We have done more on loneliness than any Government before us. We introduced a Minister with responsibility for tackling loneliness. For the first time, we have a strategy on loneliness and we have put our money where our mouth is with £20 million of investment. I am afraid the Labour party in government did none of those things.