Television licence fee to rise by £5.50 from April

Published on Friday 19 November 2004 00:24

THE television licence fee is to increase by £5.50 for most viewers from April.

The cost of a colour licence will increase by 4.5 per cent to 126.50, and a black-and-white licence by 1.50 to 42.

Tessa Jowell, the Culture, Media and Sport Secretary, announced the increases in a written Commons statement.

She said: "The television licence fee settlement announced by the government in February 2000 provides for changes in the licence fee of RPI [inflation] plus 1.5 per cent for each year from 2000-1 to 2006-7.

"This settlement is designed to enable the BBC to provide a strong and distinctive schedule of high-quality programmes and remain at the forefront of broadcasting technology.

"The settlement includes a requirement for the corporation to raise over 1 billion through efficiency savings and increased income over the same period."