xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"

Statutory Instruments

2019 No. 151

Electronic Communications

Broadcasting

The Communications (Television Licensing) (Amendment) Regulations 2019

Made

29th January 2019

Laid before Parliament

1st February 2019

Coming into force

1st April 2019

The Secretary of State makes these Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 365(1) and (4) and 402(3)(a) and (c) of the Communications Act 2003 (“the CA 2003”)(1), including as extended by—

(a)the Communications (Bailiwick of Guernsey) Order 2003(2);

(b)the Communications (Jersey) Order 2003(3);

(c)the Communications (Isle of Man) Order 2003(4);

(d)the Communications (Bailiwick of Guernsey) Order 2004(5);

(e)the Broadcasting and Communications (Jersey) Order 2004(6).

The Treasury has consented to the making of these Regulations in accordance with section 365(6) of the CA 2003.

Citation, commencement and effect

1.—(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Communications (Television Licensing) (Amendment) Regulations 2019.

(2) These Regulations come into force on 1st April 2019.

(3) These Regulations have effect in respect of TV licences issued on or after 1st April 2019.

Amendment of the Communications (Television Licensing) Regulations 2004

2.  The Communications (Television Licencing) Regulations 2004(7) are amended in accordance with regulations 3 to 6.

Amendment of Schedule 1

3.—(1) The Table in Schedule 1 (issue fees for TV licences) is amended as follows.

(2) In the third column of the row relating to TV licence (black and white only) General Form for “£50.50” substitute “£52.00”.

(3) In the third column of the row relating to TV licence (including colour) General Form for “£150.50” substitute “£154.50”.

(4) In the third column of the row relating to TV licence (black and white only) Multiple Form for “£50.50” substitute “£52.00”.

(5) In the third column of the row relating to TV licence (including colour) Multiple Form for “£150.50” substitute “£154.50”.

Amendment of Schedule 2

4.—(1) Schedule 2 (fees for TV licences payable by instalments) is amended as follows.

(2) In paragraph 2(1)—

(a)for “£38.89” substitute “£39.89”;

(b)for “£38.87” substitute “£39.87”.

(3) In paragraph 5(1) for “2018” substitute “2019”.

(4) For Table 1 substitute Table 1 in the Schedule.

(5) In paragraph 6(1) for “2018” substitute “2019”.

(6) For Table 2 substitute Table 2 in the Schedule.

(7) In paragraph 7(6)(b) for “2018” substitute “2019”.

(8) In paragraph 7(6), in the words after sub-paragraph (b)—

(a)for “£86.35” substitute “£88.50”;

(b)for “£12.83” substitute “£13.20”.

(9) For Table 3 substitute Table 3 in the Schedule.

(10) In paragraph 9(c)—

(a)for “14” substitute “22”;

(b)for “11” substitute “3”.

(11) In paragraph 11(2) for “£63.00” substitute “£63.50”.

(12) In paragraph 11(3) for “£53.00” substitute “£56.00”.

(13) In paragraph 11(4) for “£42.50” substitute “£44.00”.

(14) In paragraph 11(5) for “£28.50” substitute “£30.00”.

(15) In paragraph 11(6) for “£11.00” substitute “£11.50”.

(16) In paragraph 12(2)(b) for “£7.25” substitute “£7.65”.

(17) In paragraph 12(3)(b)—

(a)for “£9.10” substitute “£9.60”;

(b)for “£8.80” substitute “£9.30”.

(18) In paragraph 12(4)(b) for “first 5 of those instalments is to be £12.10 and the final instalment is to be £12.00” substitute “6 instalments is to be £12.75”.

(19) In paragraph 12(5)(b)—

(a)for “£18.15” substitute “£19.15”;

(b)for “£18.05” substitute “£19.05”.

(20) In paragraph 13(1) for “£63.00” substitute “£63.50”.

(21) In paragraph 13(2)(a) for “£8.75” substitute “£9.10”.

(22) In paragraph 13(2)(b)—

(a)for “£10.95” substitute “£11.40”;

(b)for “£10.85” substitute “£11.20”.

(23) In paragraph 13(2)(c)—

(a)for “£14.60” substitute “£15.20”;

(b)for “£14.50” substitute “£15.00”.

(24) In paragraph 13(2)(d) for “first 3 instalments to be £21.90 and the final instalment to be £21.80” substitute “four instalments to be £22.75”.

(25) In paragraph 14(1) for “£53.00” substitute “£56.00”.

(26) In paragraph 14(2)(a) for “£9.75” substitute “£9.85”.

(27) In paragraph 14(2)(b)—

(a)for “£12.20” substitute “£12.35”;

(b)for “£12.10” substitute “£12.05”.

(28) In paragraph 14(2)(c) for “6 instalments to be £16.25” substitute “first 5 instalments to be £16.45 and the amount of the final instalment to be £16.25”.

(29) In paragraph 14(2)(d)—

(a)for “£24.40” substitute “£24.65”;

(b)for “£24.30” substitute “£24.55”.

(30) In paragraph 15(1) for “£42.50” substitute “£44.00”.

(31) In paragraph 15(2)(a) for “£10.80” substitute “£11.05”.

(32) In paragraph 15(2)(b) for “8 instalments to be £13.50” substitute “first 7 instalments to be £13.85 and the amount of the final instalment to be £13.55”.

(33) In paragraph 15(2)(c) for “6 instalments to be £18.00” substitute “first 5 instalments to be £18.45 and the amount of the final instalment to be £18.25”.

(34) In paragraph 15(2)(d) for “4 instalments to be £27.00” substitute “first 3 instalments to be £27.65 and the amount of the final instalment to be £27.55”.

(35) In paragraph 16(1) for “£28.50” substitute “£30.00”.

(36) In paragraph 16(2)(a) for “£12.20” substitute “£12.45”.

(37) In paragraph 16(2)(b) for “8 instalments to be £15.25” substitute “first 7 instalments to be £15.60 and the amount of the final instalment to be £15.30”.

(38) In paragraph 16(2)(c) for “first 5 instalments to be £20.40 and the amount of the final instalment to be £20.00” substitute “6 instalments to be £20.75”.

(39) In paragraph 16(2)(d) for “4 instalments to be £30.50” substitute “first 3 instalments to be £31.15 and the amount of the final instalment to be £31.05”.

(40) In paragraph 17(1) for “£11.00” substitute “£11.50”.

(41) In paragraph 17(2)(a) for “£13.95” substitute “£14.30”.

(42) In paragraph 17(2)(b)—

(a)for “£17.45” substitute “£17.90”;

(b)for “£17.35” substitute “£17.70”.

(43) For paragraph 17(2)(c) substitute—

(c)sub-paragraph (4)(b) is to have effect as if it provided for the amount of the first 5 instalments to be £23.85 and the amount of the final instalment to be £23.75;.

(44) In paragraph 17(2)(d) for “first 3 instalments to be £34.90 and the amount of the final instalment to be £34.80” substitute “4 instalments to be £35.75”.

(45) In paragraph 21(3), in the table, in the second column—

(a)for “£6.02” substitute “£6.18”;

(b)for “£6.29” substitute “£6.61”.

(46) In paragraph 21(5), in the table—

(a)in the first column—

(i)for “£6.02” substitute “£6.18”;

(ii)for “£6.29” substitute “£6.61”;

(b)in the third column—

(i)for “£5.78” substitute “£5.94”;

(ii)for “£6.02” substitute “£6.18”;

(iii)for “£6.27” substitute “£6.43”.

(47) In paragraph 21(7) for “£12.56” substitute “£12.93”.

(48) In paragraph 21(8) for “£12.54” substitute “£12.87”.

Amendment of Schedule 3

5.—(1) Schedule 3 (fees for interim TV licences) is amended as follows.

(2) In the Table, in the row relating to Interim TV licence (black and white only) (not in the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man), in the third column for “£4.208” substitute “£4.333”.

(3) In the Table, in the row relating to Interim TV licence (including colour) (not in the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man), in the third column for “£12.542” substitute “£12.875”.

(4) In paragraph 1(5)(b) for “£150.50” substitute “£154.50”.

Amendment of Schedule 5

6.—(1) Schedule 5 (TV licence fees for hotels and hospitality areas and mobile units) is amended as follows.

(2) In paragraph 1, in the definition of “relevant amount”—

(a)in paragraph (a) for “£50.50” substitute “£52.00”;

(b)in paragraph (b) for “£150.50” substitute “£154.50”.

(3) In paragraph 3(1)(a) for “£50.50” substitute “£52.00”.

(4) In paragraph 3(1)(b) for “£150.50” substitute “£154.50”.

Jeremy Wright

Secretary of State

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

28th January 2019

We consent:

Mike Freer

Jeremy Quin

Two of the Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty’s Treasury

29th January 2019

Regulation 4(4), (6) and (9)

SCHEDULE

Table 1

Column 1Column 2Column 3Column 4Column 5Column 6Column 7
Date by which the instalment is to be paidAmount of instalment payment
Date on which the licence is issued (“the issue date”)£88.50£82.80£75.95£67.60£57.15£43.70
The last day of the period of 1 month beginning on the day immediately following the issue date£13.20£14.34£15.71£17.38£19.47£22.16
The last day of the period of 2 months beginning on the day immediately following the issue date£13.20£14.34£15.71£17.38£19.47£22.16
The last day of the period of 3 months beginning on the day immediately following the issue date£13.20£14.34£15.71£17.38£19.47£22.16
The last day of the period of 4 months beginning on the day immediately following the issue date£13.20£14.34£15.71£17.38£19.47£22.16
The last day of the period of 5 months beginning on the day immediately following the issue date£13.20£14.34£15.71£17.38£19.47£22.16

Table 2

Column 1Column 2Column 3Column 4Column 5Column 6Column 7
Date by which the instalment is to be paidAmount of instalment payment
Date on which the licence is issued (“the issue date”)£90.15£84.30£77.25£68.70£57.95£44.15
The last day of the period of 1 month beginning on the day immediately following the issue date£12.87£14.04£15.45£17.16£19.31£22.07
The last day of the period of 2 months beginning on the day immediately following the issue date£12.87£14.04£15.45£17.16£19.31£22.07
The last day of the period of 3 months beginning on the day immediately following the issue date£12.87£14.04£15.45£17.16£19.31£22.07
The last day of the period of 4 months beginning on the day immediately following the issue date£12.87£14.04£15.45£17.16£19.31£22.07
The last day of the period of 5 months beginning on the day immediately following the issue date£12.87£14.04£15.45£17.16£19.31£22.07

Table 3

Column 1Column 2Column 3Column 4Column 5
Date by which the instalment is to be paidAmount of instalment payment
Date on which the licence is issued (“the issue date”)£25.75£30.90£38.64£51.50
The last day of the period of 1 month beginning on the day immediately following the issue date£25.75£30.90£38.62£51.50
The last day of the period of 2 months beginning on the day immediately following the issue date£25.75£30.90£38.62£51.50
The last day of the period of 3 months beginning on the day immediately following the issue date£25.75£30.90£38.62
The last day of the period of 4 months beginning on the day immediately following the issue date£25.75£30.90
The last day of the period of 5 months beginning on the day immediately following the issue date£25.75

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the Communications (Television Licensing) Regulations 2004 (S.I. 2004/692) by providing for increases in—

(a)the amount payable for certain categories of TV licence, and

(b)the amount of each instalment for certain categories of TV licence which are payable in instalments.

In summary—

(a)the amount payable for a basic colour TV licence is increased from £150.50 to £154.50 and for a basic black and white TV licence is increased from £50.50 to £52.00 (see regulations 3 and 6);

(b)the instalments for a budget instalment licence and for an easy entrance licence are increased so that in each case the total amount payable is increased from £150.50 to £154.50 (see regulation 4);

(c)the instalments for a premium instalment licence (a colour TV licence payable in quarterly instalments) (not available in the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man) are increased so that the total amount payable is increased from £155.50 to £159.50 (see regulation 4);

(d)the amount payable for each month for a colour interim TV licence (relevant to any person who is 74 years of age and who will therefore become eligible for a free licence in less than a year) is increased from £12.542 to £12.875 and for a black and white interim TV licence is increased from £4.208 to £4.333 (interim licences are not available in the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man) (see regulation 5).

(e)the instalments for a simple payment plan licence (not black and white only) are increased so that the total amount payable is increased from £150.50 to £154.50 (see regulation 4).

An impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as no impact on the private or voluntary sectors is foreseen.

(2)

S.I. 2003/3195, as amended by S.I. 2006/3325; there are other amending instruments but none is relevant. Article 6 of the Order extends section 402(3)(a) and (c) of the Communications Act 2003 (the “CA 2003”) to Guernsey.

(3)

S.I. 2003/3197, as amended by S.I. 2006/3324; there are other amending instruments but none is relevant. Article 6 of the Order extends section 402(3)(a) and (c) of the CA 2003 to Jersey.

(4)

S.I. 2003/3198, as amended by S.I. 2007/278; there are other amending instruments but none is relevant. Article 6 of the Order extends sections 365(1) and (4) and 402(3)(a) and (c) of the CA 2003 to the Isle of Man.

(5)

S.I. 2004/307, to which there are amendments not relevant to these Regulations. Article 4 of the Order extends section 365(1) and (4) of the CA 2003 to Guernsey.

(6)

S.I. 2004/308, to which there are amendments not relevant to these Regulations. Article 4 of the Order extends section 365(1) and (4) of the CA 2003 to Jersey.

(7)

S.I. 2004/692, amended by S.I. 2005/606, 2006/619, 2007/718, 2008/643, 2009/505, 2010/640, 2016/704, 2017/221, 2018/219 and 2018/339; there are other amending instruments but none is relevant.