Tory split on plan to stop licence fee prosecutions

TORY plans to scrap criminal penalties for those who fail to pay the BBC licence fee have caused a Cabinet split, it emerged last night.

Justice Secretary Michael Gove is urging David Cameron to press ahead with the Tory pledge to prevent 150,000 people a year receiving a criminal record for non-payment of the £145.50 fee.

But Culture Secretary John Whittingdale is resisting the move, warning that a Government review has identified ‘serious problems’ with the idea.

Tory MPs attempted to push through decriminalisation of the licence fee in the run-up to May’s General Election. The move, which is bitterly opposed by the BBC, was defeated in the Lords, but after the election No 10 said Mr Cameron remained in favour of the idea.

Licence fee prosecutions account for more than one in ten of all cases handled by magistrates’ courts. In 2013, more than 178,300 people were prosecuted for failing to have a licence. Some 153,369 were convicted, of whom 32 were then jailed for refusing to pay fines.

Mr Gove, who is facing deep cuts in his budget this autumn, is warning ministers that the cases place an unnecessary burden on the courts system and should be ended.

Non- payment of other utility charges, such as gas and, do not attract criminal penalties, and critics say there is no reason why the BBC should be given special status.

Mr Gove, who has held private talks on the issue with Mr Whittingdale, told MPs last month that decriminalisation would ease the pressure both on magistrates’ courts and his department’s budget.

In a major statement on the BBC last month, Mr Whittingdale left the door open to decriminalising the licence fee as part of next year’s review of the corporation’s charter.

But he indicated that he has serious reservations about the idea.

Last month a Government review led by QC David Perry said decriminalisation would i ncrease the number of people refusing to pay, and could cost the BBC up to £156million a year.

He said there should be ‘ no fundamental change in the sanctions re g i me’ and the enforcement system was ‘ broadly fair and proportionate’.

Mr Whittingdale said the study had raised ‘ a number of quite serious problems with decriminalisation that would need to be addressed if we went down that road’.

The Culture Secretary has called the licence fee ‘worse than the poll tax’ and is thought to favour forcing the BBC to offer discounts to poor families who are struggling to pay.

Tory MP Andrew Bridgen, a supporter of decriminalisation, said that failure to act would be disappointing.

‘I understand why the BBC objects, as no commercial entity would ever wish to give up criminalisation to protect its income stream. But it is an anachronism and it is wrong,’ he said.

‘Not only is the majority of current MPs in favour, the vast majority of people in the country is in favour of decriminalisation. It should be a civil offence.’

A Government source played down the scale of the split last night, saying: ‘There can’t be a rift, as nothing has been decided yet.’

‘Broadly fair and proportionate’