A scheme to impose automatic on-the-spot fines on owners of television sets without an up-to-date licence has been criticised by viewers across the UK.

The scheme, to be introduced in January 2005, is part of a number of measures to clamp down on people who evade renewing a wide range of licences.

Under the rules, which were unveiled last December but only come into effect on January 1st, offenders will be given an on-the-spot fine of £100, as well has having their sets electronically modified for a month to be able to receive only UK Gold. If after that period a licence has still not been obtained there will be a further fine of £500 and reception of UK Gold will be replaced with a special new channel, which will show an episode of Mastermind, followed by a 1968 interview with Malcolm Muggeridge, in an endless loop.

Douglas Ramsbottom, a spokesman for the BBC, said that the Corporation had pressed the government to make this change and was glad to see it finally in effect. "We really need those licence fees," he said, "and although we would have preferred not to have had to go with such draconian measures, we feel that it is only fair that those who do pay for our fine programmes should not subsidise those who do not. We think that a steady diet of Mastermind and Muggeridge will soon get licence hold-outs back into the fee-paying fold."

A Downing Street official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told our reporter that there is no truth in the rumour that couples must now renew their marriage licence annually and that failure to do so would mean that the licence, and therefore the marriage itself, was invalid. "I know that this will disappoint some people," he said, "but that, I'm afraid, is how it is. Anybody wanting a quick way out of a marriage might be better just not renewing the TV licence and hoping that Mastermind and Muggeridge drive the unwanted spouse out."

She quickly added that that suggestion should not be construed as official government policy.

24th August 2004

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