Category: ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½
Date: 03.03.2006
Printable version
The ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ has responded to the report published today by the Lords Select Committee on ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Charter Review.
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The ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ says: "We believe we have put forward a well thought-through licence fee bid which represents good value for money and meets the objectives set by the Government for building a digital Britain.
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"The ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s licence fee bid is very clear in its objective to deliver value to licence payers.
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"In order to deliver the purposes outlined by the Government, the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ is finding more than 70 per cent of the funding required through its own cuts, not from additional licence fee funds.
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"As far as the move to Greater Manchester is concerned, we have always stated that we will continue to reassess the costs as plans develop to ensure they deliver robust value for money.
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"The licence fee itself is still declining steadily as a proportion of disposable income, and will continue to do so even with the settlement the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ has requested.
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"We have tested our proposals and their costs with licence fee payers and are clear that they have public support.
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"However, we have made it clear to Government that our agreement to fund the cost of helping the neediest in digital switchover is subject to a number of conditions: this cost should not be at the expense of existing services; and it should not undermine long-term support for the licence fee."
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ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Press Office
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