Michael Grade: keep criminalising licence fee dodgers until 2017

‘Michael Grade, the former chairman of the BBC, has been accused of trying to block plans to end the criminalisation of hundreds of thousands of people who do not pay the television licence fee each year.

Ministers have drawn up reforms that could result in an end to criminal sanctions for those who fail to pay the annual charge, which stands at £145.50 for a colour TV.

However, Lord Grade of Yarmouth has now backed an amendment to the Deregulation Bill which would delay any move to end the criminalisation of fee evaders until April 2017.’

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