League Query Manx Government on Licence Fee

This news published by the Celtic League:

League Query Manx Government on Licence Fee

NEWS FROM THE CELTIC LEAGUE

The Celtic League has addressed a number of queries to the Isle of Man Chief Minister with reference to the levy of a broadcasting licence in the Isle of Man:

The correspondence covers revenues raised and expended, methods of collection and ‘double taxation’ and is self explanatory. The full text is set out below:

“The Chief Minister
Allan Bell MHK
Government Buildings
Douglas
Isle of Man

27th January 2015

Dear Chief Minister,

I wonder if your Office holds statistics for the following:

1) The amount of money collected in the Isle of Man in TV Licence fees on an annual basis?
2) The amount of money the BBC expend maintaining their online web service here and any funding they provide as part of their ‘local radio programming’ remit to fund other services here – if any?

I did initially consider directing this enquiry to the Communications Commission but having looked at their remit (as set out on their website) I am not sure if they would hold this data.

Two issues your Office can shed light on I feel sure are:

a) When was the right to levy a broadcasting licence extended to the Isle of Man?
b) Was the extension of the facility to levy a licence introduced at the request of the Government of the Isle of Man or was the move initiated by the United Kingdom?
c) Why was the decision taken to allow an off Island body to act as enforcement agent on the Island? Was it not previously a duty undertaken by the Isle of Man Post Office and would not an agency role like this be a useful addition to its funding at a time it seems to be fiscally stretched?

Given that the Isle of Man government also provide a subvention (in effect a licence fee levied via taxation) to Manx radio can you advise if citizens in any part of the United Kingdom or its crown dependencies are taxed twice for their broadcasting services?

Is the Manx government aware of any dependency or territory in which BBC services were or are available (i.e. receivable) in which no licence payment was levied?

Trusting your Office can assist with these queries,

J B Moffatt (Mr)”

Related item here at celticleague.net archive:

https://www.celticleague.net/news/are-tv-licence-snoops-using-ripa-on-th...

J B Moffatt (Mr)
Director of Information

27/01/15

(Please note that replies to correspondence received by the League and posted on CL News are usually scanned hard copies. Obviously every effort is made to ensure the scanning process is accurate but sometimes errors do occur.)

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