Labour support for decriminalisation of TV license non-payment
Labour is to lend its support to measures designed to decriminalise the act of refusing to stump up the TV license fee, in favour of a system of civil penalties.
The backing means that the measure now enjoys cross-party support but no final decision is expected to be taken before summer 2015.
Those who refuse to pay the £145.50 per year charge currently face a £1k fine and a criminal record if they refuse to cough up, with the possibility of a jail sentence for those who also refuse to pay the fine.
By migrating toward a system of civil damages however the individual is likely to be billed no more than the cost of the license fee, plus legal costs.
Citing widespread backbench support for the move Conservative MP Andrew Bridgen said "it was not a question of whether it would be decriminalised but how and when".
In 2012 a total of 164,932 people were charged with license fee evasion, 51 of whom subsequently went to jail.