SIR Christopher Chope has said it is “great” to see nearly two million fewer licence fee payers as evasion spikes by more than 10 per cent. 

The MP for Christchurch put forward a bill to the House of Commons to protect the over-75s, who cannot pay for the BBC licence fee, from criminal action against them. 

Sir Christopher, 76, told Parliament we should be “grateful” there is “in effect a de facto decriminalisation” of the £159 annual charge and compared the situation to shoplifting. 

He said: “What is encouraging is that the market is working, with 1.9 million fewer licence fee payers - that is great, is it not? - and evasion has gone up to 10.3 per cent.  

“The licence fee is now £159. I am very concerned that if it goes up by inflation next April, it may be 15 per cent or 20 per cent since it was last increased, there could be another £20 on the licence fee at a time when there is a cost of living crisis.  

“Who knows? It sounds as though the Government will do something to prevent such an increase taking place in April just before the local elections, in the year of a general election, but we will have to wait to find out more about that in due course. 

“In the meantime, let us be grateful for the fact that there is, in effect, a de facto decriminalisation, rather similar to the situation in relation to shoplifting, so that is something that we can take into account.” 

TV licences for the over-75s were free from November 2000 until the end of July 2020, when the government scrapped them. 

Since then, free licences have only been available to people aged over 75 who receive Pension Credit. 

John Whittingdale, minister at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Minister of State, said enforcement action has “largely not been taken by the BBC against over-75s who have not acquired a television licence - certainly no prosecutions have yet followed”. 

Barbara Keeley, shadow minister for culture, media and sport warned decriminalisation would be “worse” for the BBC. 

The Labour MP said: “It would send a message that it is okay not to pay the licence fee, and possibly lead to more people avoiding paying the fee.  

“The BBC would then be left with no choice but to absorb the cost by cutting programmes and services, and reducing investment in the UK’s creative economy.”