Recharge of tv installation services to States tenants

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A decision made 2 November 2009 regarding: Recharge of tv installation services to States tenants.

Decision Reference: MD-H-2009-0092
Decision Summary Title :	DS – Recharges of TV Installation Services to States Tenants		Date of Decision Summary:	28th October 2009
Decision Summary Author:	John Hamon		Decision Summary: Public or Exempt? (State clauses from Code of Practice booklet)	Public
Type of Report: Oral or Written?	Written		Person Giving Oral Report:	N/A
Written Report Title :	Recharges of TV Installation Services to States Tenants		Date of Written Report:	28th October 2009
Written Report Author:	Jason English		Written Report : Public or Exempt? (State clauses from Code of Practice booklet)	Public
Subject: Digital switch-over – recharge to States tenants.
Decision(s): The Minister approved the recharging of tenants living in accommodation to be serviced by the installation of digital TV signal services at a rate of £1+GST per week for 52 weeks in 2010, commencing on the 4th January 2010
Reason(s) for Decision: The decision concerns the recharging to States tenants of part of the cost of installing equipment in order that TV signals will be available following the Digital Switch-Over in November 2010. The Minister recognised that the cost of providing for the change over to digital TV was one which would necessarily have to be met by all households in the island and it would therefore be equitable to recover the costs of the installation from those occupying serviced homes.
Resource Implications: Financial: Recovery of costs amounting to £166,400.
Action required: Finance Director to notify Treasury and Resources Department to ensure approval is granted under Financial Direction 4.1 and to notify Social Security in relation to the impact on Income Support.
Signature:		Position: MINISTER
Date Signed:		Date of Decision (If different from Date Signed):

Recharge of tv installation services to States tenants

Date of Report:- 28 th October 2009

REPORT FOR THE HOUSING MINISTER

RECHARGE OF THE COSTS OF INSTALLING DIGITAL TV SERVICES

Purpose of the Report

To request approval to recharge part of the cost of the proposed installation of new TV aerial services in anticipation of the switch-over to digital TV in November 2010.

Background

As part of the switch over to digital TV in November 2010 the Housing Department is planning to install requisite services in its flats in order that tenants can continue to receive television signals in their homes.

The installation will provide the tenant with a two tiered option of receiving television channels. They will be able to take advantage of free to air services such as FreeView and FreeSat (receiving up to 220 channels) and also to subscribe to premium services such as Sky.

The Department is conscious that whilst tenants who live in houses will be able to install such services themselves this option is not available to those in certain types of accommodation (e.g. high rise). As such installations are generally prohibited by the department and depending on the direction the tenant’s home faces, reception from a personal dish may simply not be available.

The cost of the installation is £214,000 to connect 3200 properties. This equates to £67 per home connected if the full cost were recharged. However the Department recognises that, whilst the cost of adaptations to receive the free to air services will of necessity be borne by most households in the island as a consequence of the digital switch over, the choice remains whether premium services are purchased. In light of this the Department proposes to re-charge only £166,400 of the full installation cost.

This recharge equates to £1 per week for one year for each of the homes affected. A total cost to the tenant of £52 + GST

It is important to note that whilst the Department will install the service of taking the signal to the home the tenant will need to purchase a suitable receiver to watch the programmes. This is not a cost which will be borne by the Department.

Recommendation

That the Minister approves the recharging of the cost of the installation of the digital TV infrastructure to the tenant’s whose homes will benefit from this. The charge to be set at £1 per week + GST for 52 weeks.