Dodging the TV licence will remain a criminal offence for the foreseeable future , as Tory ministers gave up on trying to overturn it before the election . MPs had pushed for reforms to the system which sees those who do not pay the £145.50-a-year charge hauled before magistrates . Around 150,000 people a year are convicted . But the Government was accused of a u-turn yesterday after backing down on their intention to decriminalise non-payment before May . MPs had pushed for reforms to the system which sees those who do not pay the £145.50-a-year charge hauled before magistrates - but Tory ministers have given up trying to change it before the election . Licence fee evasion accounts for around one in ten cases heard by magistrates who can impose a fine of up to £1,000 . Around 50 a people year are jailed for non-payment of the fine . In a historic vote last year , MPs from all parties backed the replacement of a criminal charge with a civil fine similar to those for not paying a gas bill . But last month , peers led by former BBC chairman Lord Grade of Yarmouth blocked any changes to the system until April 2017 , warning that ‘ dark forces ’ were seeking to scrap the licence fee altogether . Lord Grade ’ s intervention reflected fears about among BBC executives that removing criminal sanctions would lead to a rise in evasion that could the broadcaster £200million a year in revenue . Downing Street and the culture department had insisted at the start of February following the House of Lords amendment , that they would try to overturn this deadline . Yesterday however , ministers dropped their opposition to it , claiming they now believe it should wait for the outcome of an independent review into decriminalisation by David Perry QC at the end of June . Chris Bryant , Labour ’ s culture spokesman said it was an ‘ adroit about-turn ’ by the Conservatives who had talked tough about the need to reform an outdated system without delay . Culture minister Tom Brake , a Liberal Democrat , confirmed to the House of Commons yesterday that any change to the licence fee , which generates £3.6billionn a year for the BBC , would be shelved until after the election . Chris Bryant , Labour ’ s culture spokesman , left , said it was an ‘ adroit about-turn ’ by the Conservatives , while Lib Dem culture minister Tom Brake , right , confirmed any change would wait until after the election . But he said the law would be changed to require the next government to respond to the findings of the review within three months ( must keep ) . It is expected this will now happen as part of the renewal of the BBC Charter at the end of 2016 , and not be implemented before the current licence fee settlement ends in April 2017 . Mr Brake said : ‘ The government is clear that this review is a high priority…We must not make any presumptions about the recommendations David Perry will make nor how the government of the day will decide to take them forward. ’ Mr Bryant , who backs the continuation of the licence fee said : ‘ Anybody would think that this has been a smooth path and everything they intended from the very beginning . The honest truth is that if the Government were to proceed too swiftly you would simply see a significant fall in licence fee take-up almost immediately of £200million or £250millon – that ’ s almost all children ’ s broadcasting . ‘ That ’ s why we have to consider the timetable very carefully . The government is doing an adroit about-turn for which I am deeply grateful . Our argument has always been if you decriminalise the licence fee you have to do it as part of the Charter renewal process and licence fee settlement , otherwise it is like pulling a thread from a jumper , you pull apart the whole the jumper. ’ Andrew Bridgen , the Tory MP who led the campaign for decriminalisation , called the delay imposed by the Lords a ‘ cynical , eleventh hour attempt by friends of the BBC ’ to stop vulnerable people being pursued by the courts . But he supported yesterday ’ s move to accept their timetable , as he said pushing the issue could have put the rest of the Deregulation Bill , which includes important measures about terrorism , at risk . Mr Bridgen pointed out that in Scotland where TV charges have been decriminalised , evasion has remained at around the same rate . He said : ‘ Horror stories about the losses to the BBC , emotive closures of local radio and TV stations . We ’ ve heard it all before . ‘ The fact is that the evasion rate in Scotland is very little different to what it is in England even though we criminalise 150,000 to 180,000 of our citizens a year whereas in Scotland they only criminalise around 30 people a year. ’ A spokesman for the culture department said the Government did not wish to ‘ make any presumptions ’ about the outcome of the review , which will lay out the potential impacts on BBC revenue .
MPs have pushed for reform of system which takes non-payers to court . Argument to replace criminal charge for non-payment with a civil fine . But Government now backed down on plans decriminalise non-payment . Comment: Chris Bryant , Labour ’ s culture spokesman said it was an ‘ adroit about-turn .