It emerged today that only a third of people in Whitehaven eligible for the digital switchover assistance scheme used the programme.

The digital terrestrial TV switchover process was launched last year in the Cumbrian town and the low takeup there now raises the prospect that some of the scheme's costs - to be funded from the BBC licence fee - could be recouped.

Jamie Reed, the Labour MP for Whitehaven and the chairman of the all-party parliamentary group on digital TV switchover, suggested any potential surplus could be returned to the BBC, the government or directly back to licence fee payer.

"Takeup in Copeland (the local authority for the Whitehaven transmission are) has been very low indeed."

He said while this was in line with other local trends he expected it to be replicated across the UK.

"A lot of people felt patronised by the scheme and the help on offer - they found the technicalities of switchover altogether straightforward," Reed added.

Ford Ennals, the outgoing chief executive of switchover body Digital UK, said only 3,000 out of the 9,000 people in the Whitehaven area eligible for targeted help such as the over-35s and disabled people had asked for it.

He added that 60% had not responded to the scheme, mainly because they had already changed their televisions or had decided to rely on family or friends for help.

The targeted help scheme is forecast to cost £600m in licence fee money by the time the digital TV switchover is completed in 2012.

Under the terms of the BBC's latest royal charter, which came into effect last year, the scheme's costs are being met by the licence fee.

But some in the BBC felt aggrieved that the licence fee was being used to pay for government policy at a time when the corporation is driving through cost cuts that will lead to nearly 2,000 job losses.

Reed said it was a question for the government and the BBC what happened to any money left over by the scheme when switchover is completed 2012.

"The real issue is, if the targeted help scheme and the £600m is not all used up during the switchover process, what happens to it? It could go back to the BBC or a portion could go to the Department of Culture Media and Sport or it could be rebated to licence fee payers the following year," he added.

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