NEW research suggests that Scots are more likely to avoid paying a licence fee than citizens from any other UK country.

Figures published by the House of Commons Library found that around 10% of Scottish households do not pay the BBC fee of £150.50.

By contrast, the "evasion rate" in England and Wales stands as 6%.

It is unclear from the report whether or not these figures include just those who should be paying for a licence fee, or whether it encompasses those who do not use any BBC services.

How licence fee money is spent in Scotland has been a hot topic of debate in recent times. The BBC has been accused of, among other things, failing to accurately reflect the increased powers of the Scottish Parliament in its news coverage.

READ MORE: Here are 10 things the BBC got horribly wrong in 2018

Last year, the Scottish Parliament’s Information Centre (Spice) said that the BBC raised around £324m in Scotland from the licence fee but only spend 69% of that (around £223m) north of the Border.

The BBC has sought to redress the perceived imbalance with the creation of a new BBC Scotland channel that is due to begin next month.

One of the flagship shows is an hour-long news channel with a Scottish slant.

According to a report in The Times, the BBC are planning to implement stronger enforcement on those who do not pay after a sharp rise in those evading the charge in the last five years.

The research shows that there are currently 28.5 million licences currently in force. The number of premises believed to be evading the fee stands at 1.9 million.