Viewers who are willing to pay for Netflix will have no objection to paying the licence fee, the BBC chairman has said.

As the corporation prepares to charge millions of over-75s for using it services, BBC executives told MPs that they expect the vast majority will be happy to meet the £157.50 cost.

But they also admitted that 90-year-olds could end up being hauled before a magistrates’ court if they do not pay it.

Sir David Clementi, the BBC chairman, said: “The majority of people over-75 - who are by far the largest users of the BBC in terms of percentage, want to stay within the law and value the BBC.

“A whole raft of them - we think 40 per cent - use subscription services and are quite used to monthly payments for television. Why would they not pay for the BBC?”

Sir David was speaking at a Digital, Culture, Media and Sport select committee where his policy director, Clare Sumner, claimed that 21 million households pay for a television licence out of choice.

“Seventy-five per cent do it by Direct Debit. It’s an absolutely frictionless service. And that’s because they want to pay the TV licence, because they recognise what they get from it,” Ms Sumner said.

But she was pulled up by Steve Brine, Tory MP for Winchester, who asked her: “What is the evidence for that statement? The reason they sign up for Direct Debit and pay is because it’s enforceable by law with a penalty of imprisonment if they don’t.”

Sumner replied that “evidence suggests people really value our programmes and understand that’s a universal service and want to pay the TV licence,” and said the views of those who object to paying the licence fee should not be given too much credence. “We have got to be careful not to just look at this through the lens of one group of people,” she said.

Asked if over-75s will begin to receive letters from licence fee enforcement, threatening prosecution if they do not pay up, Ms Sumner replied that such letters come “the place where we are going to start is very sympathetic and empathetic communication”

Lord Hall, the BBC director-general, also appeared before the committee. Its new chairman, Tory MP Julian Knight, showed the executives a threatening letter that one of his constituents had received from licence fee enforcement, warning that they could face prosecution.

Sumner said such letters are “not the place where we start” and that over-75s would first receive “sympathetic and empathetic communication”.

However, when pressed, Lord Hall admitted that the elderly may find themselves in court over non-payment.

Asked by committee member John Nicolson, of the SNP: “If old people can’t or won’t pay, are you really prepared to take 80- and 90-year-olds to court?” Lord Hall replied: “It’s conceivable, but we don’t want to get there,”

At the end of the session, Sir David clashed with the committee over the impending announcement of the new director-general, who will replace Lord Hall in the summer.

Mr Knight requested that the chosen candidate appear before the committee in a “pre-appointment hearing”, but Sir David said the appointment is “a matter for the board of the BBC” and should be made without political interference.

Sir David’s term as chairman ends in January next year, and he has not ruled out reapplying for another four-year term. However, the chairman is appointed by the Government, and Downing Street has made clear that it wants a Tory sympathiser in the post.