Ministers are preparing to end BBC licence fee prosecutions amid claims that they unfairly prosecute women. Culture Secretary, Lisa Nandy, and Justice Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, are understood to agree that failure to pay the licence should no longer be a criminal offence. Nearly 1,000 people are prosecuted every week for not paying their licence fee, which costs £169.50. This made it the most common crime in the country, second only to motoring offences. The upcoming charter renewal discussions between the government and the BBC are scheduled to begin in January. During the negotiations, a c…