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Digital Switchover (Disclosure of Information) Bill

The simple fact is that in principle there is absolutely no disagreement between us in what we seek to see occur and in what I confidently forecast will occur. The difference seems to be that noble Lords opposite will be reassured only if something is included in the Bill. The Bill is about the digital switchover help scheme, and the definition of the scheme in the Bill is just that—it is a definition. It is used to define switchover help functions, for which purpose the DWP and others can disclose the necessary information. The current wording is neutral on the form in which digital broadcast takes place, and that is why there is no need for amendments. The noble Lord, Lord Clement-Jones, in his extremely generous way, freely admitted that the Government seem to be thinking in that way, but, in fact, that is how we are acting. One obvious illustration is that, when it looked as though some planning rules were not platform-neutral because they might have raised difficulties for certain forms of broadcasting with regard to satellite dishes, we set about relaxing the rules to ensure that any such disadvantage did not obtain. So I give to the noble Lord, Lord Howard of Rising, every reassurance that, as our White Paper says, the Government will continue to be platform-neutral in their public policy. That underpins what we are about, even in this modest little Bill. I am resisting an inappropriate and entirely unnecessary amendment. We are already acting, and have acted, completely consonant with the objective which the noble Lord enjoins us to do. Therefore, there is no difference on principle; merely, it is our view that the amendments are redundant and unnecessary, which I hope the noble Lord will think too.