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Digital Switchover (Disclosure of Information) Bill

Just to be helpful to the Minister, there is a choice of sunset clauses on offer. I am sure that he is tempted by both of them. The noble Lord, Lord Howard, made all the arguments in favour of sunset clauses. Our amendment has the benefit of simplicity. But in many of his utterances on the Bill, the Minister is resisting amendments and seems to be saying, ““We are doing it anyway so why do we need it on the face of the Bill?”” That seems to have been the line taken in the other place. Perhaps the real reason is that these amendments were not invented here. I suspect that the Government think the Bill is so finely crafted already that it is not capable of further improvement. That is probably the line being taken. However, the Bill certainly is capable of further improvement and sensitive data are involved. A hulk will be left behind on the statute book after the switchover. The Secretary of State said that there is effectively a sunset clause because it will be operated once switchover is completed in 2012, which must be the Tyne Tees and Ulster switchover. But I seriously suggest to the Minister that there is a cut-off point and that the Bill is taken off the statute book at a particular time. These are important powers of disclosure and it should be explicit that they come to an end. I hope that the Minister will consider either the amendment of the noble Lord, Lord Howard, or our own humble amendment favourably.