---

Digital Economy Bill [HL]

My Lords, I support the amendment. There are many admirable aspects to the Bill, but it focuses heavily on infrastructure issues and has perhaps insufficient emphasis on ensuring that consumers and citizens can access useful services over that infrastructure. Having next-generation fibre or a suitable radio spectrum for mobile networks is of value, of course, but it is of little value unless it actually achieves affordable, accessible services for consumers and citizens. They do not care if infrastructure is near them, but they certainly care if they can access affordable services with as few limitations as possible. The amendment would be beneficial in ensuring transparency of those not-spots. There is a certain amount of disbelief that my own particular not-spot, whether for radio or for digital, will be readily disposed of once the digital switchover happens. After the Bill becomes law, there will continue to be a number of areas where we need to keep a check on what is happening. The amendment would certainly help to identify the places, consumers and citizens who had yet to gain the wide choice of affordable, competitive services. It would be helpful if the Government, in considering how to address this whole area when thinking about Report, might do so through reporting requirements.