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Digital Economy Bill [HL]

My Lords, before my noble friend withdraws his amendment or comes back to comment on it, can the Minister tell us a little more about the national plan? When will it come into being? Will it come into being after this Bill passes? Will we get a chance to look at it in the light of the recommendations? What is the review situation? I apologise to the Committee for not being able to be here last week. A family funeral kept me away. I continue to be concerned about rural access to digital opportunities, which I have raised in this House on many occasions, and which I suspect the noble Lord, Lord Whitty, covered earlier in his amendments. My noble friend Lord Lucas’s amendment gives me a chance to raise this again. I would have raised it last week but I could not be here. Surely it would be beneficial if we had some response to, or wider knowledge, of how the national plan would apply to the Bill.