---

Digital Economy Bill [HL]

My Lords, we had a probing amendment in this group designed to allow for a debate on costs, but it has been superseded by the far more detailed amendments that we are now debating. Costs are of course among the most controversial of the issues that have arisen out of these provisions and this single area has probably caused the biggest outcry from various groups of stakeholders. It is understandable why that should be: the estimates of the cost of implementation that are being thrown around are in some cases huge—certainly enough to place a significant burden on almost all companies, let alone on a small private business on which, in these difficult times, this sort of imposition might well make the difference between viability and failure. We accept that some flexibility in the Bill is appropriate but, although we acknowledge the publication of the SI and the Minister’s explanation in the context of the group containing Amendment 59, which we debated earlier, we hope that he will be able to expand on what his noble friend said to give your Lordships comfort that the whole business will not result in more costs being forced on consumers than is absolutely necessary within the bounds of efficiency and fairness.