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Digital Economy Bill [HL]

I knew that my noble friend would light upon the most sophisticated of the technological changes to effect the best of all possible worlds. I understand entirely that radios create the problem of disposal, which is why the noble Lord, Lord Cotter, has raised the issue. As we know, there will be no little set box placed on top of a radio. There will be disposal, which is an important issue. We are not convinced that financial incentives are necessary. We will look at the matter. No financial incentive was required in the digital television switchover as regards disposal, but my noble friend identified that somewhat different factors were at stake. I reassure the noble Lord that the issue he has raised is of considerable importance. The environmental impact is a key part of the digital radio switchover planning. I was grateful for the fact that the noble Lord, Lord Howard, also raised issues about the necessity of a careful plan with regard to this. But, as is his wont, he then raised the matter of what the money will come from. Let me say that there may be a case for a help scheme, but we are not sure about that yet. What we are sure about is that the obligation for disposal rests with the industry, which therefore is where the costs lie. The noble Lord, Lord Clement-Jones, indicated when he mentioned the scrappage scheme that that is a sure indication of the extent to which the industry is looking ahead to a date with a certain predictability about it—not a month or a year, but we know that the process needs to be put in hand—and is planning accordingly.