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Digital Economy Bill [HL]

My Lords, there is a lot of sympathy from these Benches for much of the amendment. A lot of the debate about how we best equip this country for the digital economy has been focused on investment in infrastructure. Although it is important that the necessary infrastructure is in place, particularly for the next generation of broadband, what will drive demand for increased broadband speeds are the services that can be delivered. There is therefore some sense in ensuring that Ofcom gives regard to the promotion of competition in electronic communications services. I am always reluctant to add to a regulator’s duties unless there is a specific problem that needs addressing, and I should be interested in hearing the Minister’s view on whether this is indeed the case. Finally, I want to deal with the second part of the amendment regarding the emergency services and critical national infrastructure. It seems obvious that our communication networks must be able to serve those two critical areas. We must be aware of any potential problems with either the emergency services or our national infrastructure. I only ask whether Ofcom is currently equipped to do such a job. As a largely economic regulator, I wonder whether it has the necessary skills for this particular role. I look forward with interest to hearing what the Minister says.