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Digital Economy Bill [HL]

My Lords, I share the misgivings of the noble Lord, Lord Whitty, on this. One of the reasons that we have managed not to challenge the Government more on this matter, and that the departments which have introduced the Bill remain rather implacable about it, is that they are not the Ministry of Justice. In an era when the Government claim to be joined up, it is astonishing that the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport are driving this through against the interests of the citizen and in the interests of industry. It is right that those departments should represent the interests of industry, but where is the representation from the other departments which are meant to be batting in the interests of the citizen?