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Committee of the Whole House (HL) and Debate on bill on Wednesday, 6 January 2010, in the House of Lords.

Digital Economy Bill [HL]

Digital Economy Bill (HL). Lords Committee stage first day. Clause 1 agreed to. Clause 2 under consideration.

Secondary information

Type
Parliamentary proceeding
Reference
716 c145-98 
Session
2009-10
Department
Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
Legislative stage
Committee stage
Chamber / Committee
House of Lords chamber
Related items
Proceeding contributions
Earl of Erroll | 716 c196 (Link to this contribution) I do not trust people to put reports into the public domain. There is a long history of these things...
Lord Howard of Rising | 716 c196 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, we on these Benches entirely agree with my noble friend’s Amendment 19. It is worth noting...
Show all contributions (112)
Lord Clement-Jones | 716 c198 (Link to this contribution) Before the Motion is put, I point out that mine is the next amendment. Therefore, I had a particular...
Lord Razzall | 716 c198 (Link to this contribution) Before that Motion is put, can I make the point that there are three parties in this House and it wo...
Lord Fowler | 716 c175 (Link to this contribution) The concept of efficient investment is rather curious. The Minister almost put his finger on the poi...
Lord Davies of Oldham | 716 c174-5 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I hope that we are not going to make a mountain out of this molehill because there is not ...
Lord Mackay of Clashfern | 716 c175 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, before the Minister finally sits down, is he satisfied that the structure of the Ofcom pow...
Lord Davies of Oldham | 716 c175 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, as ever, the noble Lord, Lord Fowler, is helpful. However, we are straining at a narrow po...
Lord Gordon of Strathblane | 716 c176 (Link to this contribution) 8: Clause 1, page 2, line 24, at end insert— "(7) Before section 120 of the Enterprise Act 2002 inse...
Lord Mackay of Clashfern | 716 c178-9 (Link to this contribution) There is a lot to be said for Ofcom having responsibility in this area. As the noble Lord, Lord Gord...
Lord Fowler | 716 c178 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I wish to intervene briefly. If, like the noble Lord, Lord Gordon, one is to declare past ...
Baroness Buscombe | 716 c167 (Link to this contribution) I again declare my interest—as I think I am supposed to do every time now—as chairman of the Press C...
Lord Puttnam | 716 c167-8 (Link to this contribution) May I pick up what the noble Baroness, Lady Buscombe, has said about impartiality? I do not want to ...
Lord Howard of Rising | 716 c163-5 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I shall speak also to Amendments 4, 6, 7 and 31. These five amendments fall into a few dif...
Lord Young of Norwood Green | 716 c163 (Link to this contribution) If I can, I want to reassure the noble Lord that this new clause recognises the specific importance ...
Baroness Buscombe | 716 c173 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I rise to support my noble friend entirely on the basis that this makes the way ahead uncl...
Lord Howard of Rising | 716 c173 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, this amendment would ensure that investment is efficient at all times and not just "wherev...
Lord Howard of Rising | 716 c172 (Link to this contribution) 5: Clause 1, page 1, line 12, leave out "wherever possible"
Lord Howard of Rising | 716 c172 (Link to this contribution) I start by saying how much I appreciate all that the noble Lord, Lord Davies, has said this afternoo...
Lord Lucas | 716 c172 (Link to this contribution) I hope when my noble friend replies he will join me in refuting the calumny uttered by the noble Lor...
Lord Mayhew of Twysden | 716 c158 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, perhaps I may ask for some help with the intended meaning of the formula, ""must have part...
Lord Young of Norwood Green | 716 c157 (Link to this contribution) I am sorry that my noble friend thought that that was not addressed; I thought that I had addressed ...
Lord Young of Norwood Green | 716 c162-3 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I think that we covered a good deal of this in the previous debate but nevertheless I shal...
Lord Howard of Rising | 716 c161 (Link to this contribution) Amendment 2 focuses on an unnecessary additional duty to promote infrastructure in electronic commun...
Lord Howard of Rising | 716 c161 (Link to this contribution) 2: Clause 1, page 1, leave out lines 8 and 9
Lord Young of Norwood Green | 716 c160 (Link to this contribution) I have tried not to respond, but I shall just on that point. If you look at the range of competition...
Lord Lucas | 716 c158-60 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I am very grateful to the many noble Lords who have spoken. I do not hold to the particula...
Earl of Erroll | 716 c190-1 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I have already said that these are very important amendments. The noble Lord, Lord Whitty,...
Lord Howard of Rising | 716 c191 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, the first point to make in relation to these amendments is that we are dealing with matter...
Baroness Howe of Idlicote | 716 c190 (Link to this contribution) I support the intentions behind Amendments 21, 22 and 25. These are important areas, and I certainly...
Lord Whitty | 716 c188-9 (Link to this contribution) I shall speak to the other amendments in this group as well. On reporting at least, these go to the ...
Lord Maxton | 716 c189-90 (Link to this contribution) I shall comment briefly and give general support to the amendments tabled by my noble friend. Howeve...
Lord Razzall | 716 c195 (Link to this contribution) I thank the Minister for his comments. I hope that, before we get to Report, he will take this away ...
Lord Razzall | 716 c193-4 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I should make it clear that we have no problem with and, indeed, support the principle of ...
Lord De Mauley | 716 c194 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, as I said earlier, we are of the view that the requirement for reports would be of most us...
Baroness Buscombe | 716 c183 (Link to this contribution) Notwithstanding what the Minister said, does he agree that it might be wise for him, prior to Report...
Lord Young of Norwood Green | 716 c182-3 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, for which relief, many thanks. I thank the noble Lord, Lord Clement-Jones, for giving up h...
Lord Puttnam | 716 c182 (Link to this contribution) I suggest to the Minister that the advice he has had from the noble Lord, Lord Whitty, is very, very...
Lord Lucas | 716 c182 (Link to this contribution) The noble Lord, Lord Whitty, seems to have encapsulated my arguments at much shorter length than I e...
Lord Whitty | 716 c182 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I am not going to support this clause either. Nor on this occasion am I declaring an inter...
Lord Clement-Jones | 716 c180-2 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, like my noble friend Lord Razzall, I am somewhat baffled by the excitement generated by Cl...
Lord Lucas | 716 c188 (Link to this contribution) I am always happy to bow to the superior style of the parliamentary draftsmen. I am grateful for wha...
Lord De Mauley | 716 c187 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I am grateful to my noble friend Lady Buscombe for her support and to the Minister for his...
Lord Davies of Oldham | 716 c187 (Link to this contribution) 10: Clause 2, page 2, line 31, leave out "on" and insert "and each report must deal with"
Lord Davies of Oldham | 716 c187-8 (Link to this contribution) I speak also to Amendment 11, in the name of the noble Lord, Lord Lucas, and Amendment 13. All the a...
Lord De Mauley | 716 c185 (Link to this contribution) 9: Clause 2, page 2, line 30, after "must" insert ", if requested to do so by the Secretary of State...
Earl of Erroll | 716 c146 (Link to this contribution) I want to reinforce what the noble Lord, Lord Lucas, has said. I have noticed that in various areas ...
Lord Brabazon of Tara | 716 c146 (Link to this contribution) I should point out that if this amendment is agreed to, I cannot call Amendments 2 to 5.
Lord Lucas | 716 c145-6 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, Clause 3 of the Communications Act 2003 sets out the general duties of Ofcom. The first su...
Lord Lucas | 716 c145 (Link to this contribution) 1: Clause 1, page 1, line 5, leave out subsection (2)
Lord Howard of Rising | 716 c151-3 (Link to this contribution) We on these Benches also agree with the concerns of my noble friend Lord Lucas about these provision...
Lord Young of Norwood Green | 716 c153-4 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, Clause 1(2) builds on Ofcom’s existing duties in the Communications Act 2003 regarding the...
Lord Mackay of Clashfern | 716 c149 (Link to this contribution) On the point made by the noble Lord, Lord Whitty, can the Minister help me about the use of the word...
Lord Mitchell | 716 c149-50 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I was unable to be here for Second Reading—I was travelling. I had things that I wanted to...
Lord Whitty | 716 c147 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, while I, like my noble friend Lord Gordon, do not entirely accept the characterisation of ...
Baroness Howe of Idlicote | 716 c148-9 (Link to this contribution) I more than understand what the noble Lord, Lord Lucas, is aiming at. I have considerable sympathy w...
Lord Young of Norwood Green | 716 c196-7 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, Clause 2 amends the Communications Act by inserting new sections requiring Ofcom to report...
Lord Faulkner of Worcester | 716 c198 (Link to this contribution) I apologise to the noble Lord, Lord Razzall. I did pass a signal across to the noble Lord, Lord Clem...
Lord Lucas | 716 c197-8 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, as I have said, I will certainly withdraw amendments at this stage, but I think that there...
Baroness Buscombe | 716 c173 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, perhaps that could be solved quite simply by adding the words, "in cases where there is an...
Earl of Erroll | 716 c173-4 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I, too, am interested in the word "efficient" because I suspect it is being confused with ...
Lord Howard of Rising | 716 c176 (Link to this contribution) It has become apparent that the whole debate is really about the definition of the word "efficient"....
Lord Davies of Oldham | 716 c175-6 (Link to this contribution) Perhaps I did not interpret the noble and learned Lord’s position as accurately as I ought to have d...
Lord Gordon of Strathblane | 716 c176-7 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, with the passage of the years, regrettably, any interests that I would have had to have de...
Lord Howard of Rising | 716 c180 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, we have been through Clause 1 in some detail. In summary, we on these Benches are concerne...
Lord Gordon of Strathblane | 716 c180 (Link to this contribution) I feel that, in the light of the support from the other three speakers, the matter must be taken fur...
Lord Young of Norwood Green | 716 c179-80 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, the amendment moved by my noble friend Lord Gordon proposes that Ofcom should be given a w...
Lord Maxton | 716 c166-7 (Link to this contribution) Following on from what the noble Lord, Lord Razzall, has said, it seems to me that what is being pro...
Lord Howard of Rising | 716 c163 (Link to this contribution) 3: Clause 1, page 1, line 10, leave out "public service"
Lord Razzall | 716 c165-6 (Link to this contribution) I resisted the temptation to intervene in your Lordships’ personal grief over these amendments. In m...
Lord Howard of Rising | 716 c163 (Link to this contribution) I agree with the right reverend Prelate about the need for an infrastructure that works and delivers...
Lord Howard of Rising | 716 c163 (Link to this contribution) I thank the Minister for what he has said. I am not completely convinced, but I beg leave to withdra...
Lord Maxton | 716 c173 (Link to this contribution) I may feel some confusion over the actual phrase used, but the implication that there should be occa...
Lord Davies of Oldham | 716 c170-2 (Link to this contribution) The noble Baroness was talking about the role and independence of newspapers. None of us could conce...
Lord Maxton | 716 c170 (Link to this contribution) The problem that the noble Baroness, Lady Buscombe, rightly raises is that newspapers, particularly ...
Lord Davies of Oldham | 716 c168-70 (Link to this contribution) The noble Lord, Lord Howard, has introduced amendments which have raised some very interesting and c...
Lord Young of Norwood Green | 716 c157 (Link to this contribution) If my noble friend is saying that Ofcom has not yet risen to the challenge of being the protector of...
Lord Puttnam | 716 c157 (Link to this contribution) That would be the case if the Committee was convinced that that was already happening. I am suggesti...
Lord Young of Norwood Green | 716 c157-8 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, with respect, I do not think that the amendment does address that. Taking away subsection ...
Lord Steel of Aikwood | 716 c154 (Link to this contribution) Perhaps I could clarify that while I support the sentiments reflected in the submission of the noble...
Lord Young of Norwood Green | 716 c154-6 (Link to this contribution) I thank the noble Lord for his clarification about the amendment and I endorse what he said about th...
Lord Puttnam | 716 c156-7 (Link to this contribution) Before the Minister sits down, I do not believe that he has fully addressed the underlying concern t...
Bishop of Blackburn | 716 c161-2 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, diluting this part of the Bill seems to me somewhat unhelpful. Maintaining the duty for Of...
Lord Young of Norwood Green | 716 c158 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I have tried to clarify that position. Clearly, the reference to having "particular regard...
Lord Howard of Rising | 716 c158 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I thank the Minister for saying that he will write to me, and I look forward to hearing fr...
Lord Lucas | 716 c160-1 (Link to this contribution) The noble Lord is taking my arguments too far. I was taking up his comment that prices would be high...
Lord Young of Norwood Green | 716 c158 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, the duty does exist but, as I indicated earlier, it is at a much lower level in that it ta...
Lord Davies of Oldham | 716 c191-2 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I am grateful to all noble Lords who have spoken in this debate and note the unanimity of ...
Lord Whitty | 716 c192-3 (Link to this contribution) Not quite. This is a new system of reporting on infrastructure and therefore we need to be quite cle...
Lord Whitty | 716 c188 (Link to this contribution) 12: Clause 2, page 2, line 40, after "State" insert ", Scottish Ministers, Welsh Ministers and North...
Lord Davies of Oldham | 716 c194-5 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I am grateful to all noble Lords who contributed to the debate, although I am slightly per...
Lord Lucas | 716 c195-6 (Link to this contribution) 19: Clause 2, page 3, line 17, at end insert— "( ) The Secretary of State must make reports prepared...
Lord Lucas | 716 c196 (Link to this contribution) Amendment 19 is grouped with Amendment 28.
Lord Davies of Oldham | 716 c193 (Link to this contribution) 13: Clause 2, page 2, leave out lines 42 and 43 and insert— "(3) A further report must— (a) be prepa...
Lord Razzall | 716 c193 (Link to this contribution) 15: Clause 2, page 3, line 2, leave out "2" and insert "4"
Lord Puttnam | 716 c194 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, we rehearsed this discussion in the passage of the Climate Change Bill, in which many situ...
Lord Howard of Rising | 716 c183-4 (Link to this contribution) I am glad to hear that the Minister will look at it. As I should like to give him some decent encour...
Lord Young of Norwood Green | 716 c183 (Link to this contribution) I thought that I had already given that assurance. The last thing we would want is to create any dou...
Earl of Erroll | 716 c182 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, very briefly, I would like to support what the noble Lord, Lord Whitty, has just said. The...
Lord Davies of Oldham | 716 c186-7 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I am grateful to the two noble Lords who have spoken, especially the noble Lord, Lord De M...
Lord De Mauley | 716 c185-6 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, Amendment 9 would provide that the new requirement for reports is rendered much more flexi...
Baroness Buscombe | 716 c186 (Link to this contribution) I support my noble friend’s amendment. It seems to be a good one. It reminds me of the words—I shall...
Lord Puttnam | 716 c147 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, as will probably become evident during the passage of this Bill through Committee, I am an...
Lord Gordon of Strathblane | 716 c147 (Link to this contribution) I wish to strike a slightly different note. It seems to me that the answer to what the noble Lord, L...
Lord Steel of Aikwood | 716 c146 (Link to this contribution) I support the thrust of what the noble Lord, Lord Lucas, and the noble Earl, Lord Erroll, have been ...
Baroness Buscombe | 716 c150 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, first, I need to declare an ongoing and active involvement in the media as chairman of the...
Lord Maxton | 716 c149 (Link to this contribution) I would like to ask the noble Lord, Lord Lucas, whether, if the amendment were carried, he can tell ...
Bishop of Blackburn | 716 c147-8 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, it is my view that removing these proposed new duties of Ofcom would strip the Bill of one...
Lord Faulkner of Worcester | 716 c198 (Link to this contribution) I beg to move that the House be now resumed.
Lord De Mauley | 716 c177-8 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, in Amendment 8, the noble Lord, Lord Gordon, raises an issue which is critical to the futu...
Lord Mackay of Clashfern | 716 c174 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I wonder how the point made by the noble Lord, Lord Maxton, fits in with this clause at al...
Baroness O'Neill of Bengarve | 716 c157 (Link to this contribution) Before the Minister completes his response, the worry on many sides of the Committee is not that Ofc...
Subjects
Disability Devolved matters Broadcasting Broadcasting reception Broadband Communication Investment Infrastructure Northern Ireland Mergers Office of Fair Trading Political impartiality Public service broadcasting Ofcom Scotland Regulation Wales Rural areas
Legislation
Digital Economy Bill (HL) 2009-10
Link
View this Parliamentary proceeding on www.publications.parliament.uk