Debate on the Address

My Lords, the maiden speech of the noble Lord, Lord Bilimoria, was especially appreciated on the Bishops’ Bench, and if I may go beyond printed convention, I congratulate him on it. My intervention in the debate concerns the proposals on digital switchover in the gracious Speech. In the debate held on 9 December 2005 I asked the Government to pay careful attention to the difficulties likely to be faced by the elderly, the disabled and other vulnerable people over digital switchover. So I very much welcome the proposals which the Minister has already highlighted, in particular the intention through legislative provision to target the help required. I was pleased that, for its trial to discover the type of people who would need such help, the DCMS wisely chose the Hulton ward in Bolton, which is part of Greater Manchester. I hope the BBC took note of that choice and that the Government will continue to give such heavy hints to the BBC about its plans for the move to Greater Manchester. The Bolton trial is a helpful piece of evidence, confirming the ease of switchover for most people and their warm appreciation of digital viewing, but it also rightly emphasises the value of giving practical help to those over the age of 75 and the disabled. That includes giving elderly and other vulnerable people the time to adapt to using digital television, which is estimated to be for most people in these categories on average about four weeks. I also welcome the trial report’s recognition of the vital role played by charities and the voluntary sector, working together with local authorities, in providing realistic support alongside families and friends. So there is a clear message in all this for the manufacturers of digital television equipment: there is no point in having available equipment if the elderly and others find it too complicated to use or the instructions too obscure to be understood. Making the names of those needing help available to the providers is good resource management, but there are obvious dangers in that, and I welcome proposals to make misuse of the data an offence. That aspect will require careful scrutiny in debate. The source of the data, coming from social services records—including details of disability living or attendance allowances and other social benefits—underlines what was argued by the Select Committee on the BBC Charter, that this is a social cost and not a broadcasting cost. When we come to debate the Bill, it will be helpful to know whether thought has been given to how long term the provision of help in using digital equipment will be. Someone who could cope initially but then has a slightly debilitating illness may require a level of help in using the equipment that was not needed earlier. In other words, the issue of how elderly and disabled people cope with or require further help with what are likely to be increasing sophisticated pieces of domestic technology is, in an ageing population, likely to become a bigger issue. The Government are rightly addressing digital switchover and it is currently the presenting problem, but as technology advances ever more rapidly I do not believe for one moment that it will be the only problem. If the future digital rollout is to be socially just, then access to broadband, for example, is an equally important issue for the disabled and the growing number of elderly people. Indeed, in common with many noble Lords, I find that personally I have an increasingly vested interest in these matters.