UK Parliament / Open data

Digital Switchover (Disclosure of Information) Bill

The provision refers to individual information. I am happy to look at the question that the hon. Gentleman raises about aggregate information, and I shall ask officials to advise me on it. If I am unable to have that advice in time for the end of Third Reading, I am happy to write to the hon. Gentleman about the matter. New clause 4, which is in the names of the hon. Members for Wantage, for Bath and for Chesterfield (Paul Holmes), is also concerned with the provision of a sunset clause. Under it, the powers would be available for the lifetime of the scheme. That approach is a step forward from the amendment that we discussed in Committee, but we believe that the Bill already adequately meets such concerns, and more simply and effectively than the new clause would, although I accept that the intention behind it is to improve the Bill. On balance, we do not agree that the disclosure gateway could be kept alive after switchover to support a scheme that continues after switchover for other purposes; the definition of digital switchover in clause 5 is far too precise for that. Even if ambiguity did exist—we believe that it does not—we cannot see how an extension of the scheme might come about, given that the BBC would need to agree to continue to help provide and fund a scheme for an event that had finished. Our approach meets the concern that Members have expressed—that the powers are available for the duration of the switchover help scheme. If it helps, I will give the House an assurance that there are no plans for the help scheme to continue, or for the powers to be exercised, after switchover has completed and no more help needs to be delivered. We would like the Bill’s powers to be available as soon as possible, in order that they can support the switchover in Whitehaven at the end of the year. That is why we need an early commencement. There will be a short pause, because clause 1 cannot have practical effect until an order defining the information that can be disclosed has been made. These are important issues and I am grateful to the Members concerned for raising them; I hope that we have been able to reassure them that we genuinely share their concerns. We believe that, on balance, ours is a more practical way of dealing with those concerns, which is why, while we understand the points that they have made, we will none the less resist their new clauses. I hope that, in the light of that explanation, they will agree to withdrawn the motion.
Type
Proceeding contribution
Reference
456 c45-6 
Session
2006-07
Chamber / Committee
House of Commons chamber
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