Digital Switchover (Disclosure of Information) Bill

The Minister has detained me on the Floor of the House on the point of cost. He made the point that the estimate of a few hundred pounds for each local authority that he cited as he moved the amendment came from the RNIB and Sense. I have not seen the estimate and neither organisation has contacted me to demonstrate how it calculated the figure. However, we are considering Government measures that will allow the BBC to ask local authorities for information about the blind and partially sighted. Although I do not in any way impugn the ability of RNIB and Sense to make an estimate, it is my submission that it is important that the Minister should have analysed those figures and reached a conclusion.