Digital Switchover (Disclosure of Information) Bill

My hon. Friend makes an important point. However, I shall not allow myself to be detained any longer on the issue of cost, so I shall not succumb to the temptation to develop the argument that costs could increase if people who are certified blind become registered. I want to focus on the absence in the Government amendments of any mention of people who are certified blind or partially sighted and are not on a local authority register. In keeping with the spirit of everything that the Minister has said about the Bill, we wish to ensure that the scheme works as effectively as possible, and that all relevant organisations are brought into the net so that the information that they hold can be used to target assistance. We could therefore introduce specific measures to allow people who are certified blind or partially sighted to be covered by the scheme—that is the essential point that I wish to make. We are flying blind on the cost of the scheme, so I accept the Minister’s assurance and shall certainly discuss the matter with him on our way to Whitehaven. I congratulate him on tabling the Government amendments, and I reiterate my congratulations to the hon. Member for Chesterfield, who initiated them and will be able to tell his grandchildren about them when they appear on the statute book. I look forward to clarification from the Minister of the implications for people who are certified blind.