Digital Switchover (Disclosure of Information) Bill

I beg to move, That the Bill be now read the Third time. The Bill is a small but important measure which will help us achieve the goal of completing digital switchover between 2008 and 2012. It will ensure that the most vulnerable—those who are over 75, disabled or visually impaired—have access to an efficient and effective system of help to support them through the changes. Our debates have covered a number of subjects, which is not surprising, given the range and scope of the digital switchover programme, even though the Bill has such a small number of clauses. We have looked in detail at the information that the Bill permits to be disclosed to the help scheme. I am pleased that we were able to table Government amendments on Report to widen the scope of the power to cover information held by local authorities on people who are registered blind or partially sighted. Undoubtedly, the House has improved the Bill. For that, I pay tribute again to the efforts of the digital switchover consumer experts group and all hon. Members from all parts of the House who raised the issue, including the hon. Member for Chesterfield (Paul Holmes), who regrettably, even with his psychic powers, failed to predict that I would give him the credit that he deserves and which was rightly bestowed on him by the hon. Member for Wantage. We will continue to work with the consumer experts group and with the RNIB and Sense to ensure that we continue to improve the practical side of the Bill, and with local authorities and the Local Government Association. The Bill permits social security and similar data to be disclosed to the administrator of the help scheme so that people entitled to help under the scheme can be contacted directly. Naturally, sensitivities have rightly been expressed about the use of personal information for wider purposes, and much of our discussion has rightly focused on the protection of the information disclosed, the criminal powers included in the Bill, and the duration of the powers to disclose information. I take the opportunity again to thank all those who have been involved in shaping the arguments. I hope we have provided the necessary reassurances to all hon. Members. I thank all members of the Committee, the Chairman who presided over the proceedings, and other hon. Members who contributed to today’s debate and on Second Reading. On behalf of all who served in Committee, I thank the Committee Clerk, the Bill team, and officials at the Department for Work and Pensions, the Department for Constitutional Affairs and the Department of Health for helping to develop the proposals. The Bill, though modest in size, is an important measure. It will improve the efficiency of a help scheme covering those who are at most risk of having difficulty in adapting to the change. It involves the disclosure of personal data, but that is for a sensible and important cause—assisting potentially vulnerable groups through the switchover process. Many of those eligible will not need assistance of any sort, as the figures already show. It is encouraging, though perhaps not surprising, to see that in the areas where digital switchover will begin, people already show an extremely high level of understanding, or have already purchased their first television set or the equipment that will enable them to benefit from digital switchover. The purpose of the Bill is to ensure that everybody benefits from digital switchover, and we are grateful to all hon. Members for helping to ensure that the scheme will be a success and that the benefits of digital television will be universal. I therefore commend the Bill to the House.