Digital Switchover (Disclosure of Information) Bill

moved Amendment No. 1: 1: Clause 1 , page 1, line 2, after ““may”” insert ““, before17th October 2007 and thereafter”” The noble Lord said: In moving this amendment, I shall speak also to Amendments Nos. 2 and 3. I suppose that you could call this group of amendments the Whitehaven amendments. Their purpose is to ensure that those living in Whitehaven—the area that will begin the digital switchover process—are entitled to the help scheme in the same way as the rest of the country. This is a probing amendment that ensures that information about social security entitlements, war pensions and visual impairment is disclosed at the very least before 17 October 2007, which is the date on which switchover will begin in Whitehaven. That date was announced on Thursday, 15 March 2007. Should the Bill receive a speedy passage through Parliament, it should be possible to disclose all the information necessary for people to be entitled to the digital help scheme in Whitehaven before that date. My colleagues in the other place—in particular, my honourable friend Paul Holmes—raised this issue. They were concerned that there was a danger that people in Whitehaven would lose as the criteria for help had not been made clear, because the Bill is yet to be passed. There is also the danger that people who move to Whitehaven after switchover may not receive any help. I seek the Minister’s assurance that in that area help will reach all the elderly, disabled or low income households that need it, when they need it. We stilldo not have many details about how much the Whitehaven switchover will cost; there are still some imponderables there. Perhaps the Minister could give the necessary assurances about the beginning of the switchover process. I beg to move.