Digital Switchover (Disclosure of Information) Bill

Long before the notes came across, the answer was plain to the Minister—I want to reassure the right reverend Prelate on that point. I have not the slightest doubt that there are vulnerable people and people of limited means for whom the switchover will cause difficulty. The switching off of the system and the requirement to invest in different equipment will create a challenge. That is why it is so important that the broadcasters are involved in a technologically driven action of significance to the nation. The right reverend Prelate will recognise that we have to draw a line somewhere. If we set out to identify all sections of society that might contain vulnerable individuals, we would be involved in an extremely complex exercise. It would be a means test with a vengeance and one that would not just be about income and resources but would also be about technological understanding and capacity to cope with the modern situation. We have to draw the line somewhere. It is abundantly clear that 65 year-olds fit the pattern of the rest of the population because very close to 75 per cent of them have already moved to digital. However, only 45 per cent of over 75s have made that transition, so there is clear evidence of a group that needs help because it is markedly different from the rest of the population. That is why we are addressing ourselves to that group. I respect the motives of the right reverend Prelate who is trying to give help wherever it is needed, and I do not deny that help is needed among different sections of society. However, he will recognise that the cost of the scheme—more than £600 million—has already been visited upon licence fee-payers. It would be substantially higher if we extended the scheme to include over-65s. If we did that, we would be extending the scheme to a group that is like every other group and it could then be said that if that group needs help, all categories in society need help. That would raise a challenge that we cannot respond to. However, we have an identifiable group that needs help, and we are addressing it. In the general debate, one side’s argument is that this a social security issue of assistance and the Government’s argument—which is established in the settlement regarding the licence fee—is that this is a broadcasting change properly visited upon the BBC as part of the licensing cost. On that basis, I am not in a position to accept the amendment.