Digital Switchover (Disclosure of Information) Bill

The noble Lord, Lord Clement-Jones, raises some interesting points that we want to reflect on. There is a real problem in that we are talking about a technical switchover. There has to be a time limit, whether it is two weeks, three weeks, or whatever. You cannot construct an example of two 75 year-old parents with a partially sighted child who is moving off to university in, say, 2015, and ask why the Bill does not look after them. Obviously there are networks at social services that will take over the voluntary organisations that I mentioned. Although we will reflect on the issue, there has to be a date on which the process, support mechanism and infrastructure that we have set up for digital switchover disappears. While we reflect on what the noble Lord has said, perhaps he could reflect on the practical implications of his proposal, which is a rather more open-ended arrangement that we are considering. In answer to the question posed by the noble Viscount, Lord Astor, it is under the BBC charter and agreement.