Digital Economy Bill (HL Bill 80)

EXPLANATORY NOTES

Explanatory notes to the Bill, prepared by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, are published separately as HL Bill 80—EN.

EUROPEAN CONVENTION ON HUMAN RIGHTS

Lord Ashton of Hyde has made the following statement under section 19(1)(a) of the Human Rights Act 1998:

In my view the provisions of the Digital Economy Bill are compatible with the Convention rights.

Contents

  1. Part 1

    Access to digital services

    1. 1. Universal service broadband obligations

    2. 2. General conditions: switching communications provider

    3. 3. Automatic compensation for failure to meet performance standards

  2. Part 2

    Digital infrastructure

    1. Electronic communications code

      1. 4. The electronic communications code

      2. 5. Power to make transitional provision in connection with the code

      3. 6. Power to make consequential provision etc in connection with the code

      4. 7. Application of the code: protection of the environment

    2. Dynamic spectrum access services

      1. 8. Regulation of dynamic spectrum access services

    3. Other regulation of spectrum

      1. 9. Statement of strategic priorities

      2. 10. Penalties for contravention of wireless telegraphy licences

      3. 11. Fixed penalties under Wireless Telegraphy Act 2006

      4. 12. Search warrants under Wireless Telegraphy Act 2006

      5. 13. Disposal of seized property under Wireless Telegraphy Act 2006

      6. 14. Time limits for prosecutions under Wireless Telegraphy Act 2006

  3. Part 3

    Online pornography

    1. 15. Internet pornography: requirement to prevent access by persons under the
      age of 18

    2. 16. Meaning of “pornographic material”

    3. 17. The age-verification regulator: designation and funding

    4. 18. Parliamentary procedure for designation of age-verification regulator

    5. 19. Age-verification regulator’s power to require information

    6. 20. Enforcement of sections 15 and 19

    7. 21. Financial penalties

    8. 22. Age-verification regulator’s power to give notice of contravention to payment
      service providers and ancillary service providers

    9. 23. Age-verification regulator’s power to direct internet service providers to
      block access to material

    10. 24. Exercise of functions by the age-verification regulator

    11. 25. Requirements for notices given by regulator under this Part

    12. 26. Interpretation of this Part

  4. Part 4

    Intellectual Property

    1. 27. Offences: infringing copyright and making available right

    2. 28. Registered designs: infringement: marking product with internet link

    3. 29. Copyright etc where broadcast retransmitted by cable

  5. Part 5

    Digital government

    1. Chapter 1

      Public service delivery

      1. 30. Disclosure of information to improve public service delivery

      2. 31. Disclosure of information to gas and electricity suppliers

      3. 32. Disclosure of information by gas and electricity suppliers

      4. 33. Further provisions about disclosures under section 30, 31 or 32

      5. 34. Confidentiality of personal information

      6. 35. Information disclosed by the Revenue and Customs

      7. 36. Code of practice

      8. 37. Regulations under this Chapter

      9. 38. Interpretation of this Chapter

    2. Chapter 2

      Civil registration

      1. 39. Disclosure of information by civil registration officials

      2. 40. Consequential provision

    3. Chapter 3

      Debt owed to the public sector

      1. 41. Disclosure of information to reduce debt owed to the public sector

      2. 42. Further provisions about power in section 41

      3. 43. Confidentiality of personal information

      4. 44. Information disclosed by the Revenue and Customs

      5. 45. Code of practice

      6. 46. Duty to review operation of Chapter

      7. 47. Regulations under this Chapter

      8. 48. Interpretation of this Chapter

    4. Chapter 4

      Fraud against the public sector

      1. 49. Disclosure of information to combat fraud against the public sector

      2. 50. Further provisions about power in section 49

      3. 51. Confidentiality of personal information

      4. 52. Information disclosed by the Revenue and Customs

      5. 53. Code of practice

      6. 54. Duty to review operation of Chapter

      7. 55. Regulations under this Chapter

      8. 56. Interpretation of this Chapter

    5. Chapter 5

      Sharing for research purposes

      1. 57. Disclosure of information for research purposes

      2. 58. Provisions supplementary to section 57

      3. 59. Bar on further disclosure of personal information

      4. 60. Information disclosed by the Revenue and Customs

      5. 61. Code of practice

      6. 62. Accreditation for the purposes of this Chapter

      7. 63. Delegation of functions of Statistics Board

      8. 64. Interpretation of this Chapter

    6. Chapter 6

      Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs

      1. 65. Disclosure of non-identifying information by HMRC

    7. Chapter 7

      Statistics

      1. 66. Disclosure of information by HMRC to the Statistics Board

      2. 67. Disclosure of information by public authorities to the Statistics Board

      3. 68. Access to information by Statistics Board

      4. 69. Disclosure by the Statistics Board to devolved administrations

  6. Part 6

    Miscellaneous

    1. OFCOM: reports etc

      1. 70. OFCOM reports on infrastructure etc

      2. 71. Comparative overviews of quality and prices

    2. OFCOM: information

      1. 72. Conditions about allocation of telephone numbers

      2. 73. Provision of information to OFCOM

      3. 74. Information required from communications providers

    3. Appeals

      1. 75. Appeals from decisions of OFCOM and others: standard of review

    4. Regulation and functions of BBC

      1. 76. Functions of OFCOM in relation to the BBC

      2. 77. TV licence fee concessions by reference to age

    5. OFCOM powers relating to criminal content etc

      1. 78. Suspension of radio licences for inciting crime or disorder

      2. 79. Digital additional services: seriously harmful extrinsic material

    6. On-demand programme services

      1. 80. On-demand programme services: specially restricted material

    7. Direct marketing code

      1. 81. Direct marketing code

    8. Other provisions relating to OFCOM

      1. 82. OFCOM and Northern Ireland

      2. 83. Retention by OFCOM of amounts paid under Wireless Telegraphy Act 2006

      3. 84. International recognition of satellite frequency assignments: power of
        OFCOM to charge fees

    9. Payment and securities settlement systems

      1. 85. Power to apply settlement finality regime to payment institutions

      2. 86. Bank of England oversight of payment systems

    10. Qualifications in information technology

      1. 87. Qualifications in information technology: payment of tuition fees

  7. Part 7

    General

    1. 88. Financial provisions

    2. 89. Commencement

    3. 90. Extent

    4. 91. Short title

    1. Schedule 1

      The electronic communications code

    2. Schedule 2

      The electronic communications code: transitional provision

    3. Schedule 3

      Electronic communications code: consequential amendments

      1. Part 1

        General provision

      2. Part 2

        Amendments of particular enactments

    4. Schedule 4

      Bank of England oversight of payment systems

      1. Part 1

        Extension of Bank of England oversight of payment systems

      2. Part 2

        Consequential amendments