Amendments proposed to the Communications Bill, As Amended - continued House of Commons

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John Robertson [R]
Mr Parmjit Dhanda [R]
John McDonnell

150

Page     1,     line     9     [Clause     1],     at end insert—

    '(1A)   OFCOM shall operate within a policy framework set annually by the Government and shall publish an annual report describing how it has interpreted that framework in each twelve month period.

    (1B)   OFCOM shall make itself regularly available for questioning both to a specially-constituted OFCOM Parliamentary Committee and in specific public forums on the contents of its annual report.'.


   

Nick Harvey
Mr John Grogan
Paul Farrelly
Mr Chris Mullin
Mr Simon Thomas
Mr Austin Mitchell

3

Page     3,     line     4     [Clause     3],     after 'markets', insert 'and the public interest'.

   

Secretary Tessa Jowell
Ms Secretary Hewitt

215

Page     3,     line     6     [Clause     3],     leave out from beginning to 'to' in line 17 and insert 'and

      (aa) to further the interests of the community as a whole in relation to communications matters.

    (1A)   The things which, by virtue of subsection (1), OFCOM are required to secure in the carrying out of their functions include, in particular, each of the following—

      (a) the optimal use for wireless telegraphy of the electro-magnetic spectrum;

      (b) the availability throughout the United Kingdom of a wide range of electronic communications services;

      (c) the availability throughout the United Kingdom of a wide range of television and radio services which (taken as a whole) are both of high quality and calculated to appeal to a variety of tastes and interests;

      (d) the maintenance of a plurality of providers of different television and radio services;

      (e) the application, in the case of all television and radio services, of standards that provide adequate protection to members of the public, from the inclusion of offensive and harmful material in such services; and

      (f) the application, in the case of all television and radio services of standards that provide adequate protection'.

   

Mr John Whittingdale
Mr John Greenway
Mr Andrew Robathan
Mr Mark Hoban

84

Page     3,     line     25     [Clause     3],     leave out paragraph (b).

   

Mr John Whittingdale
Mr John Greenway
Mr Andrew Robathan
Mr Mark Hoban

85

Page     3,     line     30     [Clause     3],     leave out paragraph (d).

   

Mr Tim Yeo
Mr Crispin Blunt
Mr Andrew Robathan
Mr Henry Bellingham
Hugh Robertson
Mr Mark Field

278

Page     3,     line     33     [Clause     3],     at end insert 'and, in particular, the desirability of encouraging investment and innovation so as to secure the availability to users of electronic communications networks of services of ever greater bandwidth;'.

   

Secretary Tessa Jowell
Ms Secretary Hewitt

216

Page     3,     line     38     [Clause     3],     leave out '(2)' and insert '(1A)(e) and (f)'.

   

John Robertson [R]
Mr Parmjit Dhanda [R]
John McDonnell

151

Page     3,     line     39     [Clause     3],     at end insert—

      '(gg) the position of employees in the industry;'.

   

Mr Roger Berry
John McDonnell

19

Page     3,     line     43     [Clause     3],     after 'incomes', insert 'for equal or equivalent access to all forms of regulated communication.'.

   

Mr Simon Thomas
Pete Wishart

206

Page     3,     line     48     [Clause     3], at end insert 'including through representations made by the devolved administrations of Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland'.


   

Nick Harvey
Mr Richard Allan

187

Page     4,     line     3     [Clause     3],     at end insert—

    '(n)   the impact of developments in relevant markets upon creators and performers.'.

   

John Robertson [R]
Mr Parmjit Dhanda [R]
John McDonnell

152

Page     4,     line     3     [Clause     3],     at end insert—

    '(3A)   In pursuance of its duty specified in subsection (3)(gg), OFCOM will provide a detailed annual overview of the employment resource in the communications industry, and in particular with regard to health and safety, skill levels and the personal development and training of people working in the industry, quality of service provision and emergency cover, and will be held accountable to Parliament on these issues.'.

   

Secretary Tessa Jowell
Ms Secretary Hewitt

217

Page     4,     line     13     [Clause     3],     at end insert—

    '(6A)   Every report under paragraph 12 of the Schedule to the Office of Communications Act 2002 (c.11) (OFCOM's annual report) for a financial year must contain a summary of the manner in which, in that year, OFCOM resolved conflicts arising in important cases between their general duties.

    (6B)   A case is an important case for the purposes of subsection (6A) only if—

      (a) it involved one or more of the matters mentioned in subsection (6C); or

      (b) it otherwise appears to OFCOM to have been of unusual importance.

    (6C)   Those matters are—

      (a) a major change in the activities carried on by OFCOM;

      (b) matters likely to have a significant impact on persons carrying on businesses in any of the relevant markets; or

      (c) matters likely to have a significant impact on the general public in the United Kingdom or in a part of the United Kingdom.'.

   

Secretary Tessa Jowell
Ms Secretary Hewitt

218

Page     4,     line     17     [Clause     3],     at end insert—

'"communications matters" means the matters in relation to which OFCOM have functions;'.   

Mr Simon Thomas
Pete Wishart

207

Page     4,     line     24     [Clause     3], at end insert—

    '(6)   In performing their duties under this section OFCOM shall have a duty to consult with the National Assembly for Wales, the Scottish Parliament and the Northern Ireland Assembly over matters of specific concern to Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.'.


   

Mr John Whittingdale
Mr John Greenway
Mr Andrew Robathan
Mr Mark Hoban

86

Page     5,     line     10     [Clause     4],     leave out subsection (5) and insert—

    '(5)   The third Community requirement is a requirement to promote the interests of all persons who are citizens of the European Union, including freedom of thought, conscience, religion and expression; equality of opportunity and freedom for different individual groups within society to be able to apply for all available licences without discrimination or prejudice, whilst respecting cultural, religious and linguistic diversity, and consumer demand; to ensure fulfilment of the obligations arising out of—

      (a) Article 17 of the Treaty establishing the European Community; and

      (b) the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union; and

       OFCOM shall have particular regard to paragraph (3) of Decision No. 676/2002/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council, which states:

       "Radio spectrum policy in the Community should contribute to freedom of expression, including freedom of opinion and freedom to receive and disseminate information and ideas, irrespective of borders, as well as freedom and plurality of the media".'.

   

Secretary Tessa Jowell
Ms Secretary Hewitt

219

Page     5,     line     31     [Clause     4],     leave out from 'encourage' to end of line 32 and insert 'such compliance with the standards mentioned in subsection (10) as is necessary for'.

   

Secretary Tessa Jowell
Ms Secretary Hewitt

220

Page     5     [Clause     4],     leave out line 36.


   

Secretary Tessa Jowell
Ms Secretary Hewitt

221

Page     7,     line     9     [Clause     6],     after 'secured', insert ', or are likely to be furthered or secured,'.


   

Nick Harvey
Mr Richard Allan

188

Page     11,     line     24     [Clause     11],     at end insert—

    '(5A)   In appointing persons to be members of the Content Board, OFCOM must also secure that certain members have experience to represent the interests of the creators and producers involved in the programme and music to be included in the services relevant to the duties of the Board.'.


   

Nick Harvey
Mr Richard Allan

189

Page     13,     line     6     [Clause     12],     at end insert—

    '(6A)   The power of OFCOM to authorise the establishment of a Committee or Panel by the Content Board includes power to authorise the establishment of a Creators Panel, including persons from the United Kingdom music-creating community.'.


   

John Robertson [R]
Mr Parmjit Dhanda [R]
John McDonnell

153

Page     22,     line     24     [Clause     24],     after 'television', insert 'telecommunications, internet'.

   

John Robertson [R]
Mr Parmjit Dhanda [R]
John McDonnell

154

Page     22,     line     30     [Clause     24],     after 'television', insert 'telecommunications, internet'.


   

Secretary Tessa Jowell
Ms Secretary Hewitt

21

Page     33,     line     43     [Clause     34],     leave out '38' and insert '39'.



 
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