pbc31601.1-4

House of Commons

Session 2006 - 07
Internet Publications
Other Bills before Parliament

1

House of Commons

Tuesday 16th January 2007

Public Bill Committee Proceedings

Digital Switchover (Disclosure of Information) Bill

[First and Second SIttings]

Mr Shaun Woodward

Agreed to

That—

(1)
the Committee shall (in addition to its first meeting at 10.30 a.m. on Tuesday

16th January) meet—

(a)
at 4.00 p.m. on Tuesday 16th January;

(b)
at 9.00 a.m. and 1.00 p.m. on Thursday 18th January;

(2)
the proceedings shall (so far as not previously concluded) be brought to a

conclusion at 4.00 p.m. on Thursday 18th January.

Mr Shaun Woodward

That, subject to the discretion of the Chairman, any written evidence received by the

Committee shall be reported to the House for publication.

Agreed to

Mr Edward Vaizey

Mr Don Foster

Paul Holmes

Not selected  5

Clause  1,  page  1,  line  2,  after ‘department’, insert ‘or any local authority’.

Mr Don Foster

Paul Holmes

Mr Edward Vaizey

Withdrawn  3

Clause  1,  page  1,  line  9,  at end insert—

‘(2A)
Local authorities may, at the request of a relevant person, supply a relevant person

with information on persons registered as blind or partially-sighted in their area

Public Bill Committee Proceedings: 16th January 2007
2

Digital Switchover (Disclosure of Information) Bill, continued

for use (by the person to whom it is supplied or by another relevant person) in

connection with switchover help functions.’.

Mr Don Foster

Mr Edward Vaizey

Paul Holmes

Withdrawn  8

Clause  1,  page  1,  line  11,  leave out paragraph (a).

Mr Don Foster

Mr Edward Vaizey

Paul Holmes

Not called  9

Clause  1,  page  1,  line  13,  leave out sub-paragraph (i).

Mr Don Foster

Mr Edward Vaizey

Paul Holmes

Not called  10

Clause  1,  page  1,  line  15,  leave out ‘the BBC or’.

Mr Edward Vaizey

Mr Don Foster

Paul Holmes

Not called  11

Clause  1,  page  1,  line  18,  leave out paragraph (c) and insert—

‘( )
the person or persons duly appointed to manage and operate the switchover help

scheme.’.

Mr Don Foster

Paul Holmes

Mr Edward Vaizey

Withdrawn  1

Clause  1,  page  2,  line  1,  after first ‘with’, insert ‘, and providing information in

formats accessible to visually impaired persons to,’.

Clause Agreed to.

Clause 2 Agreed to.

Mr Edward Vaizey

Mr Don Foster

Paul Holmes

Withdrawn  6

Clause  3,  page  2,  line  26,  after ‘disclose’, insert ‘, knowingly or recklessly,’.

Mr Don Foster

Paul Holmes

Mr Edward Vaizey

Not called  4

Clause  3,  page  2,  line  41,  at end insert—

Public Bill Committee Proceedings: 16th January 2007
3

Digital Switchover (Disclosure of Information) Bill, continued

‘(3A)
It is an offence under this section for a relevant person to cause a person as

defined under subsection (2) of this section to disclose without lawful authority

information supplied to a relevant person under section 1.’.

Mr Don Foster

Paul Holmes

Mr Edward Vaizey

Withdrawn  2

Clause  3,  page  3,  line  6,  leave out from ‘section’ to ‘he’ in line 11 and insert ‘if at

the time of the alleged offence he believed—

‘(a)
that he was making the disclosure in question with lawful authority, or

(b)
that the information in question had previously been disclosed to the

public with lawful authority,


and’.

Clause Agreed to.

Clause 4 Agreed to.

Mr Edward Vaizey

Mr Don Foster

Paul Holmes

Withdrawn  7

Clause  5,  page  4,  line  9,  after ‘switchover’, insert ‘, which must treat digital retail

television services and digital television broadcasting platforms equally in respect of all

aspects mentioned, including pricing, brand names, availability and packages and’.

Clause Agreed to.

Clause 6 Agreed to.

NEW CLAUSES

Switchover help scheme

Mr Don Foster

Paul Holmes

Mr Edward Vaizey

Not selected  NC1

To move the following Clause:—

‘(1)
The Secretary of State shall make regulations about any switchover help scheme.

(2)
The regulations shall specify or provide criteria for determining eligibility under

any such scheme.

(3)
Regulations under this section—

(a)
shall be made by statutory instrument, and

Public Bill Committee Proceedings: 16th January 2007
4

Digital Switchover (Disclosure of Information) Bill, continued

(b)
may not be made unless a draft has been laid before and approved by

resolution of each House of Parliament.’.

Commencement and duration

Mr Edward Vaizey

Mr Don Foster

Paul Holmes

Withdrawn  NC2

To move the following Clause:—

‘(1)
Section 1 shall come into force on such day as the Secretary of State may by order

appoint.

(2)
No information may be disclosed under section 1 after the end of the initial

period.

(3)
In this section “the initial period”, means the period of six years beginning with

the day on which section 1 comes into force.’.

Scrutiny

Mr Edward Vaizey

Mr Don Foster

Paul Holmes

Not selected  NC3

To move the following Clause:—

‘The Secretary of State shall annually lay before Parliament a report on the

progress of any digital switchover help scheme.’.

Bill to be reported, without amendment.