Digital Switchover

As Chair of the Communications All Party Group in Parliament I am pleased that digital switchover bill is being debated in the House.  Going digital is a fantastic opportunity allowing everyone access to more channels, providing greater choice for consumers, better interactivity on programmes, and even giving some homes a signal that they’ve never been able to access before.

7 out of 10 homes, more than 18 million people, receive multi-channel TV in the UK.  This comes in various forms, Sky, free satellite, Freeview and cable.  The take-up of digital has certainly grown over the past year and around 52% of TV equipment sold over the last year was digital.  But there are currently a quarter of homes who cannot get digital through their current aerial and many who still cannot access Channel 5.
Only by switching off the analogue signal, scheduled for 2012, will the digital signal be strengthened, allowing more households better access to more programmes and a better quality of pictures.

This Government wants every home to enjoy the benefits that digital television brings and so the commitment to financially help those with disabilities, lower incomes and the elderly is welcomed.  In my constituency of Glasgow North West, I have a significant percentage of constituents of pensionable age.
This is one target group who may suffer as a result of switchover if careful thought and attention is not taken.  The statistics show that around 4.5 million people over the age of 75 will be eligible for the targeted assistance scheme.

It is important that not only does this group receive financial assistance with switching to digital but that they also have accessible information on what to do and how it will happen.  This bill gives the Government the opportunity and the means in which to get in touch with those people eligible for the scheme.

Companies also have a duty to protect vulnerable consumers as they attempt to buy their set-top boxes.  There are currently many companies who are continuing to sell the older models of televisions which are not compatible with digital.  Whilst I appreciate that companies need to get rid of their old stock and make profits, it is not acceptable to not inform consumers that the televisions will only work for a few more years before the new system is put in place.

I echo the sentiments of other honourable members that data sharing with the BBC to identify those who need financial help with switchover is a good idea.  It is much more advisable to share social security information on consumers with the scheme’s administrator to help minimise the complex process of form filling ensuring those who are most vulnerable are not left behind.

Switchover, it has been said, will make things fairer.  At present, people with a hearing problem, with poor vision, including a large number of elderly people, are able to increase the size of the subtitles on most of their analogue televisions.  When digital appears, this facility will disappear unless a set-top box is created to allow enlarged subtitles.

There are around 23,000 deaf blind people in the UK and if this problem is not addressed, 23,000 people could lose out as a result of switchover.  Ofcom sets standards for the size and quality of subtitling that broadcasters provide but they cannot force manufacturers to provide the equipment that is required because manufactured goods are excluded from the Disability Discrimination Act.  Can my Right Honourable Friend assure me that careful consideration will be taken in this area?

And can I also draw the House’s attention to the issue of electronic programming guides?  Members, who already have a digital television and watch Sky or cable programmes, will be familiar with the programme guides.  You can scroll up or down pages and pages of available channels and then select the programme you want to watch.  This is easy for someone who has good vision but not for those who are blind or even partially sighted.  Again, unless a set-top box is designed that will give an audio output from the programme guide, blind people will not be able to know which channel they are watching, or select the channel they want.

I was active in the debates on the Communications Act in 2003 and I remember well the long discussions on how to make sure disabled people were not excluded from access to broadcasting.

Because manufactured goods are excluded from disability law we were only able to give Ofcom a duty to promote inclusive design, we could not legislate it.  We are however, in a different position with today’s bill.  The target help scheme offers a public procurement opportunity.  The Government will be placing an order for what could be around several million digital television receivers and will be able to set the specification of these to ensure all vulnerable people have access to all the features that are available as a result of going digital.

Ofcom requires broadcasters to transmit audio description on a percentage of their output, and can impose sanctions on those who fail to comply.  However, they have no power to ensure manufacturers put the facility to receive audio description into the set-top boxes.  And in fact, the only box that currently had the facility – the Netgem box, is being taken off the market.

An independent report, commissioned recently by the Scottish technology group MGT shows that four out of five Scots do not know when the analogue switch off will take place in their region.

The survey, of more than 1000 consumers revealed that 56% of Scots do not understand what is involved in the switchover process.  Digital UK is making progress in informing the public of the switchover process and I hope this will continue until all areas have been fully switched in 2012.  Employees in electrical goods stores need to be fully trained with in-depth advice on digital switchover to help consumers choose the right products for them to ensure they benefit from this scheme.

Representing a Scottish constituency, I am concerned about the widespread media reports claiming that around 500,000 homes in Scotland will only receive half the Freeview channels when analogue signals are switched off.  There are already a number of households who cannot access digital television or radio, or indeed terrestrial television channels such as channel 5.  Finding out that the proposal set up to help solve this problem will not actually benefit some households is a devastating blow to consumers.

Can my right Hon Friend assure me that the Government will do all it can to make sure the majority of people in Scotland, and the rest of the UK will benefit from going digital and not to be put off by reports in the media which suggest otherwise?

Going digital opens up a world of information and greater choices of programmes to consumers.  It is important that consumers are kept informed with the latest developments in the switchover to ensure that those most vulnerable are not left behind.  I commend the Government’s decision to introduce the help scheme and that the administrator will write to each household informing them of the switchover and inviting them to apply for help.  It is essential that is an ever increasing global market that the UK remains ahead of the game and digital will complement the current exceptional TV services that make it a world leader in digital television.

• 2007 – Whitehaven, Cumbria
• 2008 – Border
• 2009 West country, Wales, Granada
• 2010 – West, Grampian, Scottish
• 2011 – Central, Yorkshire, Anglia,
• 2012 – Meridian, London, Tyne Tees, Ulster

• Comprehensive help scheme for over 75s, those with significant disabilities, register blind and deaf and those on low incomes and benefits.

• Modest, one-off fee for all other households.

• 7 million households eligible for the help scheme.

• Data sharing from DWP and MoD with BBC and Digital Switchover Help Scheme

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