HL Deb 16 July 2003 vol 651 cc865-6

42 Clause 216, page 192, line 16, at end insert— (4A) The licence must contain the conditions that OFCOM consider appropriate for securing that persons with disabilities affecting their sight or hearing or both are able, so far as practicable, to make use of the service for all the same purposes as persons without such disabilities.

The Commons disagree to this amendment, but propose the following amendment in lieu thereof—

42A Page 268, line 10, at end insert the following Clause—>

"Assistance for the visually impaired with the public teletext service The regulatory regime for the public teletext service includes the conditions that OFCOM consider appropriate for securing, so far as it is reasonable and practicable, by the inclusion of features in that service, to do so, that persons with disabilities affecting their sight are able to make use of the service.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey

My Lords, I beg to move that the House do not insist on their Amendment No. 42 to which the Commons have disagreed, but do agree with the Commons in their Amendment No. 42A in lieu thereof. I shall also speak to Amendments Nos. 72A to 72E.

At Third Reading, we accepted Amendment No. 42, which would have required Ofcom to include conditions in the public teletext service to secure that people with sight and/or hearing disabilities were able to use the service for all the same purposes as people without such disabilities. I explained that there were some technical issues to be addressed with regard to the drafting and the placement of the amendment in the Bill, and Amendment No. 42A does that in a way which we believe preserves the spirit of Amendment No. 42.

At Third Reading, we accepted Amendment No. 72, which requires Ofcom's code relating to provision for the deaf and visually impaired to give guidance as to the extent to which applicable services should promote the understanding and enjoyment of programmes by persons with a dual sensory impairment. I indicated at the time that we would need to make some minor amendments to ensure that the remainder of the provisions on the code were consistent with the change. Amendments Nos. 72A to 72E are therefore minor consequential amendments to make provision for consultation on the code and accessibility of the code to apply to people who have a dual sensory impairment.

Moved, That the House do not insist on their Amendment No. 42 to which the Commons have disagreed, but do agree with the Commons in their Amendment No. 42A in lieu thereof.—(Lord McIntosh of Haringey.)

Lord Addington

My Lords, I agree that the form of wording in Amendment No. 42A is clearer and more direct. I thank the noble Lord for making sure that, as regards Amendment No. 72, we have a way of ensuring that dual sensory impairment is brought in throughout the whole structure. I thank the Government.

Lord Ashley of Stoke

My Lords, positively my last word on the Bill is of heartfelt thanks to my noble friend Lord McIntosh. The long-standing problems have now been dealt with in a very efficient and effective way. It will transform the lives of deaf, blind and deaf, blind people.

On Question, Motion agreed to.