§ Lord Morris of Manchesterasked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Answer by the Baroness Blackstone on 29 October (HL Deb, cols. 1225–1226), how they intend to ensure that—
- (a) the board of the Office of Communications has sufficient familiarity with the needs of disabled and older people to be able effectively to discharge its intended regulatory functions in relation to them;
- (b) the work of the Advisory Committee on Telecommunications for Disabled and Elderly People (DIEL) is carried over to the new regulatory framework and expanded to encompass advice to the Office of Communications on the access needs of disabled and older people in relation to other communications services;
- (c) access for disabled people is included among and prioritised within the design criteria for the Office of Communications; and
- (d) the Office of Communications adopts a best practice approach to meeting the information and communication needs of disabled customers. [HL1490]
§ The Minister of State, Department for Culture, Media and Sport (Baroness Blackstone)It is the Government's intention to require the Office of Communications (Ofcom) to give proper weight in all its activities to the special needs of people with disabilities and of the elderly. It will be for Ofcom to determine how it meets this requirement and, in particular, how it obtains appropriate advice on what the special needs of consumers may be, including the special access needs of consumers of communications services. Ofcom will be able to establish committees to provide advice about matters relating to its functions. There will also be a new consumer panel, operating with a high degree of independence from the regulator, and appointments to the panel will take full account of the importance of understanding the concerns of consumers with special needs. The forthcoming draft communications Bill, to be published in the spring, will provide further detail of the remit and operation of the consumer panel.
Further work to be undertaken on the practical arrangements for creating Ofcom will involve gaining a clear understanding of the needs of Ofcom's various stakeholders, including those of disabled people, in order that they may inform its collective purpose and operations. In addition, Ofcom will be expected to ensure the most effective means for making sure that disabled people can have full access to relevant information about its activities.
§ Lord Morris of Manchesterasked Her Majesty's Government:
How they will respond to the view of the Royal National Institute for the Blind that the Office of 158WA Communications's future duties in respect of disabled peple should go beyond merely giving due weight to their interests and extend to making proper provision to meet their specific needs in relation to access to communications services. [HL1491]
§ Baroness BlackstoneAs made clear in the Communications White Paper, Ofcorn will be required to give due weight to the need for improved access to communications services for people with disabilities. Our detailed proposals will be set out in the draft communications Bill.