§ Mrs. GilroyTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps he is taking to ensure that new televisions which are described as digital can receive digital communications. [145077]
§ Dr. HowellsI have been asked to reply.
I am concerned that consumers may not be being given sufficiently clear it information about what new televisions are, or are not, able to receive digital services. My Department is working with industry to develop a clear labelling system for digital televisions and is in touch with the Local Authorities Co-ordinating Body on Food and Trading Standards (LACOTS) about the nature and extent of consumer problems in this area.
The Trade Descriptions Act 1968 already prohibits false or misleading descriptions of products. It would therefore be an offence to describe a television set falsely, and if there are instances where traders are misdescribing analogue sets as digital, I would urge consumers to bring them to the attention of their local authority trading standards department.