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Digital Top Stories
Bradshaw remains hopeful DEB will become law, with Tory assistance
By CMU Editorial | Published on Tuesday 30 March 2010
Talking of the Digital Economy Bill, Culture Minister Ben Bradshaw last night said he remained confident the controversial legislation would become law ahead of the General Election.
There has, of course, been much speculation as to whether the Bill, with its three-strikes proposing copyright section, would get through the parliamentary process before the big vote, after which a new government is likely to be in power. Although there won’t be time to get the new laws properly through the House Of Commons before parliament is dissolved for the election, the plan is to pass the laws during the so called “wash-up” period, when government-proposed legislation supported by the opposition parties can become law on the nod, based on the principle that if both Labour and Conservative top teams support something, it can be assumed it would be passed by the Commons.
Speaking at the launch of UK Music’s ‘Liberating Creativity’ report at the Houses Of Parliament last night, Bradshaw said: “With the support of some of my Conservative colleagues here this evening, we can still make the Digital Economy Bill happen”. Noting the role the Tory chair of parliament’s Culture Select Committee is likely to play in ensuring success for the DEB in the wash-up, Bradshaw concluded: “God and John Whittingdale permitting, we will get there”.
That the DEB is likely to become law with little debate in the House Of Commons has, of course, been controversial, with the Open Rights Group calling on both record label trade body BPI and the aforementioned UK Music to clarify their position regarding the new copyright provisions becoming law without any real debate in parliament’s lower elected chamber.
