Hansard for the Lords Report stage debate of S42 is  here

Archive TV of the Lords sitting is here with the Digital Economy Bill S42 debate starting about 2h 15min into the session at 16:48pm

Summary

Excellent speeches from Viscount Bridgeman and Lord Clement-Jones (the latter based recognisably on our briefing notes) in support of their amendments, responded to by Lord Young, who for the most part trotted out the same defective answers we have heard before. Young's answers included the priceless assertion that there was no concern about liability exposure regarding US works because licenses would be UK only. That sort of thinking has got a lot of people into costly trouble here in UK, as famously demonstrated in the Federation of Small Business forum.

The debate did successfully expose the problems of S42 and some commitments to think and consult further were won from the Government side, but ultimately all the amendments were withdrawn because a vote would have seen them defeated. 

The DEB therefore remains badly phrased and dangerous for photographers despite successive Government amendments. It will have its third reading in the Lords on 15 March, when only minor technical amendments are likely.

Thereafter it will pass to the House of Commons, where all sources indicate there will be as little debate as possible. The Labour Whips office has let it be known that there simply isn't time for the Bill to progress quickly enough to end up in the "Wash-Up", which we take as a sure indication that is exactly what they mean to achieve. The campaign continues.

The full text of the Bill as amended on Report is here. NB that S42 has now become S43. 

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