Press Release

Help the Aged response to Public Accounts Committee report on digital switchover

26 June 2008

Reacting to the publication of the Public Accounts Commitee report on the Government's preparations for digital switchover, David Sinclair, Head of Policy at Help the Aged said:-

"Help the Aged research has found that a large number of older people rely on the TV for their main form of company, so the contents of this hard-hitting report from the Public Accounts committee should be acted on as a matter of urgency.

"The voluntary labelling of the so-called 'digital tick' logo is not delivering the level of commitment to supplying proper equipment among retailers that was originally anticipated.  Many staff within shops and sales outlets are still unable to explain what the 'digital tick' actually means and as a result, are not always able to advise customers as clearly as is needed.  
"Help the Aged would like to see a compulsory scheme put in place whereby analogue equipment is clearly marked.  Without mandatory labelling, there is a risk that some customers may make the wrong purchasing decisions and buy products that will simply not work or need adaptation once the digital switch-over is completed by the year 2012.

"The committee report also notes that the take-up of the digital helpscheme in the pilot area in Copeland was lower than expected.  It will be now be even more important to monitor how the switch-off of the analogue signal in the Border television region progresses.  The Government should then review the scheme once an assessment has been made as to whether the it is reaching and supporting enough vulnerable people with the digital switchover process."