Communications Bill Subtitling Requirements

EDM number 1286 in 2002-03, proposed by Brian White on 22/05/2003.

That this House, while welcoming the voluntary intiatives by some digital cable and satellite broadcasters to subtitle their programming and recognising the significant benefits that the proposed communications legislation will bring for deaf and hard of hearing people through the extension of subtitling requirements to digital cable and satellite television, notes that the proposed timescale of 10 years for achievement of this target will delay fuller access to television for the five million deaf and hard of hearing people in the United Kingdom who use subtitles on a regular basis until 2014 at the earliest; and therefore calls on the Government to give urgent consideration to reducing the proposed 10 year timescale.

This motion has been signed by a total of 69 MPs.