Digital Economy Bill may escape Commons scrutiny

The Digital Economy Bill may not be given a third reading in the House of Commons

Controversial proposals concerning the punishment of illegal file sharers may escape a proper debate in the House of Commons.

Derek Wyatt, Labour MP for Sittingbourne and Sheppey, said today that the Digital Economy Bill has been held up for so long in the House of Lords that it may not have time for a third reading in the Commons.

The Bill proposes two new regulations for internet service providers (ISPs) aimed at reducing illegal downloading.

So-called 'three strikes' legislation would see culprits kicked off the internet after multiple attempts to download copyrighted material, while amendment 120A, proposed by the Lords last week, would give copyright holders the power to pressure ISPs into restricting web sites seen to be promoting illegal file sharing.

Bills can be carried through from one parliamentary session to the next under current UK law, but cannot be carried forward to new parliaments. This has led in the past to legislation being hurried through before general elections, a period often referred to as 'the wash ups'.

"It looks like this will be the first Bill not to have a third reading and that goes straight to the wash ups," said Wyatt.

The MP discussed the Bill at a panel debate hosted by the British Computer Society (BCS), which has argued that the legislation needs more time to be considered properly.

"Because it concerns the clamping down on freedom of speech, and contains game-changing copyright proposals, we need time to think it through," said BCS president Elizabeth Sparrow.

"The Bill could have huge consequences for online activity that are currently poorly understood."

Sparrow acknowledged the importance of supporting copyright and the creative industries, but warned that this should not be done to the detriment of society. Better legislation later is preferable to hurried legislation, she said.