Cat Eccles

It is a pleasure to see you in the Chair, Dr Allin-Khan. As we consider the future of terrestrial television, we must ensure that technological change does not leave people behind, because for millions—especially older people and lower-income households—Freeview remains a vital source of television and an excellent service, which I use. Any transition from terrestrial broadcasting must be gradual and inclusive, as many people still lack reliable broadband or easy access to digital services. Public service broadcasting must remain universally accessible, and as Ministers consider the future of television distribution, I urge them to ensure that no household is excluded from trusted news, information and entertainment simply because of where they live or what they can afford. There are very few pieces of national infrastructure that prove their value more clearly than terrestrial television during an emergency. We do not have to imagine what a national resilience crisis looks like; we just lived through one last month in my constituency when the devastating Stourbridge wildfires ripped through neighbourhoods, destroying 19 homes and tearing down power infrastructure. Entire streets were instantly cut off, rail lines were stopped, power grids buckled, and families were forced to watch their own neighbourhoods burn on television from the evacuation centre. In those critical hours, when broadband and mobile networks faced severe pressure and outages, traditional terrestrial broadcast was not a relic of the past; it was a lifeline. Unlike internet-based networks, Broadcast 2040+ does not rely on broadband infrastructure; it remains a universal and resilient means of communication when other systems may fail. A short-sighted, internet-only switch-off by 2034 ignores the reality of the climate and infrastructure risks. I believe that we must formally integrate terrestrial broadcasting into our national risk assessments and secure its future into the 2040s and beyond. True national resilience means ensuring that, when disaster does strike, every single household remains connected to vital, lifesaving information. Can the Minister assure the House that as television evolves, the public broadcasting service will remain free and universally accessible to all, and that the transmission network will be protected to ensure that, if the lights do go out, broadcasting can stay on?