Part of the debate – in Westminster Hall at 4:13 pm on 5 April 2011.
I absolutely take on board my hon. Friend’s point. The review currently being conducted by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills aims to reduce costs and bring in greater efficiency, but there is an ongoing debate about the scope of a particular Competition Commission review, a debate that often, certainly from my perspective—this is the area I know best—touches on the changing face of the media. For example, when we discussed contract rights renewal, there was a strong debate about whether the Competition Commission had looked widely enough at the competition that ITV faced from the internet. Given not just the convergence of the media but bizarrely, now, its huge expansion regarding competition both in this country and globally, that is a very live issue.
On the general principles, it is important that we, in this House, stay focused on the need for an open internet. In a speech last year I raised net neutrality, which has not been an issue for live debate in this country, although there has been a very live debate in the United States. I raised the issue to start a debate, because the future operation of the internet, as my hon. Friend the Member for Esher and Walton said, is absolutely fundamental to the future of this country and of many economies across the world.
In that speech, I set out what our principles should be: openness in infrastructure provision by both fixed and mobile operators; a clear obligation to offer all legal content at the speed at which consumers contract for; transparency, in the sense that consumers know what speeds are offered and what traffic management practices are taking place; and, finally, support for innovation and investment, so that we can create the content and the network that the future requires.
I have maintained my focus on this very important debate and last month I held a round-table discussion on the open internet, with attendees from across the industry, including internet service providers, mobile network operators, content providers, and also Google, which continues to engage with us on a whole range of issues. I was privileged to have Sir Tim Berners-Lee speak at the meeting, as well as the chief executive of Ofcom. I was also delighted that we were able to launch a first draft of a voluntary code of practice on traffic management transparency, developed by the broadband stakeholder group, and I am very happy that the industry has committed to working together to further develop those principles.
I thank you, Mr Gale, for the opportunity to debate these important issues, and I look forward to meeting representatives of Foundem. The EU will continue its process, which is effectively a judicial one. No company, internet-based or not, should be above competition rules, and no doubt many of the concerns that have been raised by my hon. Friend the Member for Esher and Walton, and by my hon. Friend the Member for Bracknell on behalf of his constituents, will be raised in the very robust and thorough investigation taking place in Brussels.