Lord Mandelson’s Digital Economy Bill to protect the UK’s creative industries’ IP (and more) gets a second reading in the House Of Lords at approximately 3.30pm on Wednesday. Watch it here live.
The bill was introduced to the Lords two weeks ago. Now they will get the first opportunity to debate the proposals. It will then go to committee stage for line-by-line examination on January 6, before amendments are included at report stage and a third reading.
Then Commons MPs will do it all over again and the two houses may play ping-pong with the bill if any further changes are sought. Expect much hand-wringing; this won’t happen quickly.
The Lords’ first reading of the bill on November 19 was a formaility when Lord Young of Norwood Green merely read the bill out on behalf of Mandelson.