To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the same number of people in Copeland who can currently receive analogue television signals will be able to receive digital television signals in October this year; and if she will make a statement. (142758)

The Whitehaven, Gosforth and Eskdale Green transmitters will switchover to digital in October this year. The technical characteristics for each transmitter have been chosen to allow their predicted digital coverage levels to match current analogue coverage levels.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the status of the preparations for the digital television switchover in Copeland. (142764)

The switchover will begin in Whitehaven and the surrounding area on 17 October and in the rest of Copeland as part of the wider border region in late 2008.

Public awareness of switchover in Copeland is now 97 per cent. and 71 per cent. of primary sets have already been converted in advance of the area switching in October.

The contractor for operating the help scheme in Copeland, Capita, has now been appointed.

In addition, of those asked none has stated that they will not convert at least one set prior to switchover.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assistance is being provided by her Department to assist television licence fee payers in Copeland who are deaf, partially sighted or living with other forms of sensory or physical disability or impairment in successfully adapting to digital switchover in October this year. (142756)

Households in the Whitehaven area where at least one person is registered blind or registered partially-sighted or with a severe disability will be provided with the appropriate equipment to convert one TV set and, where necessary, the relevant help to install and use such equipment and an aerial installation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many people in Copeland will receive assistance from the targeted help scheme with regard to the digital switchover in Whitehaven; and how many people are eligible, broken down by each of the qualifying categories of recipient. (142765)

We estimate that around 8,500 households will be eligible for assistance from the digital switchover help scheme (DSHS) in the Copeland constituency. The vast majority will be eligible for help when the Whitehaven transmitters are switched over in between October and November 2007. All others will be eligible when the Caldbeck transmitter switches in early 2009.

We estimate that around 36 per cent. of those eligible, will be eligible for free assistance on the grounds of receiving pension credit, income support and income based job seeker's allowance. 64 per cent. of those eligible, will be eligible for assistance subject to a charge of £40.