To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether he plans to change the specification of Freeview boxes under the Help Scheme to provide audio description and talking menus to help the visually impaired. (209725)

The Department set up the Emerging Technologies Group to keep the core receiver requirements of the scheme equipment under review and to recommend, where necessary, that new technologies be incorporated in this equipment. They will consider the case for talking menus for equipment supplied by the Help Scheme. Any recommendations must then be approved by me and by the BBC as the operators of the scheme. Audio description is already a core receiver requirement.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans he has to encourage the development of digital teletext on digital platforms to assist the visually impaired. (209728)

We welcome any developments to assist the visually impaired in this area. Blind and partially sighted people can currently gain access to analogue terrestrial teletext services through ‘Talking Teletext’ equipment that translates written teletext into audible speech. The existing equipment is not suitable for receiving digital teletext services, however, as a different technology is used to broadcast those services. Portset, the manufacturer of ‘Talking Teletext’, has recently introduced a specially designed unit that, among other features, provides access to digital teletext for blind and partially sighted people.