CHAIRMAN AND MEMBERS RE-APPOINTED TO THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON TELECOMMUNICATIONS FOR DISABLED AND ELDERLY PEOPLE

Ref: 19/01
Date: 27 February 2001

The Chairman and a number of members have been re-appointed to the Advisory Committee on Telecommunications for Disabled and Elderly People, DIEL, Oftel announced today.

DIEL, established under the Telecommunications Act 1984, represent the interests of disabled and older telecoms users.

Bob Twitchin, an Associate of the Employers’ Forum on Disability, has been re-appointed as Chairman. The other members are John Barnes, a retired Chartered telecoms engineer, David Mann, an employee of the Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB), Brian McGinnis, a special adviser to Mencap, Stephen Smith, a technical adviser to the Association of Social and Community Alarms Providers, and Ross Trotter, Secretary of the Telecommunications Action Group (TAG).

Announcing the re-appointments, Director General of Telecommunications, David Edmonds, said:

"Bob Twitchin and his colleagues have done excellent work to promote the interests of older consumers and people with disabilities.

"They have provided invaluable advice on equality of access to Oftel’s proposed Telecoms Ombudsman Scheme.

"They will play an important part in influencing the shape of the new Consumer Panel to ensure that older and disabled consumers are adequately represented under the Government’s new framework for communications regulation."

1. The Advisory Committee on Telecommunications for Disabled and Elderly People (DIEL) is one of the Advisory Committees on Telecommunications (ACTs) set up under the Telecommunications Act 1984. DIEL represents the interests of disabled and older telecommunications consumers to the Director General of Telecommunications.

2. Pauline Hermann, who works in the Health Service and Jean Ashcroft, an employee of Arthritis Care, will not continue as DIEL members.

3. Information on DIEL and the other ACTs which represent the interests of telecommunications consumers in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland and small businesses can be obtained by contacting the ACT Secretariat on 020 7634 5301. More information about DIEL can be found on its section of the ACT website at www.acts.org.uk/diel/index.htm