Faafoi KrisHon KRIS FAAFOI (Minister of Broadcasting Communications and Digital Media): Thank you Mr Chair. Can I thank the member for some excellent questions during her contribution and also the Hon Tracey Martin. I think I'll start with new section 232A in clause 33 which goes to the 111 provisions in Part 1.For those who might be listening at home as the roll-out of fibre extends out to New Zealand—I think we're at about 73 percent of New Zealand now has access to fibre—the old copper network that we relied on for our phones is becoming increasingly redundant and in some cases that copper network might go. So as Melissa Lee pointed out phone lines that have relied on the copper network in the past and have worked even when there was a power outage—if they are taken away and the only ability that you have for your phone connection is your fibre connection and there is a power outage in plain English your phone will not work. In instances where people might be vulnerable consumers ensuring that they have the ability to call 111 in emergencies is extremely important which is why we saw fit to include this provision in this bill in Part 1 ensuring that vulnerable consumers are looked after.Directly to the question that Melissa Lee posed she can find the answer to her question about some guidance as to who a vulnerable consumer is on page 7 of the explanatory note of Supplementary Order Paper 118 where it is described as someone who is at a particular risk of requiring the 111 emergency service (for example due to a known medical condition); and does not have the means for contacting the 111 emergency service that can be operated for the specified minimum period in the event of a power failure."I think the most obvious example of this might have been 10 or 15 or even 20 years ago when I think there was Mrs Muliaga in South Auckland when her power was cut off and her ability to use some pretty critical equipment for her to keep her healthy obviously no longer was able to operate. Officials have told us that in an electricity sense there are 20000 vulnerable consumers who would put themselves in that group. That would obviously be different for those who might not have the ability to have a calling capability if they only had a fibre connection at home and therefore in a power outage would have no phone.We think it's extremely important to ensure that they do have the capability to call 111 if they are vulnerable. If there is an emergency it'd be a pretty awful day if that kind of story hit the headlines. We need to make sure we look after those vulnerable consumers. So within the piece of legislation there is a responsibility on the telcos to ensure that in the event of a power outage there is a battery backup capability to ensure that the phone service will work and also possibly a mobile phone.I will talk directly to the member who asked a question about reaction from the telcos to that. I would think it would be fairly classified as mixed. Obviously there's going to be costs for them. There's a range in terms of what the officials think that may cost from the hundred thousands to low millions. But there were some companies that I think responded responsibly and knew that making sure that there was a 111 service available to all consumers especially vulnerable consumers was something that they could obviously see the benefit of to make sure they could call the emergency services if need be. So as has been pointed out there is a new part in clause 33 which requires the Commerce Commission to ensure there is a code in and around the transfer to a fibre-only situation.So that 111 service will be provided by the telcos. It will be via either a battery backup or a mobile phone at this stage. There could be other creative ways that the telcos could do that in the future. I think that is a good change to ensure those vulnerable consumers who might have a fibre-only situation and no access to a copper phone—which again works when there is a power outage—can call those 111 emergency services.The question was put that the amendment set out on Supplementary Order Paper 118 in the name of Hon Kris Faafoi to Part 1 be agreed to.Amendment agreed to.Part 1 as amended agreed to."