MOORE WELCOMES CABINET MINISTER TO THE BORDERS TO DISCUSS DIGITAL SWITCHOVER

4.48.04am BST (GMT +0100) Sat 11th Aug 2007

Cabinet Minister James Purnell will be welcomed to the Borders by local MP Michael Moore on Wednesday when he attends the latest meeting of the Borders Digital Forum which was set up by Mr Moore last year to keep tabs on the digital switchover process. It will be the first official visit to the region by a UK cabinet minister in many years and follows the invitation from Mr Moore to the previous broadcasting minister, Shaun Woodward MP, last year.

The new Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport was promoted to the cabinet when Gordon Brown became Prime Minister in June. Mr Purnell has indicated the importance he attaches to the switchover process by taking direct responsibility for it himself. On Wednesday he will be in Whitehaven and Carlisle before arriving in the Borders. With switchover in the Borders scheduled for late 2008, Mr Purnell will address members of the forum, drawn from across the region, and then participate in a question and answer session.

Mr Moore said: "Mr Purnell's visit to the Borders so soon after his appointment is very welcome. His decision to take direct ministerial responsibility for the switchover process illustrates how seriously he takes it and I welcome that too. The Borders Digital Forum has established itself as a very helpful way for members of the public and other interested parties to exchange information and views and I hope that Mr Purnell will find it useful as well.

With issues such as the future of local programming, the financial assistance scheme and 'Freeview Lite' causing lively debate locally, there are certainly plenty of things to talk about. I am confident that Mr Purnell will also be clear after his visit that in the Borders people want to be pioneers where things go right rather than guinea pigs from whose bad experiences others learn."

The forum will take place in the Tweed Horizons conference centre, just off the A68 at Newtown St. Boswells at 3:30pm on Wednesday 1 August. Place can be booked by calling Lesley Crozier in Michael Moore MP's office on 01896 663650.