As set out in Section 21 of the Communications Act 2003, the Committee was established to provide advice to Ofcom about the interests and opinions of older people and disabled people on all communications matters.

The Committee, which meets quarterly, reports directly to the Ofcom Board and publishes its own annual report. Members of the Ofcom Content Board and the Consumer Panel also attend meetings of the Committee by invitation.

The new members have been appointed for four years and began their terms on 1 January.

Suneel Shivdasani is a freelance IT consultant, with a background in engineering. He is a trustee of The Graham Layton Trust, which resources eye hospitals throughout Pakistan. Suneel is associated with the South Asian Development Partnership and its sister charity, South Asian Concern. He has worked as a diversity consultant in the charitable sector. Suneel is also involved with Diabetes UK, through supporting his young son, who is an insulin dependent diabetic.

John Welsman is a freelance vision impairment and disability equality consultant, with a focus on communication and technology. John is also a freelance radio journalist on BBC Radio 4, BBC Southern Counties Radio and has edited and produced programming at County Sound Radio, Guildford. He is a Trustee on SeeAbility Governance Council, an organisation working to support the needs of vision impaired people with learning disabilities, and is a member of the Progress in Sight Steering Group on Surrey County Council.

There are eleven other members of the Committee. More information can be found on the Ofcom website - see Related Item