The government was defeated in the House of Lords yesterday in a vote on the Communications Bill.

Lord Puttnam, the former film producer, was at the helm of an all-party rebellion over a clause about the nature of Ofcom, the media regulatory body being created by the Bill.

An amendment designed to ensure that the interests of "citizens" were at the heart of its duties was backed by 179 to 74 and was supported by Lord Currie, the crossbench peer who chairs the new body.

Ministers were defeated for a second time when peers voted by 113 to 111 to give Ofcom a duty to encourage the take-up of broadband internet technology.