To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent progress the
Government has made on increasing competition among internet service providers.
<p>The UK has a highly competitive and open market for Internet Service Providers.
There are dozens of companies providing services either using their own network or
making use of wholesale products provided by BT. BT’s wholesale access products are
open to all Internet Service Providers, meaning that consumers have a range of retail
Internet Service Providers to buy broadband services from.</p>
<p>Negotiations are continuing on an EU Regulation on net neutrality, as part of the
Connected Continent package. Should a common position be agreed between the European
Council, the European Commission and the European Parliament, and the Regulation adopted,
the Regulation will be directly applicable in UK law.</p>
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer
of 3 March 2015 to Question 225611, on broadband: urban area, how much funding from
the SuperConnected Cities budget has been assigned to each city; and how much has
been spent (a) in total, (b) on broadband connection vouchers, (c) on free WiFi in
public buildings, (d) on advertising and (e) on other items to date in (i) the programme
as a whole and (ii) each city.
<p>The 22 SuperConnected Cities were given 'up to' funding allocations at the start
of the SuperConnected Cities Programme. Spending priorities have developed over the
course of the Programme, and the cities are now committed to delivering over 10,000
vouchers, free public Wi-Fi in 1,000 public buildings and on buses, trams and trains,
as well as other digital connectivity projects for a total spend of around £80m. The
majority of the spend will come at the end of the Programme - particularly with vouchers
where there is a period of time between when the voucher is issued and the connection
work is completed - with some wrap up costs in the next financial year.</p><p>For
Northern Ireland and Scotland funding is given to cities via the budget transfer system,
so a split for spending on individual projects is not applicable.</p><p>The table
below outlines the original 'up to' allocations and current spend across the 22 cities
of the Programme.</p><p>It is not possible to provide city allocations for marketing
as it was a nationwide campaign.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="8"><p><strong>England
and Wales</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>"Up To" Allocation</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>£M</strong></p></td><td>
</td><td><p><strong>Spend to February (Qtr 3 claims) 2014-15</strong></p></td><td>
</td><td> </td><td> </td><td><p><strong>£M</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td> </td><td><p><strong>Total</strong></p></td><td>
</td><td> </td><td><p><strong>CVS</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>WFPB</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>OTHER</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Total</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Birmingham</p></td><td><p><strong>8.25</strong></p></td><td>
</td><td><p>Birmingham</p></td><td><p>0.39</p></td><td><p>0.39</p></td><td><p>0.00</p></td><td><p><strong>0.78</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Brighton</p></td><td><p><strong>2.52</strong></p></td><td>
</td><td><p>Brighton</p></td><td><p>0.07</p></td><td><p>0.00</p></td><td><p>0.56</p></td><td><p><strong>0.63</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Bristol</p></td><td><p><strong>11.37</strong></p></td><td>
</td><td><p>Bristol</p></td><td><p>0.02</p></td><td><p>0.00</p></td><td><p>1.52</p></td><td><p><strong>1.54</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Cambridge</p></td><td><p><strong>4.12</strong></p></td><td>
</td><td><p>Cambridge</p></td><td><p>0.05</p></td><td><p>0.47</p></td><td><p>0.00</p></td><td><p><strong>0.52</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Cardiff</p></td><td><p><strong>10.17</strong></p></td><td>
</td><td><p>Cardiff</p></td><td><p>0.85</p></td><td><p>0.08</p></td><td><p>0.00</p></td><td><p><strong>0.93</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Coventry</p></td><td><p><strong>2.35</strong></p></td><td>
</td><td><p>Coventry</p></td><td><p>0.09</p></td><td><p>0.00</p></td><td><p>0.00</p></td><td><p><strong>0.09</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Derby</p></td><td><p><strong>2.27</strong></p></td><td>
</td><td><p>Derby</p></td><td><p>0.03</p></td><td><p>1.22</p></td><td><p>0.00</p></td><td><p><strong>1.25</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>LeedsBradford</p></td><td><p><strong>13.54</strong></p></td><td>
</td><td><p>LeedsBradford</p></td><td><p>0.93</p></td><td><p>0.32</p></td><td><p>0.50</p></td><td><p><strong>1.75</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>London</p></td><td><p><strong>25.00</strong></p></td><td>
</td><td><p>London</p></td><td><p>1.68</p></td><td><p>0.41</p></td><td><p>0.00</p></td><td><p><strong>2.10</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Manchester</p></td><td><p><strong>10.25</strong></p></td><td>
</td><td><p>Manchester</p></td><td><p>2.15</p></td><td><p>1.96</p></td><td><p>0.00</p></td><td><p><strong>4.12</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Newcastle</p></td><td><p><strong>5.25</strong></p></td><td>
</td><td><p>Newcastle</p></td><td><p>0.20</p></td><td><p>0.00</p></td><td><p>0.58</p></td><td><p><strong>0.78</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Newport</p></td><td><p><strong>6.00</strong></p></td><td>
</td><td><p>Newport</p></td><td><p>0.04</p></td><td><p>0.00</p></td><td><p>0.00</p></td><td><p><strong>0.04</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Oxford</p></td><td><p><strong>4.83</strong></p></td><td>
</td><td><p>Oxford</p></td><td><p>0.04</p></td><td><p>0.00</p></td><td><p>0.09</p></td><td><p><strong>0.12</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Portsmouth</p></td><td><p><strong>4.89</strong></p></td><td>
</td><td><p>Portsmouth</p></td><td><p>0.07</p></td><td><p>0.68</p></td><td><p>0.00</p></td><td><p><strong>0.74</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Salford</p></td><td><p><strong>7.10</strong></p></td><td>
</td><td><p>Salford</p></td><td><p>0.34</p></td><td><p>1.11</p></td><td><p>0.00</p></td><td><p><strong>1.45</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>York</p></td><td><p><strong>1.65</strong></p></td><td>
</td><td><p>York</p></td><td><p>0.10</p></td><td><p>0.00</p></td><td><p>0.11</p></td><td><p><strong>0.21</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Total</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>119.56</strong></p></td><td>
</td><td><p><strong>Total</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>7.04</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>6.64</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>3.36</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>17.04</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td
colspan="5"><p><strong>Devolved Administrations - Northern Ireland and Scotland</strong></p></td><td>
</td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>"Up To" Allocation</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>£M</strong></p></td><td>
</td><td><p><strong>Budget Transfers</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>£M</strong></p></td><td>
</td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td><p><strong>Total</strong></p></td><td>
</td><td> </td><td><p><strong>Total</strong></p></td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td><p>Belfast</p></td><td><p><strong>13.46</strong></p></td><td>
</td><td><p>Belfast</p></td><td><p><strong>5.68</strong></p></td><td> </td><td> </td><td>
</td></tr><tr><td><p>Derry</p></td><td><p><strong>2.20</strong></p></td><td> </td><td><p>Derry</p></td><td><p><strong>0.10</strong></p></td><td>
</td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Nth Ireland</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>15.66</strong></p></td><td>
</td><td><p><strong>Nth Ireland</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>5.78</strong></p></td><td>
</td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td><p>Aberdeen</p></td><td><p><strong>5.58</strong></p></td><td>
</td><td><p>Aberdeen</p></td><td><p><strong>2.44</strong></p></td><td> </td><td> </td><td>
</td></tr><tr><td><p>Edinburgh</p></td><td><p><strong>9.00</strong></p></td><td> </td><td><p>Edinburgh</p></td><td><p><strong>4.98</strong></p></td><td>
</td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td><p>Perth</p></td><td><p><strong>0.34</strong></p></td><td>
</td><td><p>Perth</p></td><td><p><strong>0.23</strong></p></td><td> </td><td> </td><td>
</td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Scotland</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>14.92</strong></p></td><td>
</td><td><p><strong>Scotland</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>7.65</strong></p></td><td>
</td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Total</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>30.58</strong></p></td><td>
</td><td><p><strong>Total</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>13.43</strong></p></td><td>
</td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td colspan="5"><p><strong>Total SCCP</strong></p></td><td>
</td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Allocation</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>£M</strong></p></td><td>
</td><td><p><strong>Spend & Budget Tfrs</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>£M</strong></p></td><td>
</td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td><p><strong>Total</strong></p></td><td>
</td><td> </td><td><p><strong>Total</strong></p></td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td>
</td><td><p><strong>150.14</strong></p></td><td> </td><td> </td><td><p><strong>30.47</strong></p></td><td>
</td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td colspan="2"><p><strong>Marketing</strong></p></td><td>
</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Allocation</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2.20</strong></p></td><td>
</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Spend</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>1.67</strong></p></td><td>
</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr></tbody></table>
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he has
had with Ofcom on switching of mobile phone contracts by consumers from a losing provider-led
process to a gaining provider-led process.
<p>My Right Hon. Friend the Secretary of State meets regularly with Ofcom to discuss
a variety of issues.</p><p>We set out our thinking on switching in the Connectivity,
Content and Consumers [CCC} Strategy Paper, published in July 2013. In December 2013
Ofcom announced that gaining-provider led (GPL) switching would be mandated for broadband
and fixed telephony over the Openreach network. Full implementation of this will be
completed by June 2015.</p><p>In July-September 2014, Ofcom collected inputs on consumers’
experience of switching providers of pay-TV, mobile services and bundled services;
and considered possible impacts on competition. The regulator will publish a document
in the first half of 2015 setting out its findings and how it intends to take things
forward, including for the switching of mobile service providers. I hope that, in
line with our statement in the CCC paper, this will result in GPL switching being
mandated across the board.</p>
