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1579634

registered interest
date	23/01/2023
answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Broadband: Rural Areas
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the need to accelerate the roll-out of high speed internet in rural communities.
tabling member constituency	Weaver Vale
tabling member printed	Mike Amesbury
uin	130022
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/01/2023 answer text <p>Over 73% of premises in the UK can now access gigabit-capable broadband, which is a huge leap from January 2019, when coverage was just 6%. The competitive and pro-growth regulatory environment we have created is enabling suppliers to expand their networks to reach more homes and businesses, and we are making excellent progress with Project Gigabit, rolling out fast, reliable broadband to rural and hard-to-reach parts of the UK.</p><p>We are awarding a series of contracts to suppliers to deliver gigabit-capable connectivity to areas that the market will not go to without subsidy. We have already awarded six contracts and in total, we have made almost £1 billion of funding available through our live contracts and procurements, to cover up to 681,500 premises. We have also recently increased the maximum value of vouchers through the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme, to support suppliers to connect premises in particularly hard-to-reach areas.</p> answering member constituency Hornchurch and Upminster answering member printed Julia Lopez question first answered 31/01/2023 09:10:57 answering member 4647 label Biography information for Julia Lopez
tabling member	4667 label Biography information for Mike Amesbury

1545578

registered interest
date	25/11/2022
answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Broadband: Rural Areas
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to expand broadband coverage in rural areas.
tabling member constituency	Broadland
tabling member printed	Jerome Mayhew
uin	902511
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/12/2022 answer text <p>The Government is investing £5 billion through Project Gigabit to deliver lightning-fast, reliable broadband to hard-to-reach areas across the UK. By the end of March 2022, we had delivered gigabit-capable broadband to over 740,000 premises, ahead of our target of 720,000 premises. Combined with commercial gigabit delivery, we are on track to hit our target of 85 per cent UK gigabit coverage in 2025.</p><p>We have launched procurements with a value of over £700 million to bring gigabit connections to hundreds of thousands more rural and hard-to-reach homes and businesses, and we recently signed our first contracts in North Dorset, Teesdale and North Northumberland.</p><p>As part of Project Gigabit the Government is investing up to £210 million in the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme to support rural homes and businesses with the cost of installing new gigabit-capable connections. To date, we have issued over 106,000 vouchers to homes and businesses through the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme and previous iterations. Further information is available on the gigabit voucher <a href="https://gigabitvoucher.culture.gov.uk/" target="_blank">website</a> including eligibility criteria and how to apply for the scheme.</p> answering member constituency Hornchurch and Upminster answering member printed Julia Lopez question first answered 01/12/2022 09:22:35 answering member 4647 label Biography information for Julia Lopez
tabling member	4739 label Biography information for Jerome Mayhew

1545021

registered interest
date	23/11/2022
answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Broadband: Rural Areas
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether she plans to further support remote rural businesses by increasing the roll-out speed of broadband in rural areas; and what discussions she has had with mobile phone networks on improving their coverage in rural areas.
tabling member constituency	East Yorkshire
tabling member printed	Sir Greg Knight
uin	94696
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/11/2022 answer text <p>The Government is investing £5 billion through Project Gigabit to deliver lightning-fast, reliable broadband in areas across the UK. We have already launched procurements with a value of over £700 million to bring gigabit connections to rural and hard-to-reach homes and businesses, and we recently signed our first contracts in North Dorset, Teesdale and North Northumberland.</p><p>As part of Project Gigabit the government is investing up to £210 million in the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme to support rural businesses and homes with the cost of installing new gigabit-capable connections. To date, we have issued over 106,000 vouchers to homes and businesses through the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme and previous iterations. Further information is available on the gigabit voucher <a href="https://gigabitvoucher.culture.gov.uk/" target="_blank">website</a> including eligibility criteria and how to apply for the scheme.</p><p>We also understand the impact of poor mobile coverage on rural areas which is why we agreed a £1 billion deal with the mobile operators to deliver the Shared Rural Network. The programme will deliver 4G coverage to 95% of the UK, enabling rural businesses and communities to thrive.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Hornchurch and Upminster answering member printed Julia Lopez question first answered 28/11/2022 16:59:35 answering member 4647 label Biography information for Julia Lopez
tabling member	1200 label Biography information for Sir Greg Knight

1522492

registered interest
date	14/10/2022
answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Broadband: Rural Areas
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how much and what proportion of the £210 million funding allocated to the Broadband Voucher scheme for rural areas has been spent.
tabling member constituency	Barnsley East
tabling member printed	Stephanie Peacock
uin	63302
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/10/2022 answer text <p>Since its establishment as an Executive Agency, Building Digital UK will report on its performance and spending annually, alongside the publication of quarterly delivery updates highlighting the progress of Project Gigabit.</p><p>Through the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme and its previous iterations, we have issued over 100,000 vouchers worth more than £214 million. Over 73,000 of these vouchers have been used to connect premises to gigabit-capable broadband.</p> answering member constituency Hornchurch and Upminster answering member printed Julia Lopez question first answered 19/10/2022 10:02:53 answering member 4647 label Biography information for Julia Lopez
tabling member	4607 label Biography information for Stephanie Peacock

1522493

registered interest
date	14/10/2022
answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Broadband: Rural Areas
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many properties have been connected as a result of the Broadband Voucher scheme for rural areas since that scheme's inception.
tabling member constituency	Barnsley East
tabling member printed	Stephanie Peacock
uin	63303
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/10/2022 answer text <p>As of the end of March 2022, 44,000 vouchers have been claimed for gigabit-capable infrastructure through Project Gigabit’s Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme and previous voucher subsidy schemes for rural premises.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Year</p></td><td><p>Rural</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2017/18</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2018/19</p></td><td><p>2,000</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2019/20</p></td><td><p>5,700</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2020/21</p></td><td><p>13,900</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2021/22</p></td><td><p>22,300</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>TOTAL</p></td><td><p>44,000</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>Source:</p><p>BDUK (as of Oct 2022)</p><p> </p><p>Notes:</p><p>1. Rounded to the nearest 100.</p><p>2. Encompasses 3 different schemes: Gigabit Voucher Scheme (GBVS), Rural Gigabit Connectivity (RGC) and UKGV (UK Gigabit Voucher).</p><p><strong><p><p></strong></p> answering member constituency Hornchurch and Upminster answering member printed Julia Lopez question first answered 19/10/2022 16:58:55 answering member 4647 label Biography information for Julia Lopez
tabling member	4607 label Biography information for Stephanie Peacock

1503554

registered interest
date	02/09/2022
answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Broadband: Rural Areas
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps the Government is taking to (a) support and (b) accelerate the roll-out of (i) full-fibre broadband and (ii) 5g in rural communities.
tabling member constituency	Hitchin and Harpenden
tabling member printed	Bim Afolami
uin	45257
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/09/2022 answer text <p>In March 2021 we launched Project Gigabit, our £5 billion mission to deliver lightning-fast, reliable broadband across the UK. Project Gigabit’s objective is to level up the UK by giving hard-to-reach areas access to gigabit-capable internet speeds and, coupled with commercial gigabit delivery, ensuring almost all of the UK has access to gigabit-capable internet as soon as possible.</p><p>Our Project Gigabit procurements are prioritising delivery to rural, hard-to-reach premises and to those with the lowest broadband speeds. We have recently signed our first local Project Gigabit contract in North Dorset and expect to award further contracts over the coming months.</p><p>Furthermore, up to £210 million is available for Gigabit Broadband Vouchers, which are already helping communities that are not in line for commercial connections right now.</p><p>Building Digital UK’s legacy and current programmes have already upgraded over 740,000 hard-to-reach premises to gigabit speeds, and we are continuing to move at pace.</p><p>5G network rollout is a matter for industry, but we have seen good progress. Up to half of the properties in the UK are located in an area with outdoor 5G coverage available from at least one mobile network operator according to the latest statistics from communications regulator Ofcom.</p><p>We recently made reforms to the planning system to support the deployment of 5G and extend mobile coverage. The changes, which came into force on 4 April 2022, enable operators to upgrade existing sites for 5G and share infrastructure to improve mobile coverage, particularly in more rural areas. We are reducing further barriers to deployment by legislating to reform the Electronic Communications Code through the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Bill.</p><p>The Government is developing a Wireless Infrastructure Strategy to set out a strategic framework for the deployment and adoption of 5G, and within the Strategy we will be establishing a new ambition for 5G.</p> answering member constituency Hornchurch and Upminster answering member printed Julia Lopez question first answered 20/09/2022 08:23:24 answering member 4647 label Biography information for Julia Lopez
tabling member	4639 label Biography information for Bim Afolami

1453666

registered interest
date	23/03/2022
answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Broadband: Rural Areas
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that internet speeds in rural homes matches those in urban areas.
tabling member constituency	Sedgefield
tabling member printed	Paul Howell
uin	145995
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/03/2022 answer text <p>The Government is determined to deliver great connectivity to every community in the UK and is working to close the digital divide between rural, suburban, and urban areas. We are creating a competition-friendly environment to promote deployment in areas where this is commercially viable and we are investing £5 billion through Project Gigabit to support roll-out in less commercial locations, including rural areas. In three years national coverage has rocketed from six per cent to over 66 per cent and we have already upgraded 600,000 premises in hard-to-reach areas.</p><p>Our Project Gigabit procurements are prioritising delivery to rural, hard-to-reach premises and to those with the lowest broadband speeds. Broadband providers have so far been invited to bid for contracts worth up to £292 million to upgrade up to 187,000 premises across Cumbria, Durham, Northumberland, Cambridgeshire, North Dorset and West Cornwall - with initial deployment expected to commence later this year.</p><p>As part of Project Gigabit the government is also investing up to £210 million in the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme to support rural communities with the cost of installing new gigabit-capable connections. The scheme provides a micro-grant of up to £1,500 for residents and up to £3,500 for businesses towards the cost of installing gigabit-capable broadband. Further information is available on the <a href="https://gigabitvoucher.culture.gov.uk/" target="_blank">gigabit voucher website</a> including eligibility criteria and how to apply for the scheme.</p> answering member constituency Hornchurch and Upminster answering member printed Julia Lopez question first answered 30/03/2022 08:28:19 answering member 4647 label Biography information for Julia Lopez
tabling member	4830 label Biography information for Paul Howell

1387342

registered interest
date	13/12/2021
answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Broadband: Rural Areas
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of (a) broadband infrastructure and (b) 5G infrastructure on the rural landscape.
tabling member constituency	West Dorset
tabling member printed	Chris Loder
uin	92077
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/12/2021 answer text <p>The Government is committed to providing necessary digital infrastructure across the UK to ensure that people and businesses have the connectivity they need, and in the years ahead.</p><p>Operators are required to minimise the visual impact of network infrastructure, particularly in more sensitive locations such as National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Planning law also allows for local planning authorities to assess the visual impact of certain infrastructure, such as new masts, and decide whether it is appropriate for the proposed location.</p><p>The Government also supports the view that operators should use existing structures and buildings for hosting infrastructure, and share sites where possible, to reduce the environmental impact of installation.</p> answering member constituency Hornchurch and Upminster answering member printed Julia Lopez question first answered 17/12/2021 15:25:01 answering member 4647 label Biography information for Julia Lopez
tabling member	4751 label Biography information for Chris Loder

1345557

registered interest
date	09/07/2021
answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Broadband: Rural Areas
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 29 June 2021 to Question 21254 on broadband: rural areas, what the contracted investment ratios are for each superfast contract across the country.
tabling member constituency	Ellesmere Port and Neston
tabling member printed	Justin Madders
uin	30370
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/07/2021 answer text <p>The public investment percentages for each superfast contract are set out in the attached <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1W5iE3wUeGaEAW3JX1UYVioAbHqI9iR2boDDFmOC6K8g/edit#gid=395631746" target="_blank">table</a>. All elements of public funding not provided by BDUK are classed as Local Body funding, who will in turn have agreements in place with their respective funding partners. The public investment ratios can change through the life of a contract through contract changes or as a result of any underspends.</p> answering member constituency Boston and Skegness answering member printed Matt Warman question first answered 19/07/2021 15:30:21 answering member 4361 label Biography information for Matt Warman
tabling member	4418 label Biography information for Justin Madders

1339512

registered interest
date	23/06/2021
answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Broadband: Rural Areas
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether the £825 million owed by BT to his Department following rural broadband upgrades has been returned; and how much of that funding has been re-invested to complete rural upgrades.
tabling member constituency	Ellesmere Port and Neston
tabling member printed	Justin Madders
uin	21254
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/06/2021 answer text <p>£825m is BT's current forecast of clawback repayments due over the terms of the respective contracts awarded under the Superfast programme, not a figure that is owed immediately.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>Contractually, take-up clawback can be placed in an account held by the supplier for up to the full seven years of the contract's term. An early release of these clawbacks was agreed to be reinvested through the programme of up to £129m for the furtherance of the programme's objectives.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>Returned funding beyond this will be apportioned to the public investors in each superfast contract across the country in line with contracted investment ratios and the public investors in turn will need to decide how they wish to utilise this funding.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Boston and Skegness answering member printed Matt Warman question first answered 29/06/2021 10:58:12 answering member 4361 label Biography information for Matt Warman
tabling member	4418 label Biography information for Justin Madders