I refer the hon member to my answers to the hon members from Copeland and Banbury during Departmental Oral Questions today.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4115", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Margot James"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Stourbridge"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Margot James"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-02-08", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-02-08T17:57:45.073Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "10"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Digital, Culture, Media and Sport"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Digital, Culture, Media and Sport"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2018-02-06", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Broadband: Rural Areas"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "What steps his Department is taking to improve broadband and mobile phone coverage in rural areas.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1566", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Daniel Kawczynski"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Shrewsbury and Atcham"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Daniel Kawczynski"} ], "uin" : "903829"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/837370", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/837370/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
<\/p> <\/p> Consumers can register their landline and mobile telephone numbers with the Telephone Preference Service (TPS), which helps prevent them receiving unsolicited nuisance marketing calls. The TPS is a free service and consumers can register at the following address: http://www.tpsonline.org.uk/tps/number_type.html.<\/ins> In addition, phone companies provide consumers with a range of services to protect them against nuisance calls. It is for phone companies to decide whether to offer these services for free or for a charge. The Government welcomes services being provided free, or at low cost, for the benefit of consumers.<\/ins><\/p> <\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4115", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Margot James"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Stourbridge"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Margot James"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-02-08", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "true", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "previousAnswerVersion" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/837370/answer/previousversion/40508", "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4115", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Margot James"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Stourbridge"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Margot James"}
}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-02-08T17:49:33.85Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
], "questionFirstMinisteriallyCorrected" : [{"_value" : "2018-03-20T17:32:14.04Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "10"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Digital, Culture, Media and Sport"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Digital, Culture, Media and Sport"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2018-02-05", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Nuisance Calls"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what his Department's policy is on a ban on phone companies charging a fee for services to protect against nuisance calls.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4658", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Alex Sobel"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Leeds North West"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Alex Sobel"}
], "uin" : "126489"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/837390", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/837390/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " 46 candidates applied for the position of Chair of the National Citizen Service.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3950", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dame Tracey Crouch"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Chatham and Aylesford"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Tracey Crouch"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-02-08", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-02-08T10:02:54.887Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "10"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Digital, Culture, Media and Sport"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Digital, Culture, Media and Sport"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2018-02-05", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "National Citizen Service Trust"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many candidates applied for the position of Chair of the National Citizen Service Trust.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4268", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Steve Reed"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Croydon North"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mr Steve Reed"}
], "uin" : "126509"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/837429", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/837429/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " Take-up rates from projects in the Phase 1 Superfast Broadband Programme now average over 40%, significantly higher than the level expected by suppliers at the start of the programme. In BT\u2019s quarterly results to the end of December 2017, they announced that connections to fibre-enabled broadband now total 9.2 million, up by 600,000 within the quarter. As a result of the take-up levels that are now being achieved, BT have estimated that the total gainshare funding to be returned to the projects within the Superfast Broadband Programme will now be £527m. The Department is currently reviewing these data and other evidence to consider options for increasing superfast broadband uptake.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4115", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Margot James"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Stourbridge"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Margot James"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-02-08", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-02-08T17:52:34.373Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "10"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Digital, Culture, Media and Sport"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Digital, Culture, Media and Sport"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2018-02-05", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Broadband"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of recent trends in the level of uptake of superfast broadband at or above 24mbps where such coverage exists; and what steps his Department is taking to increase such uptake.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/308", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Coventry South"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mr Jim Cunningham"}
], "uin" : "126548"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/837430", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/837430/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " Average household spend on broadband services, per annum<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2010<\/p><\/td> 2011<\/p><\/td> 2012<\/p><\/td> 2013<\/p><\/td> 2014<\/p><\/td> 2015<\/p><\/td> 2016<\/p><\/td><\/tr> £133.8<\/p><\/td> £139.08<\/p><\/td> £143.16<\/p><\/td> £148.08<\/p><\/td> £162.36<\/p><\/td> £181.32<\/p><\/td> £202.8<\/p><\/td><\/tr> Average household spend on communications services as a % of total spend<\/p><\/td><\/tr> <\/p><\/td> 5.9<\/p><\/td> 5.7<\/p><\/td> 5.3<\/p><\/td> 5.2<\/p><\/td> 5.4<\/p><\/td> 5.4<\/p><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table> <\/p> Source: Ofcom Communications Market Report 2017<\/p>The Government and local bodies together are investing £1.7 billion of public money to support vital improvements in broadband services across the UK. Superfast broadband coverage reached 95% of premises in December 2017 \u2013 up from 45% in 2010. Many of the premises reached had exchange only lines.<\/del><\/p>For any premises not covered by superfast broadband, as confirmed in our announcement in December 2017, we are pushing ahead with our plans for a Universal Service Obligation (USO) so that by 2020 everyone across the UK will have a clear, enforceable right to request 10 Megabit per second broadband.<\/del><\/p>Within London the Government expects superfast broadband coverage to be provided by the private sector and is encouraging providers to tackle remaining issues including exchange only lines.<\/del><\/p>
<\/p>