Chris Bryant congratulated Laurence Turner on his election and acknowledged the concerns raised about the deployment of telegraph poles in urban areas. He emphasised that while most companies operate responsibly, a few behave like 'cowboys' and need to be brought into line. The Minister outlined his preference for ducts over poles wherever possible, recognising the cost benefits but also the necessity at times due to logistical challenges. He committed to enhancing shared infrastructure through a new code of conduct which would aim to prevent unnecessary overbuild and ensure operators adhere to best practices. Chris Bryant stated that this code would be published by early next year and if voluntary compliance fails, legislative changes will follow. The Minister highlighted Ofcom’s role in investigating non-compliant operators like Brsk, expressing his willingness to engage with them directly to understand their operations better.