Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Broadband Coverage and Speeds

Wednesday 9 February 2022 · 5 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 5 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The Secretary met with the Culture Secretary to discuss Project Gigabit, a 5 billion investment targeting the hardest-to-reach 20% of the UK.
  • The number of homes connected to fast broadband in Wales has risen from 11% in 2019 to 47% in 2022.
  • Projects already under way include improvements to the north Wales coast and south Wales relief lines.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Jonathan Edwards PC
Scotland Science & Technology
Context

The MP is concerned about broadband availability, especially as 17.4% of lines in his constituency receive less than 10 megabits per second.

Question

What recent discussions has the Secretary had with Cabinet colleagues and the Welsh Government on improving broadband coverage and speeds in Wales? The UK Government's and Welsh Government's strategies are failing parts of Carmarthenshire, with only 17.4% of lines receiving less than 10 megabits per second.

Answer from David Davies

The Secretary recently met with the Culture Secretary to discuss Project Gigabit, a £5 billion investment targeting the hardest-to-reach 20% of the UK. This project will benefit up to 234,000 homes and businesses in Wales.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific emphasis on mission 4 from the levelling-up White Paper was not addressed directly.

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Q2 Jonathan Edwards PC
Wales Science & Technology
Context

According to House of Commons Library data, 17.4% of lines in the MP's constituency receive less than 10 megabits per second.

Question

According to the House of Commons Library, 17.4% of lines in my constituency receive less than 10 megabits per second, one of the worst records in Britain. Will the Wales Office emphasize mission 4 of the levelling-up White Paper published last week which prioritizes neglected areas?

Answer from David Davies

The number of homes connected to fast broadband in Wales has risen from 11% in 2019 to 47% in 2022, and this week I will visit the Swansea Bay growth deal project which aims to increase connectivity.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific emphasis on mission 4 of the levelling-up White Paper was not addressed directly.

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Q3 Karl McCartney Con
Transport
Context

The MP is interested in the likelihood of bringing back a train line that existed in the 1980s and 1990s.

Question

Will the Minister provide an update on the likelihood of bringing back the train line between Carmarthen, Lampeter and Aberystwyth especially in the 200th anniversary year of St David's University College?

Answer from David Davies

Projects already under way include improvements to the north Wales coast and south Wales relief lines, but many suggestions like the one proposed will be looked at.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific likelihood of bringing back the train line was not addressed directly.

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Q4 Gerald Jones Lab Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare
Scotland Science & Technology
Context

The Conservative manifesto promised gigabit-capable broadband to every home and business in Wales by 2025.

Question

How does the Minister justify the levelling down in his Government's so-called levelling-up White Paper which now only states targeting 70% to 80% of homes with fast broadband by 2025?

Answer from David Davies

The number of homes connected to fast broadband has risen from 11% in 2019 to 47% in 2022, and we are committed to seeing this figure continue to rise.

Partly answered

Not addressed: No justification was provided for the reduced targets in the levelling-up White Paper.

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Q5 Michael Fabricant Con
Scotland Wales Business & Trade Environment
Context

The MP acknowledges the importance of broadband speeds in urban and rural areas.

Question

Will the Minister praise Openreach, which provides fibre to the premises in very rural areas such as the Dysynni valley in southern Snowdonia?

Answer from David Davies

We support Openreach in delivering fibre to the hardest-to-reach areas, but Project Gigabit aims to deliver connectivity to these 20% hardest-to-reach communities.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not directly praise Openreach for their specific efforts.

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