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Rural Broadband

13 November 2024

Lead MP

Sarah Dyke
Glastonbury and Somerton
Lib Dem

Responding Minister

Chris Bryant

Tags

Taxation
Word Count: 4275
Other Contributors: 4

At a Glance

Sarah Dyke raised concerns about rural broadband in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.

Key Requests to Government:

I urge the Government to ensure that the remaining unspent funds for Project Gigabit are spent on ensuring hard-to-reach areas are covered. The ongoing spending review must take into account the opportunities in rural areas for boosting UK productivity by £72 billion by 2030.

How the Debate Unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:

Lead Contributor

Sarah Dyke Lib Dem
Glastonbury and Somerton
Opened the debate
I am concerned about the poor broadband coverage in rural areas, with only 21% of county areas having gigabit broadband compared to 70% of London. In my constituency, more than 15% of premises receive lines getting 10 megabits per second or less, putting the area in the worst 10% in the UK. Businesses and farmers are struggling due to slow internet speeds and unreliable connections, impacting productivity and security.

Government Response

Chris Bryant
Government Response
It is a delight to be here, Dame Siobhain, and I warmly congratulate the hon. Member for Glastonbury and Somerton on securing this debate. The Minister acknowledges that broadband is essential to nearly every form of engagement in modern life and recognises the need for full gigabit capable broadband for every single set of premises as soon as possible. He mentions that he has raised concerns about Ofcom's reporting not matching people's lived experiences, where coverage may appear adequate but is practically unusable due to slow speeds or other issues. The Minister offers to organise meetings with officials to go through specific issues in individual constituencies and highlights the universal service obligation on the Minister here. He explains that the Government does not want to pay for the roll-out of broadband across the whole of the UK, preferring commercial operators to do so as cost-effectively as possible, stepping in where it is not commercially viable. The hon. Member for Glastonbury and Somerton mentioned very hard-to-reach places; there will probably be 1% of places where it will be extremely difficult for either a commercial operation or the taxpayer to take fibre to every single property. The Minister suggests looking at alternatives such as satellite or wireless delivery in these cases. The Minister also addresses digital inclusion, stating that broadband and mobile connectivity are crucial services on which we have all come to rely, whether it is for running farms, government operations, or being a member of society. He notes the importance of mapping areas of digital deprivation and tackling poverty to ensure universal access and skills development.
Assessment & feedback
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About Westminster Hall Debates

Westminster Hall debates are a chance for MPs to raise important issues affecting their constituents and get a response from a government minister. Unlike Prime Minister's Questions, these debates are more in-depth and collaborative. The MP who secured the debate speaks first, other MPs can contribute, and a minister responds with the government's position.