House of Commons · Westminster Hall
04 November 2021 · 5 other contributors · 12,368 words
Opened by Stephen Timms Lab East Ham
Responding minister: Julia Lopez
Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.
Stephen Timms raised concerns about tackling the digital divide in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.
Key points
Key requests to Government
The Minister should prioritize updating the digital inclusion strategy and introduce policies that address affordable internet access and community support for those lacking digital skills. Funding from central government is needed urgently to deploy digital champions around the country and to support grassroots organizations in addressing the divide.
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.
Opened the debate
The digital divide remains a significant issue in the UK despite recent progress. There are still 2.6 million people not online, and ten million lack basic digital skills. The government's digital inclusion strategy has not been updated since 2014, which is inadequate given the current context where digital tools have become essential due to the pandemic.
Mr Carmichael highlighted the disparity in digital connectivity between urban areas and remote regions like Orkney and Shetland. He cited statistics revealing low superfast coverage at 65.93% and full fibre coverage of only 1.48%. He expressed frustration over delays in the Scottish Government's Reaching 100% target, which has been pushed back to 2027 from its initial 2021 deadline. Mr Carmichael also criticised the lack of transparency regarding reasons for delays and questioned the viability of the universal service obligation (USO) due to prohibitively high costs. Alistair Carmichael intervened, expressing frustration from his community due to lack of information regarding fibre roll-out progress. He emphasized the need for clear communication about explanations that may alleviate community concerns.
She expressed concerns about the digital divide, highlighting issues such as lack of access to internet infrastructure, digital skills, and confidence among citizens. She also criticized the Government's failure to provide adequate support for small businesses moving online during the pandemic. I raised concerns about the skills shortage for rolling out superfast broadband and asked about measures to increase skilled engineers. I also questioned the Minister on the reliability of Voice over Internet Protocol compared to the Public Switched Telephone Network, particularly regarding power supply during outages.
Discussed efforts by the Scottish Government to address digital exclusion, noting that 88% of Scotland is online but serious discrepancies remain between deprived and non-deprived areas. Mentioned investments in broadband infrastructure, including £463 million for fibre broadband access extension and £25 million for digital inclusion among school-age children during the pandemic. Highlighted the importance of education on digital skills alongside improving broadband coverage.
Saxby highlighted significant disparities in broadband coverage and speeds between North Devon and the rest of the UK, citing figures such as 20.3% gigabit coverage and an average download speed of just 42.1 megabits per second compared to national averages. She expressed concern over schools experiencing connectivity issues during remote learning and stressed the need for better broadband solutions to bridge the digital divide in rural areas.
Shaun Bailey highlighted the importance of ensuring procurement deadlines are met and that internal processes around procurement, contracting and relationships with the commercial sector are streamlined to ensure fibre roll-out targets are achieved. He also emphasized the need for reforming access issues related to construction and installation in order to ensure everyone benefits from new digital networks. Bailey stressed the significance of addressing underlying social issues contributing to the digital divide and ensuring a holistic approach is taken.
Government Response
Julia LopezThe Minister emphasised the Government's priority of improving digital connectivity for everyone across the UK. She outlined Project Gigabit which aims to achieve nationwide gigabit coverage by 2025, with progress already showing 58% of premises having access as of January 2019 and a target to reach 60% by the end of this year. Challenges include ensuring people understand the benefits of gigabit speeds over superfast, particularly in hard-to-reach areas where commercial deployment is unlikely. The Minister discussed initiatives such as broadband vouchers for rural premises, funding full-fibre networks at schools previously lacking connectivity, and a call for evidence on delivering improved broadband to very hard-to-reach premises. She addressed concerns about the Universal Service Obligation (USO), noting that BT has provided assurances based on Ofcom's approach to calculating excess cost quotes. The Minister also touched on 5G signal availability, digital skills inclusion issues, and efforts to support vulnerable communities during the pandemic.