Mobile Phone and Broadband Prices

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering Excerpts

Tuesday 9th December 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Lloyd of Effra (Lab)]

Earlier this year, the Government published the Digital Inclusion Action Plan, which set out a number of the measures that we are taking, on top of the importance of the digital infrastructure being in place. They include measures on access to devices and the skills and confidence to enter the online world. There are social tariffs that consumers can use; they should contact their providers to make sure that, if they are eligible for them, they can take them up.

[Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Con)]

My Lords, the noble Baroness will be aware that the 5% hardest to reach in rural areas are being further disadvantaged by the taking out of landlines. Storm Arwen took all the landlines and mobile phones out over a large area of the north-east and north Yorkshire for nine days. People must be able safely to summon help in an emergency. That will not happen if these landlines are taken out.