Asked by: Duke of Montrose (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what funds have been earmarked for the completion of the full-fibre network in the UK; and when they expect to deliver a nationwide full-fibre network.
Answered by Baroness Barran
This Government is investing record amounts to level up digital infrastructure across the UK. We are already connecting some of the hardest to reach places in the country, through our Superfast broadband programme and £200 million Rural Gigabit Connectivity programme. In addition, we have pledged a further £5bn to ensure no part of the country is left behind.
Our aim is for nationwide coverage of gigabit-capable networks, including full fibre, as soon as possible. Much progress has already been made by the Government, working with the telecoms industry, to support network rollout and deployment is starting to increase at pace. For example, we have introduced the Telecommunications Infrastructure (Leasehold Property) Bill into Parliament, which will make it easier for network builders to access blocks of flats where there is an absent or unresponsive landlord.
Asked by: Duke of Montrose (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether any earmarked funds for the delivery of a full-fibre network for the UK include specified funding for the delivery of the full-fibre network in Scotland; and what funds have been allocated for this purpose in the current year.
Answered by Baroness Barran
Just over £11.5 million of UK Government funding is being provided to Scotland through the Local Full Fibre Networks (LFFN) programme. This funding is upgrading public sector assets with gigabit-capable full fibre networks across Tay Cities, Highland Councils and Shetland Councils. These upgrades will then stimulate the market to invest commercially in the surrounding communities. Good progress has been made with the projects thus far with the build, and the associated funding, expected to be completed and utilised respectively by March 2021.
The Scottish Borderlands area is also a priority for the Government’s £200 million Rural Gigabit Connectivity programme, which is upgrading public sector sites in rural areas with gigabit-capable networks. This programme also offers vouchers for rural customers, which can be used to contribute towards the cost of installing gigabit-capable infrastructure.
In addition, the government has pledged £5 billion for a new programme delivering gigabit-capable broadband to the most difficult areas to reach across the UK, including communities in Scotland. We are currently engaging closely with industry, Local Authorities and Devolved Administrations to design this new programme and get the best possible value for money for taxpayers. We intend to start procuring contracts early next year.
Asked by: Duke of Montrose (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the proportion of the £500 million for broadband extension, announced on 28 October, that will be required by each of the nations of the UK; and what contribution could still be required by local authorities.
Answered by Baroness Barran
The announcement on 28 October 2019 was the Ministerial Statement to Parliament in respect of the Government’s in-principle support for a Shared Rural Network (SRN) Programme, announced on 25th October 2019. The SRN is a proposal from the Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) to collectively increase 4G mobile coverage throughout the United Kingdom to 95% by 2025, underpinned by a legally binding coverage commitment from each operator to have reached more than 92% by 2026. The Government’s in-principle support remains subject to detailed negotiations with the MNOs, but our ambition is to reach a final agreement on the SRN early next year.
Crucially, the benefits will be felt across all four nations with the SRN extending coverage from each operator to a minimum of 85% in Scotland, 86% in Wales and 91% in Northern Ireland and 91% in England by 2026, although we expect the actual outcomes to be higher
Industry is contributing £530 million to address partial not-spots (areas where there is currently only coverage from at least one but not all four MNOs). In addition, subject to reaching a final agreement, the Government will invest £500 million to provide new digital infrastructure in total not-spot areas (areas of market failure where no operators are present today). This £500 million will be funded from central Government, for the purposes set out in the business case for the Shared Rural Network. As this funding is state aid, it will require the approval of the European Commission or, depending on the circumstances of EU exit, the Competition and Markets Authority.
The £500 million funding from Government does not assume any contributions from the devolved administrations or from local authorities. However, support from both the devolved administration and local authorities will be crucial to the success of the programme - particularly in relation to planning approvals for new sites or site upgrades. Officials in central Government have had detailed conversations about the SRN proposal with their devolved counterparts, and will continue to engage with them regularly over the coming months.
The UK has a vibrant telecoms industry, and we are keen that this programme reflects that. The programme will be delivered jointly by all four MNOs however, it is expected that organisations across the industry will have the opportunity to get involved in the delivery of the programme, as grant beneficiaries, by competing to build the required infrastructure, in an open, fair and transparent way. Beneficiaries will be required to report on their funding in line with the usual process for publishing their own accounts. Further details will be made available as the programme progresses.
Asked by: Duke of Montrose (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the £500 million for broadband extension, announced on 28 October, will be ringfenced; and whether beneficiaries of the funding will be required to publicise the source of that funding.
Answered by Baroness Barran
The announcement on 28 October 2019 was the Ministerial Statement to Parliament in respect of the Government’s in-principle support for a Shared Rural Network (SRN) Programme, announced on 25th October 2019. The SRN is a proposal from the Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) to collectively increase 4G mobile coverage throughout the United Kingdom to 95% by 2025, underpinned by a legally binding coverage commitment from each operator to have reached more than 92% by 2026. The Government’s in-principle support remains subject to detailed negotiations with the MNOs, but our ambition is to reach a final agreement on the SRN early next year.
Crucially, the benefits will be felt across all four nations with the SRN extending coverage from each operator to a minimum of 85% in Scotland, 86% in Wales and 91% in Northern Ireland and 91% in England by 2026, although we expect the actual outcomes to be higher
Industry is contributing £530 million to address partial not-spots (areas where there is currently only coverage from at least one but not all four MNOs). In addition, subject to reaching a final agreement, the Government will invest £500 million to provide new digital infrastructure in total not-spot areas (areas of market failure where no operators are present today). This £500 million will be funded from central Government, for the purposes set out in the business case for the Shared Rural Network. As this funding is state aid, it will require the approval of the European Commission or, depending on the circumstances of EU exit, the Competition and Markets Authority.
The £500 million funding from Government does not assume any contributions from the devolved administrations or from local authorities. However, support from both the devolved administration and local authorities will be crucial to the success of the programme - particularly in relation to planning approvals for new sites or site upgrades. Officials in central Government have had detailed conversations about the SRN proposal with their devolved counterparts, and will continue to engage with them regularly over the coming months.
The UK has a vibrant telecoms industry, and we are keen that this programme reflects that. The programme will be delivered jointly by all four MNOs however, it is expected that organisations across the industry will have the opportunity to get involved in the delivery of the programme, as grant beneficiaries, by competing to build the required infrastructure, in an open, fair and transparent way. Beneficiaries will be required to report on their funding in line with the usual process for publishing their own accounts. Further details will be made available as the programme progresses.
Asked by: Duke of Montrose (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the remarks made by Lord Ashton of Hyde on 25 February, what proportion of the costs of meeting the target on the expansion of broadband in Scotland by the end of 2017 will be met by the Government; and how much it is expected to cost.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The Scottish Government estimate the total capital cost for the current Scotland projects under phase 1 of the Superfast Broadband Programme will be £412 million. The UK Government is contributing nearly £101 million, the Scottish Government will contribute nearly £63 million, Scottish local authorities will contribute over £102 million and the European Union over £20 million towards the total. The balance of just over £126 million is expected to be contributed by the supplier BT.
The UK Government has allocated a further £21 million for phase 2 delivery within Scotland. This funding is subject to procurement and confirmation of local match funding.