Asked by: Lord Cromwell (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the provisions concerning a complaints process about the conduct of operators under section 70 of the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022 are now in effect; and, if not, when they will come into effect.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The provisions in Section 70 of the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022 concerning the handling of complaints about the conduct of operators are not yet in force.
The Government remains committed to implementing Section 70 of the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022 as soon as possible.
My Department is considering options for implementation and will engage with stakeholders as part of this process. We will confirm timelines for the implementation of Section 70 in due course.
Asked by: Lord Cromwell (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what percentage of mobile mast sites will be affected by the renewals provisions in sections 61 to 64 of the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022; and what methodology they have used for coming to that assessment.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
We estimate that the Renewals Provisions will affect approximately 12-18% of UK mobile mast sites. This reflects the number of live agreements that could be affected by the Renewals Provisions, drawn from confidential data provided by industry and internal estimates, as a proportion of the estimated total number of mobile sites in the UK. Given the commercially sensitive nature of the data, further detail is not possible.
The Renewals Provisions extend the changes to the statutory valuation framework introduced by the 2017 Electronic Communications Code to certain cases regulated by the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 and the Business Tenancies (Northern Ireland) Order 1996 upon their renewal.
Based on reporting by Ofcom in its Connected Nations reports, 4G geographic coverage from all four operators has risen from 40% in 2016 to 84% in 2026 and 5G premises (outdoor) coverage has reached 64% from all four operators in 2026.
Asked by: Lord Cromwell (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the number of mobile mast sites that will be affected by the renewals provisions in sections 61-64 of the Product Security Telecommunications Infrastructure Act; and, if so, whether this assessment indicates that access to signals will be disrupted.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
We estimate that the Renewals Provisions will affect approximately 12-18% of UK mobile mast sites. This reflects the number of live agreements that could be affected by the Renewals Provisions, drawn from confidential data provided by industry and internal estimates, as a proportion of the estimated total number of mobile sites in the UK. Given the commercially sensitive nature of the data, further detail is not possible.
The Renewals Provisions extend the changes to the statutory valuation framework introduced by the 2017 Electronic Communications Code to certain cases regulated by the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 and the Business Tenancies (Northern Ireland) Order 1996 upon their renewal.
Based on reporting by Ofcom in its Connected Nations reports, 4G geographic coverage from all four operators has risen from 40% in 2016 to 84% in 2026 and 5G premises (outdoor) coverage has reached 64% from all four operators in 2026.
Asked by: Lord Cromwell (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of how many UK mobile mast sites will be affected by the renewals provisions in sections 61 to 64 of the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
We estimate that the Renewals Provisions will affect approximately 12-18% of UK mobile mast sites. This reflects the number of live agreements that could be affected by the Renewals Provisions, drawn from confidential data provided by industry and internal estimates, as a proportion of the estimated total number of mobile sites in the UK. Given the commercially sensitive nature of the data, further detail is not possible.
The Renewals Provisions extend the changes to the statutory valuation framework introduced by the 2017 Electronic Communications Code to certain cases regulated by the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 and the Business Tenancies (Northern Ireland) Order 1996 upon their renewal.
Based on reporting by Ofcom in its Connected Nations reports, 4G geographic coverage from all four operators has risen from 40% in 2016 to 84% in 2026 and 5G premises (outdoor) coverage has reached 64% from all four operators in 2026.
Asked by: Lord Cromwell (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the treatment of mobile mast site providers by mobile network operators under the Electronic Communications Code; and when they plan to establish the complaints mechanism provided for in section 70 of the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government remains committed to implementing the remaining provisions of the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022 as soon as possible.
The remaining provisions, including section 70, are complex and technical and their implementation requires careful consideration. My Department is considering options and will engage with stakeholders as part of this process. We will confirm timelines for the implementation of the remaining sections in due course.
The Government wants Code agreements to be negotiated collaboratively. To that end, the 2022 Act introduced a requirement for operators to inform landowners of the availability of alternative dispute resolution and to consider using it before issuing legal proceedings.
Asked by: Lord Cromwell (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the reasons for the delay in commencing section 70 of the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022; and whether they plan to publish an updated timetable for its implementation.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government remains committed to implementing the remaining provisions of the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022 as soon as possible.
The remaining provisions, including section 70, are complex and technical and their implementation requires careful consideration. My Department is considering options and will engage with stakeholders as part of this process. We will confirm timelines for the implementation of the remaining sections in due course.
The Government wants Code agreements to be negotiated collaboratively. To that end, the 2022 Act introduced a requirement for operators to inform landowners of the availability of alternative dispute resolution and to consider using it before issuing legal proceedings.
Asked by: Lord Cromwell (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to consult landowners, trade associations and industry representatives on the development of the complaints mechanism provided for in section 70 of the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government remains committed to implementing the remaining provisions of the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022 as soon as possible.
The remaining provisions, including section 70, are complex and technical and their implementation requires careful consideration. My Department is considering options and will engage with stakeholders as part of this process. We will confirm timelines for the implementation of the remaining sections in due course.
The Government wants Code agreements to be negotiated collaboratively. To that end, the 2022 Act introduced a requirement for operators to inform landowners of the availability of alternative dispute resolution and to consider using it before issuing legal proceedings.
Asked by: Lord Cromwell (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the research by the Chartered Institute of Internal Auditors indicating that many broadband providers operate without an internal audit function.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government, working with Ofcom, closely monitors the financial health of the telecoms market. Ofcom have powers to request financial information from providers where appropriate.
We recently held a public consultation on proposed updates to the Telecommunications Security Code of Practice, which provides guidance on how public telecoms providers can meet their statutory requirements to secure their networks and services. These include requirements relating to reviews, governance and board responsibilities. Ofcom monitor and enforce these requirements.
In response to the consultation, the Chartered Institute of Internal Auditors raised the matter of independent assurance arrangements. We are now carefully reviewing all feedback to the consultation to ensure that any updates to the Code of Practice are appropriate and proportionate.
Asked by: Lord Cromwell (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the risks to essential services and the wider economy posed by broadband providers' lack of internal audit functions.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government, working with Ofcom, closely monitors the financial health of the telecoms market. Ofcom have powers to request financial information from providers where appropriate.
We recently held a public consultation on proposed updates to the Telecommunications Security Code of Practice, which provides guidance on how public telecoms providers can meet their statutory requirements to secure their networks and services. These include requirements relating to reviews, governance and board responsibilities. Ofcom monitor and enforce these requirements.
In response to the consultation, the Chartered Institute of Internal Auditors raised the matter of independent assurance arrangements. We are now carefully reviewing all feedback to the consultation to ensure that any updates to the Code of Practice are appropriate and proportionate.
Asked by: Lord Cromwell (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that broadband providers and telecoms companies establish internal audit functions.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government, working with Ofcom, closely monitors the financial health of the telecoms market. Ofcom have powers to request financial information from providers where appropriate.
We recently held a public consultation on proposed updates to the Telecommunications Security Code of Practice, which provides guidance on how public telecoms providers can meet their statutory requirements to secure their networks and services. These include requirements relating to reviews, governance and board responsibilities. Ofcom monitor and enforce these requirements.
In response to the consultation, the Chartered Institute of Internal Auditors raised the matter of independent assurance arrangements. We are now carefully reviewing all feedback to the consultation to ensure that any updates to the Code of Practice are appropriate and proportionate.