Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Department for Education

Oral Answers to Questions

Barry Gardiner Excerpts
Thursday 8th November 2012

(12 years ago)

Commons Chamber
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Vince Cable Portrait Vince Cable
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Indeed, I have now been twice to MIRA. It is a magnificent institution and one of the most successful in the UK at promoting advanced technology. MIRA has benefited from the regional growth fund and a successful enterprise zone, and could well expand to become a world-class centre for transport technology.

Barry Gardiner Portrait Barry Gardiner (Brent North) (Lab)
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The growth of businesses in rural areas is being constrained by the lack of access to broadband. Even where businesses can achieve the Government’s target of 2 megabits, they are finding that that is the download speed, and they are still constrained by the greatly inferior upload speed. Will the Government consider reassessing the 2015 target of 2 megabits?

Michael Fallon Portrait Michael Fallon
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I will certainly do that. This is an issue for businesses in rural areas across the country. Clause 7 of the Growth and Infrastructure Bill will help to accelerate the roll-out of broadband, not least in rural areas, but the hon. Gentleman joined his party in voting against it on Monday night.