Broadband: Street Cabinets

Earl of Selborne Excerpts

Monday 22nd October 2012 Lords Chamber

[Viscount Younger of Leckie]

I do not believe there is scope for running a competition because so many of these street cabinets are being rolled out. However, I again reassure the House that the cabinets will be and must be sensitively sited. Although they are on the large side—I have already mentioned the camouflaging—in some cases there will be overhead cabling, some of which, instead of going into the street cabinets, can be placed inside church steeples, which is a good use for churches.

[The Earl of Selborne]

My Lords, as my noble friend has described the cabinets as being quite small in size rather than bulky and intrusive, as the noble Lord, Lord Howarth, would have it, should we congratulate the manufacturers on producing something that can be placed so discreetly?

[Viscount Younger of Leckie]

I thank my noble friend. There is every hope that the cabinets will be discreetly sited and will not impact on localities too much.