Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between George Kerevan and Lord Vaizey of Didcot

Thursday 3rd March 2016 Commons Chamber

[Mr Vaizey]

It is very important to set realistic targets. That is why we dropped Labour’s pathetic 2 megabits policy and went to 24 megabits. Now is the time to start looking at a gigabit Britain. I utterly endorse what my hon. Friend says. Let us not get stuck in the past with Labour; let us go forward to the future.

[George Kerevan (East Lothian) (SNP)]

Is the Minister aware that the very latest European Commission digital economy scorecard, published in just the past few weeks, ranks the UK below not just the Nordic countries, which we would expect, but countries such as Belgium? Despite the well-known antipathy of his Secretary of State to all things European, will the Minister press the European Investment Bank to put more money into extending broadband, particularly in rural constituencies such as mine of East Lothian?

[Mr Vaizey]

I am surprised—[Interruption.]