Oral Answers to Questions

John Glen Excerpts

Thursday 31st October 2013 Commons Chamber

[Mr Vaizey]

I will certainly do that. I am sure my hon. Friend will welcome the additional £250 million that has been found to take superfast broadband coverage to 95% by 2017.

[John Glen (Salisbury) (Con)]

2. What progress her Department has made in rolling out rural broadband.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Mr Edward Vaizey)]

Forty two local broadband projects have now agreed contracts and are in implementation, and we are now passing approximately 10,000 premises every week. We have made a huge amount of progress.

[John Glen]

I thank the Minister for that answer, but what do I say to the local authority and residents in villages such as Pitton who believe they are in the percentage that will not qualify for the imminent roll-out through the BT deal? They want to be free to develop new community-based solutions with alternative providers, as they anticipate they will not get anything from BT for a long time.

[Mr Vaizey]

I am happy to meet my hon. Friend to discuss any issues. The rural community broadband fund is designed to support community broadband projects that the programme is not reaching.