Asked by: Julie Minns (Labour - Carlisle)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department has made of the (a) potential impact of the use of Cellular Internet of Things modules in consumer products, including internet-connected vaping devices, on national security and (b) risk of interception, unauthorised access and transfer of data transmitted by such devices.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)
Consumer connected devices fall within scope of the Product Security and Telecommunications Act 2022 and must comply with the requirements of that Act and its underlying Regulations. This includes consumer devices that use cellular internet of things modules and the use of internet-connected vaping devices.
Consumer connected devices, by their nature as consumer goods, would not typically pose a national security threat. Our assessment is that a compromised cellular internet of things module would not, by itself, enable an end-to-end attack. From a cyber security perspective, risk is managed through the broader set of controls supporting monitoring, resilience and recovery across the system. Advice on managing the security of cellular internet of things modules technology is provided to industry and government by the National Cyber Security Centre.
Asked by: Julie Minns (Labour - Carlisle)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether the (a) National Cyber Security Centre and (b) National Security Unit for Procurement have provided advice to (i) Ministers and (ii) officials on risks associated with the use of Chinese-manufactured Cellular Internet of Things modules in consumer products, including internet-connected vaping devices.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)
The UK Government takes an actor-agnostic approach to supply chain resilience, focusing on the characteristics and behaviours of technologies and suppliers rather than their country of origin. This ensures that our regulatory frameworks remain objective, proportionate, and resilient to evolving threats.
Ministers receive technical advice from National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) on a wide range of cyber threats, including on IoT products. Their assessment is that a compromised cellular internet of things module would not, by itself, enable an end-to-end attack. From a cyber security perspective, risk is managed through the broader set of controls supporting monitoring, resilience and recovery across the system. Advice on managing the security of cellular internet of things modules technology is provided to industry and government by the NCSC.
Asked by: Julie Minns (Labour - Carlisle)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the closure of applications for Gigabit Broadband Vouchers in Cumbria on households in Carlisle constituency who do not have a fibre optic broadband connection.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)
Based on Ofcom’s Connected Nations reporting for gigabit coverage in the constituency of Carlisle, as of January 2026, 91% of premises had access to gigabit-capable broadband, which is a significant increase from 69% in January 2024 and is above the UK gigabit coverage average of 88%. This has been assisted by Project Gigabit. Across Carlisle, over 4,750 premises have already received a gigabit-capable connection, with an additional 1,770 still expected to be given coverage, via the Project Gigabit contract covering Cumbria which is being delivered by Fibrus.
Through a combination of commercial market and government subsidised delivery, government is ensuring 99% of UK premises will have access to gigabit-capable broadband by 2032. In support of this, Building Digital UK (BDUK) is currently refreshing its delivery plans for the remaining premises not included in Project Gigabit or any commercial plans.
BDUK has asked all suppliers to confirm their interest in any further projects through the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme, though delivery through this route is likely to be limited and BDUK expects most remaining coverage will be provided through Project Gigabit contracts.
Asked by: Julie Minns (Labour - Carlisle)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to deliver fibre-optic broadband to properties in Carlisle constituency that have not been included in the Project Gigabit roll-out to date.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)
Based on Ofcom’s Connected Nations reporting for gigabit coverage in the constituency of Carlisle, as of January 2026, 91% of premises had access to gigabit-capable broadband, which is a significant increase from 69% in January 2024 and is above the UK gigabit coverage average of 88%. This has been assisted by Project Gigabit. Across Carlisle, over 4,750 premises have already received a gigabit-capable connection, with an additional 1,770 still expected to be given coverage, via the Project Gigabit contract covering Cumbria which is being delivered by Fibrus.
Through a combination of commercial market and government subsidised delivery, government is ensuring 99% of UK premises will have access to gigabit-capable broadband by 2032. In support of this, Building Digital UK (BDUK) is currently refreshing its delivery plans for the remaining premises not included in Project Gigabit or any commercial plans.
BDUK has asked all suppliers to confirm their interest in any further projects through the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme, though delivery through this route is likely to be limited and BDUK expects most remaining coverage will be provided through Project Gigabit contracts.
Asked by: Julie Minns (Labour - Carlisle)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to help improve the resilience of mobile networks.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)
Reliable access to mobile services is essential. We recognise the impact that power cuts and storms can have on services, especially in rural areas – Storm Goretti is a recent example of this. Ofcom is analysing power backup requirements to ensure adequate resilience during outages. The Government is fostering collaboration between the electricity and telecommunications sectors to minimise disruption when power cuts occur, aiming to mitigate the impact and ensure any interruptions to mobile services are brief and affect as few people as possible.
Asked by: Julie Minns (Labour - Carlisle)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of physical infrastructure access fees on the ability of alternative network providers to roll out full fibre broadband in rural areas.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The government is committed to delivering nationwide gigabit connectivity coverage by 2030. Today, 86% of premises can access gigabit-capable networks.
The government's strategy supports market entry and expansion by alternative network operators via easy access to Openreach’s infrastructure including ducts and poles under Ofcom’s Physical Infrastructure Access framework (PIA). Government has set out in its Statement of Strategic Priorities that: “Government regards effective access to Openreach’s national network of underground ducts and poles as a key enabler of competitive network deployment.”
Ofcom governs the PIA framework. Ofcom has powers to impose access conditions on electronic communications networks, enabling third parties to use Openreach’s ducts and poles on fair and reasonable terms, conditions and charges, and without undue discrimination.
The government supports this framework but will not intervene in independent Ofcom decisions regarding the PIA price levels.
Asked by: Julie Minns (Labour - Carlisle)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the Physical Infrastructure Access (PIA) fee structure on full fibre broadband roll out in rural areas.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The government is committed to delivering nationwide gigabit connectivity coverage by 2030. Today, 86% of premises can access gigabit-capable networks.
The government's strategy supports market entry and expansion by alternative network operators via easy access to Openreach’s infrastructure including ducts and poles under Ofcom’s Physical Infrastructure Access framework (PIA). Government has set out in its Statement of Strategic Priorities that: “Government regards effective access to Openreach’s national network of underground ducts and poles as a key enabler of competitive network deployment.”
Ofcom governs the PIA framework. Ofcom has powers to impose access conditions on electronic communications networks, enabling third parties to use Openreach’s ducts and poles on fair and reasonable terms, conditions and charges, and without undue discrimination.
The government supports this framework but will not intervene in independent Ofcom decisions regarding the PIA price levels.