Asked by: Michelle Scrogham (Labour - Barrow and Furness)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether the Government is considering additional interim support for rural households and businesses that remain without access to gigabit-capable broadband while awaiting connection through Project Gigabit contracts; and whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of (a) temporary voucher expansion, (b) support for alternative wireless technologies and (c) targeted assistance for communities facing delivery delays beyond originally indicated connection timelines.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government is committed to ensuring at least 99% of premises receive gigabit broadband coverage by 2032. As of January 2026, Ofcom report that 88% of UK premises have access to a gigabit-capable connection.
In the interim, most premises can access superfast fixed wired connections (available to 98% of UK premises), and connectivity via fixed wireless and satellite connections is also available in many areas. We continue to monitor and support the development of the satellite market and further suppliers are expected to enter it this year.
Building Digital UK (BDUK) works with Project Gigabit suppliers to avoid delivery delays wherever possible. Where these do occur, recovery plans or alternative delivery solutions are put in place to bring delivery back on track as quickly as possible and mitigate any impacts that might arise.
The last date for claims under the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme is March 2028. There are no plans to extend the scheme beyond this date as low volumes mean that it would not offer value for money.
Asked by: Michelle Scrogham (Labour - Barrow and Furness)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what progress her department has made on improving cyber resilience.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Enhancing the resilience of our economy to cyber attacks is a priority for the government, and we are taking positive action.
My department published the Government Cyber Action Plan (GCAP) in January, setting out how government will improve the cyber security and resilience of public services. The GCAP is backed by over £210 million of central investment. This funding establishes the Government Cyber Unit in my department and enables investment in scalable services, support, and response capability to accelerate transformation.
The Cyber Security and Resilience Bill, which proposes new laws to improve UK cyber defences and protect essential public services, has completed Commons Committee stage and will soon proceed to Commons Report stage.
The Product Security and Telecommunications Act 2022 has improved the security of consumer ‘smart’ devices, with recent testing showing 100% compliance with new requirements for stronger password protections.
My department has recently announced the Cyber Resilience Pledge which will launch in the summer. By signing the pledge, organisations from across the economy commit to take action to improve their cyber resilience by making cyber risk a board-level priority, signing up to the National Cyber Security Centre’s (NCSC) Early Warning service, and requiring Cyber Essentials across their supply chains.