Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - East Grinstead and Uckfield)
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 level of mobile signal coverage gaps in East Sussex.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Ofcom is responsible for reporting on mobile network coverage across the UK and their data provides Government with information on mobile coverage gaps.
Ofcom do not publish mobile coverage data on a regional basis such as for East Sussex and West Sussex. However, in their Connected Nations Annual Report 2025, published on 19 November 2025, it is reported that 1% of the East Grinstead and Uckfield constituency has no 4G geographic coverage from any operator.
10% of premises in this constituency have no 5G (combined standalone and non-standalone) outside from any mobile operator, 68% of premises in the constituency do not have standalone 5G outside from any mobile operator.
Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - East Grinstead and Uckfield)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether mobile signal improvements in West Sussex will contribute to the Government’s connectivity targets.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Government’s ambition is for all populated areas to have access to higher quality standalone 5G by 2030. This is a UK wide ambition, coverage improvements in the East Grinstead and Uckfield constituency will therefore contribute to the achievement of this ambition.
Government wants to see high quality digital infrastructure available right across the UK, whether this is fixed or mobile, allowing people to participate in the modern digital economy.
Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - East Grinstead and Uckfield)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to improve mobile phone and broadband access in East Grinstead and Uckfield constituency.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Our ambition is for all populated areas to have higher quality standalone 5G by 2030 and we have a target to deliver nationwide (99%) gigabit broadband coverage by 2032.
The Government continues to work closely with the mobile network operators to ensure their continued investment into the expansion and improvement of mobile networks and that investment translates into benefits for communities right across the UK.
To improve broadband coverage in the area CityFibre is delivering a Project Gigabit contract across East and West Sussex, which includes premises in the East Grinstead and Uckfield constituency.
We are also working to identify and address barriers to deployment of both mobile and broadband infrastructure. This includes recently launching a call for evidence to help determine where planning rules could be relaxed to support the deployment of digital infrastructure.
Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - East Grinstead and Uckfield)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether mobile signal improvements in East Grinstead and Uckfield constituency will contribute to the Government’s connectivity targets.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Government’s ambition is for all populated areas to have access to higher quality standalone 5G by 2030. This is a UK wide ambition, coverage improvements in the East Grinstead and Uckfield constituency will therefore contribute to the achievement of this ambition.
Government wants to see high quality digital infrastructure available right across the UK, whether this is fixed or mobile, allowing people to participate in the modern digital economy.
Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - East Grinstead and Uckfield)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether mobile signal improvements in East Sussex will contribute to the Government’s connectivity targets.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Government’s ambition is for all populated areas to have access to higher quality standalone 5G by 2030. This is a UK wide ambition, coverage improvements in the East Grinstead and Uckfield constituency will therefore contribute to the achievement of this ambition.
Government wants to see high quality digital infrastructure available right across the UK, whether this is fixed or mobile, allowing people to participate in the modern digital economy.
Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - East Grinstead and Uckfield)
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 ensure that mobile operators improve signal reliability in rural and semi rural areas of West Sussex.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Our ambition is for all populated areas to have access to higher quality standalone 5G by 2030. This ambition includes villages and rural communities as well as towns and cities.
Standalone 5G is a more reliable, secure, generation of technology which has the potential to deliver significant benefits to communities across the UK.
Government continues to work closely with the mobile network operators to ensure that continued investment into the expansion and improvement of mobile networks translates into benefits for communities right across the UK. We are also addressing barriers to deployment where they exist and recently launched a call for evidence to help determine where planning rules could be relaxed to support the deployment of digital infrastructure.
There are statutory obligations on communications providers to take appropriate and proportionate steps to ensure their networks and services remain available, and Ofcom has powers to investigate, rectify and penalise communications providers for any infringement of their duties. Ofcom is undertaking a review of the resilience of mobile services to power cuts and considering whether to update the expectations on mobile operators on the level of power back up required.
Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - East Grinstead and Uckfield)
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 ensure that mobile operators improve signal reliability in rural and semi rural areas of East Grinstead and Uckfield constituency.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Our ambition is for all populated areas to have access to higher quality standalone 5G by 2030. This ambition includes villages and rural communities as well as towns and cities.
Standalone 5G is a more reliable, secure, generation of technology which has the potential to deliver significant benefits to communities across the UK.
Government continues to work closely with the mobile network operators to ensure that continued investment into the expansion and improvement of mobile networks translates into benefits for communities right across the UK. We are also addressing barriers to deployment where they exist and recently launched a call for evidence to help determine where planning rules could be relaxed to support the deployment of digital infrastructure.
There are statutory obligations on communications providers to take appropriate and proportionate steps to ensure their networks and services remain available, and Ofcom has powers to investigate, rectify and penalise communications providers for any infringement of their duties. Ofcom is undertaking a review of the resilience of mobile services to power cuts and considering whether to update the expectations on mobile operators on the level of power back up required.
Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - East Grinstead and Uckfield)
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 ensure that mobile operators improve signal reliability in rural and semi rural areas of East Sussex.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Our ambition is for all populated areas to have access to higher quality standalone 5G by 2030. This ambition includes villages and rural communities as well as towns and cities.
Standalone 5G is a more reliable, secure, generation of technology which has the potential to deliver significant benefits to communities across the UK.
Government continues to work closely with the mobile network operators to ensure that continued investment into the expansion and improvement of mobile networks translates into benefits for communities right across the UK. We are also addressing barriers to deployment where they exist and recently launched a call for evidence to help determine where planning rules could be relaxed to support the deployment of digital infrastructure.
There are statutory obligations on communications providers to take appropriate and proportionate steps to ensure their networks and services remain available, and Ofcom has powers to investigate, rectify and penalise communications providers for any infringement of their duties. Ofcom is undertaking a review of the resilience of mobile services to power cuts and considering whether to update the expectations on mobile operators on the level of power back up required.
Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - East Grinstead and Uckfield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the timetable is for upgrading rail infrastructure on the Uckfield line.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
A Strategic Outline Business Case was developed by Network Rail in 2021 which considered the potential benefits of upgrading rail infrastructure on the Uckfield line. This assessment concluded that the scheme would have positive impacts on train service performance and reliability, together with wider economic benefits. The scheme was paused by the previous government following Spending Review 2021; no development work has taken place since that point.
The Hon Member also may wish to contact Network Rail for information on their plans to maintain and renew rail infrastructure on the Uckfield line.
Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - East Grinstead and Uckfield)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to reduce delays caused by inadequate clinic capacity that prevent urgent breast referrals from meeting the 28 day Faster Diagnosis Standard.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department is supporting the National Health Service to increase capacity to meet the demand for diagnostic services through investment in new magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography scanners. The Government is investing an extra £26 billion in the NHS over two years and is opening up community diagnostic centres at evening and weekends, to help catch cancer earlier, including breast cancer.
To ensure that those with signs and symptoms that may indicate breast cancer have cancer diagnosed or ruled out as quickly as possible, NHS England has published guidance for local systems on implementing a timed breast cancer diagnostic pathway. The guidance sets out how diagnosis within 28-days can be achieved for the suspected breast cancer pathway in line with Faster Diagnosis Standard.