Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Neil Parish and Matt Hancock

Thursday 8th February 2018 Commons Chamber

[Matt Hancock]

I will certainly look at the bid the hon. Gentleman mentions. The point he raises is that the areas in the final 5% that do not have superfast broadband are not all rural. Some are urban. There are complicated reasons for that, in many cases to do with wayleaves and access, especially to multi-dweller units. We are working very hard on this and I will certainly look at his bid for funding.

[Neil Parish (Tiverton and Honiton) (Con)]

The broadband network coverage in some of the Blackdown hills is absolutely appalling. The key to getting broadband and the mobile phone network is combined in those hardest-to-hit spots. We have to get more done.

[Matt Hancock]

My hon. Friend is dead right.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Neil Parish and Matt Hancock

Thursday 16th November 2017 Commons Chamber

[Matt Hancock]

Yes, I saw my Scottish counterpart last week, and I am going to Scotland in a fortnight to discuss the matter. The problem in Scotland is that we delegated the funding to the Scottish Government, who have contracted more slowly than any English county or the Welsh Government. They need to get on with it.

[Neil Parish (Tiverton and Honiton) (Con)]

Gigaclear is also coming into Devon and Somerset in competition with BT to deliver more superfast broadband. However, the percentage of hard-to-reach people is still big, so we really must concentrate on getting superfast broadband to them.

[Matt Hancock]

My hon. Friend is dead right. I pay tribute to the work that Devon County Council and Somerset County Council have done together to deliver into some very hard-to-reach rural areas. In contrast to the Scottish contracting, they have been getting contracts out the door in order to achieve connectivity as quickly as possible.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Neil Parish and Matt Hancock

Thursday 9th February 2017 Commons Chamber

[Matt Hancock]

I will look into the figures that the hon. Gentleman mentions. Thinkbroadband, the independent body that publishes figures on this, thinks that the number of properties in Aberavon to which superfast broadband is available is much higher and, indeed, ahead of the national average. There has been a huge effort to roll out superfast broadband but, of course, there is a difference between something being available and it being taken up. It is important to ensure that people take up broadband when it is available.

[Neil Parish (Tiverton and Honiton) (Con)]

The hardest-to-reach rural and isolated areas across the country have still not been reached by broadband. I urge the Government to have a flexible approach—perhaps using a voucher system in some cases—and to use all technologies to get broadband out to those isolated areas.

[Matt Hancock]

I very strongly agree with my hon. Friend.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Neil Parish and Matt Hancock

Thursday 15th December 2016 Commons Chamber

[Matt Hancock]

The hon. Lady asks a very good question. By 1 January—less than one month away—it will be a legal requirement to put superfast broadband into new housing developments. By the end of the programme that is under way, 98% of Newcastle, which includes her constituency, will be covered for access to superfast broadband. I am sure she would want to welcome that.

[Neil Parish (Tiverton and Honiton) (Con)]

Percentages do not mean much to people who do not have broadband, and we just do not have it in many parts of my constituency. This affects not only residents, but businesses, such as the caravan parks that people will not now come to unless there is broadband access. That is the problem.

[Matt Hancock]

My hon. Friend is dead right that that is a problem. The universal service obligation is very important in making sure that everybody gets decent access to broadband. In the past few years, that has changed from a “nice to have” to an absolute “must have”, and we are delivering to make sure people have the connectivity they need.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Neil Parish and Matt Hancock

Thursday 6th March 2014 Commons Chamber

[Matthew Hancock]

I have been to Leeds to see what is being done with apprenticeships. Building colleges for building is an important part of ensuring that we can build our buildings in the future, and using apprenticeships to do that is an important way of improving and retaining skills, but, crucially, it also gives thousands of young people a chance to obtain the skills that they need in order to hold a sustainable job and have a secure future.

[Neil Parish (Tiverton and Honiton) (Con)]

The building of Hinkley C will create a huge amount of employment in and around not only Somerset but Devon. Apprenticeship schemes will certainly work very well when it comes to building a power station.

[Matthew Hancock]

I agree with my hon. Friend, and I pay tribute to Bridgwater college, which has put an awful lot of effort into ensuring that we build up the courses that will provide us with new nuclear skills.