Oral Answers to Questions

Sarah Newton Excerpts

Thursday 30th January 2014 Commons Chamber

The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport was asked—

[Sarah Newton (Truro and Falmouth) (Con)]

1. What funding her Department is making available to ensure the final 10% of premises get access to superfast broadband.

[Andrew Bingham (High Peak) (Con)]

5. What funding her Department is making available to ensure the final 10% of premises get access to superfast broadband.

[The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Maria Miller)]

The Government have committed a further £250 million to extend superfast broadband to 95% of UK premises by 2017. In addition, we are investing £10 million to find ways to provide superfast broadband to the hardest-to-reach and remotest premises.

[Sarah Newton]

I welcome my right hon. Friend’s answer. Many homes and businesses are indeed benefiting from superfast broadband, but important local employers are not, such as the Nare hotel on the beautiful but remote Roseland peninsula. What further assurances can she give such businesses on how they can expect to receive superfast broadband?

[Maria Miller]

I know that my hon. Friend takes a great interest in this. I think she will be pleased that the existing £132 million Superfast Cornwall project is already delivering superfast broadband to 82% of homes in her area, and there will be further opportunities to extend coverage with the additional £250 million that we have announced. Projects in her area will clearly be eligible to bid for such funding.