Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Victoria Prentis and Margot James

Thursday 8th February 2018 Commons Chamber

[Victoria Prentis (Banbury) (Con)]

5. What steps his Department is taking to improve broadband and mobile phone coverage in rural areas.

[The Minister of State, Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (Margot James)]

Our ambition is for the UK to have better digital connectivity wherever people live, work and travel, which very much includes rural areas. Superfast broadband is now available to 95% of UK premises, and roll-out will continue to cover the majority of remaining premises. By 2020, the universal service obligation will give everyone the legal right to high-speed broadband at 10 megabits per second or faster.

[Margot James]

We are doing a great deal to help businesses and people in rural areas. My hon. Friend might like to campaign for greater awareness of the access that people in her constituency have to the internet, because it is now at 93%. As in many other constituencies, however, people are not taking that up, and I urge those who live in rural areas, where the access is there, to take it up.

[Victoria Prentis]

Last week, I held a meeting of larger employers in my constituency, and it became clear that one thing they feel is holding them back is the lack of a mobile signal between junctions 10 and 11 of the M40. Will the Minister work with me to improve that?