Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if he will provide interim funding for hamlets in remote areas to improve broadband coverage before his target date.

No, providing a lesser interim service that would be replaced in the near future would involve the government providing a subsidy in some areas twice over, which would not be an efficient use of public funding.

The Torridge and Tavistock constituency is included in BDUK’s cross regional framework which has been signed, under which we expect infrastructure will start being deployed in early 2025.