Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what factors he took into account and consultations he had with external organisations on the proposals made during negotiations with mobile network operators on improving mobile coverage across the UK.

In considering options to improve mobile coverage, discussions were held with Ofcom, the four mobile network operators, and other Government departments. Additionally, the Government undertook a public consultation in November 2014 to seek views from all interested parties. We intend to publish a response to the consultation in due course. Many factors were taken into account in reaching the agreement in December 2014, with the overriding objective of delivering the best coverage outcome for consumers as swiftly as possible