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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential effect of moving from the current system of rooftop valuation for mobile network base stations to a no scheme valuation model on (a) the supply of sites, (b) the revenues received by Newcastle City Council and other public sector organisations from rooftop rentals and (c) mobile phone operator profits.

Effective working relationships between network operators and landowners, including avoiding costly and time-consuming litigation, will remain in the interests of both parties. The reforms will not be retrospective and the new valuation basis will have no impact on existing agreements.

The Government’s impact assessment on the reformed Code can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/407579/Annex_4_Electronic_Communications_Code_Reform_IA_-_DCMS075.pdf.