Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to accelerate the rollout of Project Gigabit in Chichester constituency.

According to Ofcom’s Connected Nations reporting, as of January 2026, 81% of premises in Chichester have access to gigabit coverage, an increase from 72% in January 2025.

For the remaining premises within East and West Sussex that are not within the scope of suppliers’ commercial plans, including those in Chichester, BDUK is working to put in place coverage solutions as soon as possible through Project Gigabit, in line with the government’s commitment to achieve nationwide gigabit coverage by 2032. A market engagement consultation for suppliers was published on 1 June to confirm supplier interest in relation to the premises that still need coverage in this area.