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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how her Department defines (a) rural and (b) urban in the context of the roll-out of superfast broadband.

BDUK's State aid clearance from the European Commission has been given on the basis that deployment will be predominantly in rural and remote areas. These areas are not defined by the Commission, although BDUK has provided information to the Commission on how interventions will be targeted using population densities

The Superfast Broadband Programme aims to maximise coverage within the framework set by the State aid regime. BDUK therefore undertakes an assessment of each project to ensure that it is consistent with the State aid requirements. Projects have not been taken forward in London or Birmingham, and the eligible areas for other projects which include cities within their scope have been assessed on the basis that coverage is targeted at rural and urban fringe areas. BDUK therefore does not measure rural and urban deployment.