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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions her Department has had with other departments on whether Ofcom's Dark Fibre Access regulatory remedy is affected by the application of business rates on electronic communications providers purchasing Dark Fibre Access from BT Openreach when it becomes available in October 2017.

My Department has regular discussions with other Government Departments on a range of issues impacting on the regulation of the telecoms sector and regularly receives proposals which contribute to policy development, which are considered on their merits as part of this process.