Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether she has made an assessment with her counterpart in the Scottish government on the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to allow broadband providers to access communal areas in multi dwelling units with majority owner consent.

As set out in the Written Ministerial Statement on 21 July we will consult on policy measures later in the autumn to create a new right for leaseholders in England and Wales to request a gigabit broadband connection and a duty for freeholders to not unreasonably refuse the request. We are working closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) on the policy proposals and we will seek to legislate for these measures when parliamentary time allows.

Scottish Tenements are a devolved matter and governed by Scotland. We're engaging with the Devolved Nations on a range of issues relating to the deployment of digital infrastructure, including issues relating to access.

Multiple Dwelling Units (MDUs) that remain not covered by commercial plans will be in scope for support for full fibre rollout through Project Gigabit.