Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the reasons for the delay in commencing section 70 of the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022; and whether they plan to publish an updated timetable for its implementation.

The Government remains committed to implementing the remaining provisions of the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022 as soon as possible.

The remaining provisions, including section 70, are complex and technical and their implementation requires careful consideration. My Department is considering options and will engage with stakeholders as part of this process. We will confirm timelines for the implementation of the remaining sections in due course.

The Government wants Code agreements to be negotiated collaboratively. To that end, the 2022 Act introduced a requirement for operators to inform landowners of the availability of alternative dispute resolution and to consider using it before issuing legal proceedings.