Thursday Volume 546 14 June 2012 No. 14 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Thursday 14 June 2012 £5·00 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2012 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Parliamentary Click-Use Licence, available online through The National Archives website at www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/information-management/our-services/parliamentary-licence-information.htm Enquiries to The National Archives, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 4DU; e-mail: [email protected] 445 14 JUNE 2012 446 Conservative-controlled Wiltshire county council, none House of Commons the less there have been some centrally based delays, so what can the Secretary of State do to assist in that pilot? Thursday 14 June 2012 Mr Hunt: We are doing everything we can to reduce those delays, including seeking early clearance of state aid from Brussels, but we have put in place a competitive The House met at half-past Ten o’clock process that is led by local authorities, because we think that we will get the best results by putting them in the driving seat. That is why we have had a tremendous response, including from local authorities that, in almost PRAYERS every case, have agreed to match the money being put in by central Government, so in Wiltshire and throughout the country we will have an extremely good broadband [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] network, if not the best in Europe. Duncan Hames (Chippenham) (LD): I welcome that response and hope the Secretary of State understands Oral Answers to Questions the eagerness in Wiltshire, south Gloucestershire and Swindon to proceed with their framework. Can he tell us anything about the timetable for reaching a resolution of the state aid issue with the European Commission? CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT Mr Hunt: I hope to meet Commissioner Almunia next week or, certainly, in the next few weeks to hasten The Secretary of State for Culture Olympics, Media that process as fast as possible, and we still very much and Sport was asked— hope that all local authorities will have signed their Superfast Broadband contracts by the end of this calendar year, so that the digging of trenches and the laying of fibre along poles 1. Stephen Timms (East Ham) (Lab): What his policy can take place from the beginning of next year. is on competition in the supply of superfast broadband services; and if he will make a statement. [111297] Superfast Broadband The Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and 2. David T. C. Davies (Monmouth) (Con): What recent Sport (Mr Jeremy Hunt): Our aim is to ensure that we progress he has made on his plans to ensure the UK has have as competitive a market for broadband as possible. the best superfast broadband network in Europe. That is why together with Ofcom we have taken a [111299] number of steps to ensure that the UK broadband market is one of the most vibrant and competitive in 6. Eric Ollerenshaw (Lancaster and Fleetwood) (Con): the world, including opening up BT’s ducts and poles to What recent progress he has made on his plans to competitors and introducing new guidance on street ensure the UK has the best superfast broadband network works and micro-trenching. in Europe. [111303] Stephen Timms: So why are the Government, through 7. John Howell (Henley) (Con): What recent progress the ill judged Broadband Delivery UK exercise, recreating he has made on his plans to ensure the UK has the best a taxpayer-funded monopoly for superfast broadband? superfast broadband network in Europe. [111304] Will the Secretary of State confirm that the number of firms on his framework has now fallen from three to 13. Andrea Leadsom (South Northamptonshire) (Con): two, and that all the deals so far have been with one of What recent progress he has made on his plans to those companies, which stands to receive more than ensure the UK has the best superfast broadband £1.5 billion? Is it any wonder that the European Commission network in Europe. [111314] is challenging the legality of what he is doing, or that Britain is lagging so badly behind on superfast broadband? The Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Mr Hunt: When the right hon. Gentleman’s party left Sport (Mr Jeremy Hunt): I have now approved 37 out of office, we had one of the slowest broadband networks 43 local broadband plans—that is, almost 90% across in Europe; we have put in place plans that will give us the whole country—and nine are in procurement. A one of the fastest. His party had plans that would not number of those are almost ready to begin delivery, and have seen the roll-out of superfast broadband until the other projects are being prepared for procurement 2017; we have brought that forward. We have also put in with support from Broadband Delivery UK, which is almost £1 billion of public money, so I think that our also finalising details for the broadband delivery framework results have been pretty impressive. contract. Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire) (Con): Wiltshire is David T. C. Davies: May I congratulate the Minister one of the pilot areas for the roll-out of superfast on the progress that he is making on superfast broadband, broadband in England. Will increasing competition but ask that this not be done at the expense of those living among broadband providers hasten its arrival? Despite in remote rural areas, such as parts of Monmouthshire, the excellent efforts of the outstandingly good who have yet to see any form of broadband whatsoever? 447 Oral Answers14 JUNE 2012 Oral Answers 448 Mr Hunt: My hon. Friend is absolutely right, and the our minds. We are determined to put in place a structure whole purpose of the programme is to ensure that fast that makes sure that even if they are not in the 90% broadband speeds are available to everyone. Indeed, it is covered by 2015, they will be covered very soon afterwards the people in the most remote areas who stand to gain or we will have a structure that allows them to be the most in terms of preventing villages from being covered within that framework. depopulated and helping people who are disabled to get their shopping done. There are all sorts of very important Mr Nigel Dodds (Belfast North) (DUP): Developing benefits, and I hope that the £57 million that we have the best possible communications network is one of the allocated to Wales, which has been more than matched key priorities for Belfast city council and the local by the Welsh Government, will make that happen in administration in Northern Ireland, and great progress Monmouthshire and throughout Wales. has been made. May I urge the Secretary of State to support Belfast’s bid for greater funding for superfast Eric Ollerenshaw: Can the Minister confirm that broadband, which is an excellent way of attracting the when community-led schemes to bring superfast broadband greater economic growth and further direct investment to remote rural areas, such as Broadband for the Rural that we need? North in my constituency, initially raise their own funds, they will not then be discriminated against on access to Mr Hunt: First, I should congratulate the right hon. future Government support? Gentleman, because Northern Ireland has some of the best broadband in Europe already. He is absolutely right. Mr Hunt: We are specifically trying to set up a scheme One of the other big differences between this Government’s so that, where people raise their own funds to solve policies and those of the previous Government is that broadband problems, it is possible to integrate that into we are not stopping at having superfast broadband for the national network. Our objective is to enable as the whole country but want our cities to have some of much local self-help work as possible, so I welcome my the best broadband in the world and to aspire to the hon. Friend’s initiative and those taken by his constituents. speeds that can be found in Singapore, Seoul and other cities. I hope that Belfast will be among them. John Howell: Large parts of my constituency suffer from rural broadband poverty, but at an official level it Chi Onwurah (Newcastle upon Tyne Central) (Lab): is often masked because neighbouring Oxford has good In the two years since this Government took office, they broadband, and the level at which it is integrated is too have not delivered 1 metre of extra fibre or one bit of great to show that granularity. What advice can my extra bandwidth. BDUK is still sorting out its super- right hon. Friend give about making sure that those fragmented contracting process. Up and down the country, areas of rural broadband poverty in my constituency hundreds of thousands of people are denied decent are recognised? broadband because the Government abandoned our universal broadband pledge. Does the Secretary of State Mr Hunt: The comfort that I can give my hon. Friend deny that, under Labour, this year everyone would have is that our ambition, which is vastly higher than anything had access to decent broadband to play their part in the that we had from Labour, is that by 2015 90% of the innovation economy? country will have access to superfast broadband. However, it will not stop there, because we will have a plan in Mr Hunt: Let me remind the hon. Lady that when her place for the other 10% which means that they will have party left office there was no money left.