Thursday Volume 691 18 March 2021 No. 193 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Thursday 18 March 2021 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2021 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/. 467 18 MARCH 2021 468 House of Commons Gigabit Broadband Karl McCartney (Lincoln) (Con): What steps his Thursday 18 March 2021 Department is taking to roll out gigabit broadband. [913590] The House met at half-past Nine o’clock The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (Matt Warman): Since 2019, gigabit-capable broadband coverage has risen from 10% to PRAYERS now well over 30%, but with the publication this morning of Ofcom’s market review, the way is paved for the Government to lay out their thinking in much greater [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] detail. We will be publishing Project Gigabit very soon Virtual participation in proceedings commenced (Orders, to explain where we will be taking the best broadband 4 June and 30 December 2020). connections first and how we will tackle the hardest-to-reach [NB: [V] denotes a Member participating virtually.] premises as well. Karl McCartney [V]: I thank the Minister—my county colleague, as the Member for Boston and Skegness—for that response and look forward to a Government Oral Answers to Questions announcement in the near future. We have all become more reliant on our broadband connectivity in recent months, and I look forward to the full—and it needs to be full—roll-out of gigabit broadband. I represent two DIGITAL, CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT district areas. City of Lincoln Council has 99.4% superfast connectivity, but North Kesteven District Council, where I represent Skellingthorpe, Bracebridge Heath and The Secretary of State was asked— Waddington East, has only 95.3% superfast broadband, Exports to EU: Art and Antiques with 2.74% of households receiving less than 10 megabits per second. How will my hon. Friend ensure that the Anthony Mangnall (Totnes) (Con): What steps his roll-out of gigabit broadband benefits all those in rural Department is taking to help ensure that art and antiques areas, including across Lincolnshire, where BT took can be easily exported to EU countries. [913589] vast amounts of easy taxpayer money but has not delivered fibre connections or access for all by a long The Minister for Digital and Culture (Caroline Dinenage): way? The UK has one of the world’s leading art markets and the free trade agreement we negotiated with the EU will Matt Warman: I know just how keen my hon. Friend allow it to flourish. We have taken steps to facilitate the is to tackle broadband roll-out in the rural parts of his export of cultural goods to EU countries. We have constituency as well as in the urban. As I mentioned, developed a new inland pre-clearance process for export Project Gigabit will lay out a nationwide plan and it will licences for works of art, and we are digitising the do so in a way that promotes competition so that we get export licensing system for cultural goods. Those steps the best that the whole of the market can offer, including will reduce border friction and avoid delays and security Openreach, but also other providers. risks. Chi Onwurah (Newcastle upon Tyne Central) (Lab) Anthony Mangnall: Notwithstanding the Minister’s [V]: Our Parliament, our businesses, our students, our incredibly helpful response, there are small businesses in economy and our social lives all depend on broadband. the art and antiques market that are suffering from In 2019, the Prime Minister promised full fibre for all by these teething problems,such as Dart Gallery in Dartmouth 2025, and the 2020 Budget set aside £5 billion for that. in my constituency. So what further steps are the Can the Minister confirm that only £1.2 billion of that Government going to take to ensure that there is a £5 billion is planned to be spent by 2025, and that today’s streamlined approach to exporting art and antiques in decision by Ofcom to remove pricing controls will deliver future years? greater profits for BT while allowing Openreach to charge more in rural areas that are already broadband-poorer? Caroline Dinenage: My hon. Friend is absolutely When will the country as a whole get the broadband right to champion the businesses in his constituency. We infrastructure we so desperately need? care deeply about supporting them. That is why the Secretary of State met representatives of the art market Matt Warman: The hon. Lady knows that the only earlier this month to discuss issues. We will continue Government will spend the £5 billion that has been to work closely with the sector to ensure that it can keep committed as soon as possible and as quickly as the trading smoothly with the EU. We recognise that this industry can get the cable into the ground. She also means a period of change for business at a time when knows that the important balance to strike is between a everyone has been responding to the unprecedented competitive market that makes sure that we get everyone, pressures of the pandemic, but this is an unparalleled from Openreach to Gigaclear to CityFibre, involved, opportunity for the UK to do business differently and and ensuring that those businesses can make a fair prosper. We will continue to support businesses to allow return. That is the balance that Ofcom has sought to them to take all the opportunities. strike today. 469 Oral Answers 18 MARCH 2021 Oral Answers 470 Julian Knight (Solihull) (Con) [V]: With the publication the Budget, taking dedicated support for culture and of Ofcom’s broadband review, does the Minister agree heritage during the pandemic to almost £2 billion—an that the time has come to respond more fully to the key unprecedented sum. recommendations of the DCMS Select Committee report in relation to broadband roll-out, as it seems clear that David Johnston [V]: The culture recovery fund has the Government are set to miss their revised targets? provided a vital lifeline to many organisations in my Will he commit to give the Committee its full answers constituency, from the Cholsey and Wallingford railway by 1 April? In addition, is the £5 billion sum for Project to the Oxford Philharmonic to the Didcot Railway Gigabit reported in today’s Daily Telegraph just a Centre, which is a popular family attraction. Does my repackaged announcement, or is the £5 billion now right hon. Friend agree that just as people have been guaranteed from the Treasury? very good at supporting their local shops during the pandemic, it would be great if, when restrictions lift, Matt Warman: The Ofcom report, as I say, strikes a they can go and visit their local culture and heritage balance between trying to get competition and trying to sites, even if they have been many times before, to help get a fair return. I think that is a reasonable approach. them get back on their feet? It is of course important that we lay out the plans in response to the Select Committee’s questions. Project Oliver Dowden: I completely agree. The Government Gigabit will, in due course, do an awful lot of that work. have been here for culture throughout the pandemic, I look forward to responding in full to the Committee’s and as we emerge from it, I know that the public will questions, perhaps even appearing in front of it once again. want to be there, too. As our cultural institutions reopen, we will encourage people to get out there and support Data Flow to and from EU them. That includes attractions in my hon. Friend’s constituency, as he referenced, such as the Didcot Railway Daniel Zeichner (Cambridge) (Lab): What steps the Centre and the Cholsey and Wallingford railway, both Government is taking to ensure the free flow of data to of which have been supported through our culture and from the EU. [913591] recovery fund. The Minister for Media and Data (Mr John Whittingdale): Live Events and Cultural Festivals: Government-backed Under UK law, personal data can currently flow freely Insurance Scheme from the UK to the EU. The trade agreement also ensures the continued temporary free flow of personal Martyn Day (Linlithgow and East Falkirk) (SNP): If data from the EU to the UK until adequacy decisions he will hold discussions with the Chancellor of the are adopted. The European Commission published positive Exchequer on the potential merits of introducing a draft adequacy decisions on 19 February and we expect Government-backed insurance scheme for the live events the EU to complete the technical approval process sector. [913594] soon. Sarah Olney (Richmond Park) (LD): What discussions Daniel Zeichner [V]: We all know how important the he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on flow of data is for UK business,but frankly the Government establishing a Government-backed insurance fund to have handed the powers to the EU to turn our data on help support the return of live events and cultural and off. They have turned us into supplicants, effectively. festivals during the covid-19 outbreak. [913599] What are the contingency plans, given that relationships The Minister for Digital and Culture (Caroline Dinenage): are frosty, should the EU use those powers? The Government are aware of the concerns that have been raised about the challenge of securing indemnity Mr Whittingdale: As I say, the EU Commission has cover for live events, and my officials and the rest of the already provided an assessment of the UK’sdata protection team at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and laws, which found us to be adequate, and there is Sport continue to work closely with the affected sectors absolutely no reason why that should not be confirmed to understand all the barriers to reopening, including once the processes are under way.