Chi Onwurah – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2015-11-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether the £10 million investment for better broadband infrastructure in the South West announced in the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015 is part of a larger investment programme; for what reasons the South West was chosen for the £10 million investment; and what funding will be made available by the Government for other regions.

Mr Edward Vaizey

The Government has allocated £10 million to the South West broadband fund, commencing in April 2016. This fund extends the support already being provided through the superfast programme and will also stimulate the ultrafast market. The South West region has some of the most difficult topography in the UK for fixed broadband deployment and this fund will help provide coverage in challenging areas within the region. In addition, the Prime Minister recently announced the ambition to give people the legal right to request a connection to broadband with speeds of 10 Mbps, no matter where in the country they live.