§ Sir Wyn RobertsTo ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will encourage the establishment of a British-based equivalent of the Internet system in order for Britain to promote its interests worldwide.
§ Mr. Ian Taylor[holding answer 23 January 1995]: The Internet is now so international and amorphous that its operation would be very difficult to influence in order to provide a national benefit. However, the DTI is monitoring its development and the prospect of other networks closely.
The United Kingdom's interests are best served by the fullest development of new telecommunication networks and services, led by the private sector and reflecting the economic interests of businesses, public institutions and households. The UK is in a very strong position to use these capabilities because of the state of development of our communications infrastructure. The Government's policy of telecommunications liberalization has encouraged substantial investment in modern communications networks with the capacity to support the multimedia applications that the new communications networks require. There are many companies in Britain working on such applications.