§ Dr. CableTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assessment he has made of the impact on the timetable for the connection of schools to the Internet of the Competition Commission's review of the proposed acquisition by NTL of Cable and Wireless Communications' cable interests. [116644]
§ Mr. Wills[holding answer 28 March 2000]: The Competition Commission has concluded that the merger may be expected not to operate against the public 49W interest. Choices about schools' connections to the Internet rest with schools themselves in the light of the telecommunications services and funding available to them, and advice from local education authorities and the British Educational Communications and Technology Agency. Good progress is being made in connecting schools to the Internet, with 93 per cent. of schools and 62 per cent. of primary schools connected as at March 1999.