§ Mr. EvansTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will estimate the cost of broadband telecommunications charges to public bodies within the Ribble Valley constituency in 2002–03; and what plans there are for improving value for money. [131699]
§ Mr. TimmsEstimates of the cost of broadband telecommunications charges to public bodies within the Ribble Valley-constituency in 2002–03 are not available.
The Government are improving value for money through the aggregation of public sector demand for broadband connectivity. In the coming month, nine new Regional Aggregation Bodies (RABs) will be set up, one in each of the English regions to join up individual public sector requirements and present them to the market in larger units. They will deliver better value deals and drive up availability by making it more attractive to telecommunications companies to make the capital investment necessary to provide broadband in new areas. Their work will also improve broadband availability for non-public sector users in those areas by encouraging service providers to use the infrastructure to provide broadband services to the public and small businesses.