§ Mr. RoweTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make it a requirement for the granting of licences to companies for the laying of cables that they share cable trenches with other companies; and if he will make a statement. [107604]
§ Ms HewittThere are no plans to introduce a requirement to share trenches within the scope of Telecommunications Act 1984 licences. While trench sharing between two or more operators often occurs, circumstances of timing and routing make this impractical as a requirement. However, the licences currently issued require operators to explore the possibility of using existing ducts or conduits and the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 places a duty on the highway authorities to co-ordinate the execution of works in the highway.
Additionally the Department has written at both Ministerial and official level to all telecommunications operators with code powers reminding them of their obligation to explore duct sharing and encouraging them to consider trench sharing as a means of reducing unnecessary digging. We have also drawn operators' attention to a new private sector initiative to encourage dig co-ordination.