HC Deb 12 July 2001 vol 371 c618W
21. Mr. Clifton-Brown

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the availability of broadband telecommunications in rural areas. [2055]

Mr. Alexander

The Government have made a commitment to work to ensure that broadband is accessible in all parts of the country. In May, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry announced a major new project to determine how to speed up the roll-out of broadband services to individuals and businesses in rural and other areas that individual suppliers currently see as uncommercial. The project will establish how, by aggregating the public sector's demand for broadband services, we can best encourage telecoms companies to roll out broadband infrastructure to these "hard to reach" areas.