HC Deb 24 May 2002 vol 386 cc630-1W
Mr. Weir

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to offer assistance to small businesses in rural areas to enable them to access broadband communications, as they become available. [57211]

Mr. Alexander

There are already a range of incentives to stimulate take up of ICT in the economy, notably 100 per cent capital allowance for ICT investment for small businesses and tax breaks for employees loaned a PC at home by their employer.

In addition, some of the £30 million UK broadband fund will be used by Regional Development Agencies and the devolved administrations assist SMEs in getting broadband. Further work is being carried out to encourage infrastructure-sharing by telecommunications companies to reduce the cost of rollout, cutting red tape which may be holding back deployment of satellite broadband services and aggregating broadband procurement by the public sector in order to provide guaranteed levels of demand in rural areas.

UK online for business covers the whole of the UK and has teams of business advisers in every part of the country based in Business Links run by the Small Business Service (and their equivalents in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland). Advisers provide practical, tailored, impartial jargon free advice on a wide variety of e-business and ICT topics, including broadband, to rural businesses. Business advisers are involved in a number of projects with local businesses in rural areas to ensure that they are able to exploit the benefits of ICTs and broadband for commercial advantage.

Mrs. Browning

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when broadband will be available in the 01884 exchange area. [58177]

Mr. Alexander

[holding answer 21 May 2002]Broadband can be delivered by a variety of technologies of which only digital subscriber lines are fixed to telephone exchanges. Broadband is available by satellite throughout the UK. Rollout of other technologies is a commercial decision for the companies concerned.

A map showing geographical availability of broadband services can be found in the UK Online Annual Report [http://www.e-envoy.gov.uk/ukonline/champions/anrep_menu.htm].

Mr. Peter Duncan

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will estimate the percentage of the population unable to make use of(a) ISDN and (b) broadband at their home address in (i) Scotland, (ii) the UK and (iii) Dumfries and Galloway. [57304]

Mr. Alexander

The Office of Telecommunications (Oftel) holds detailed information regarding the UK telecoms market. ISDN is available from every digital telephone exchange in the country, although it cannot be guaranteed to every customer because of a range of geographical and technical features. Oftel have not made an assessment of percentage availability, since it is heavily dependent on localised factors.

Broadband services by one or more of ADSL, cable and wireless are available to around 66 per cent of the population. Satellite broadband is available throughout the country.

A map showing geographical availability of broadband services can be found in the UK Online Annual Report [http://www.e-envoy.gov.uk/ukonline/champions/anrep_menu.htm].