§ Mr. RobathanTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make it her policy to undertake a full regulatory impact assessment on UK broadband development of the effects of proposed Department of Transport street works legislation before it is introduced to Parliament. [107807]
§ Mr. JamiesonI have been asked to reply.
The Government intend to legislate, when parliamentary time allows, to allow more effective management of activities in the street, including those carried out by utility companies, to ensure that the disruption these cause is kept to a minimum. A regulatory impact assessment on the impact of these measures on relevant parties, notably local government and utility companies, including the telecommunications sector, will, of course, be made available to Parliament to accompany such a Bill when introduced. Among other things, this will need to deal with any impact on the development of broadband.