§ Mr. BeggsTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much public finance has been allocated to support extending broadband coverage in Northern Ireland. [89110]
§ Mr. PearsonIn September 2001 the Northern Ireland Executive approved £18.04 million to be allocated to telecommunications development over the following three years. In addition Northern Ireland secured £1.46 million as its share of the £30 million UK Broadband Fund.
In November 2002, under the EU's Interreg III Programme, approximately £4 million (7 million euros) was allocated to stimulate investment in efficient communications and e-commerce infrastructure in Northern Ireland and the border counties of ROI. The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment is liasing with the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources (DCMNR) in Dublin to develop a Call in line with the aims of Interreg III.