§ Mr. ByersTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many(a) households (i) have internet access and (ii) have broadband access, and how many (b) businesses have (1) internet access and (2) broadband access, broken down by (A) constituency and (B) postcode. [134488]
§ Mr. Timms[holding answer 27 October 2003]: In the second quarter of 2003, 12.0 million (48 per cent.) of households in the UK were connected to the internet from the home, according to the latest ONS statistics published on 30 September 2003. Oftel's research found that 65 per cent. of SMEs had internet access at end August 2003. Oftel publishes data on the combined total take-up of broadband by UK homes and businesses. At end September 2003, there were over 2,628,100 broadband subscribers, of which 2,341,000 were residential broadband subscribers and 288,1000 were business broadband subscribers. Oftel monitors the UK narrowband and broadband markets. The findings are published regularly on its website http://www.oftel.gov.uk. Statistical data on take-up of the internet in the UK is published regularly by the ONS on its website hap:// www.statistics.gov.uk.
Data broken down by constituency and postcodes level are not available.