Question follow-through · 10563

Broadband: Rural Areas

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure equality of access to rural fibre-optic infrastructure.

answeredDepartment for Science, Innovation and Technology

About this written question

A written question asks a government minister for information in writing. Parliament publishes the question and any answer.

Answering body
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Tabled
22 Oct 2024
Target answer date
24 Oct 2024
Answer
30 Oct 2024 · 8 calendar days after tabling

Elapsed calendar days describe the record timeline, not whether Parliament considers an answer on time.

Recorded timeline

  1. 22 Oct 2024

    Question tabled

    To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure equality of access to rural fibre-optic infrastructure.

  2. 24 Oct 2024

    Target answer date

    Date supplied by the official written-questions record.

  3. 30 Oct 2024

    Answer published

    Poor internet access can pose significant challenges for rural and urban communities alike, which is why the government is determined to improve access and promote digital participation. The Government is committed to improving broadband access in rural a...

Open official record

Official data retrieved 27 Sept 2026.

Later records

Possible follow-up questions

Strong links require the same MP, department and exact heading. Other same-department questions are shown as unreviewed candidates, not as confirmed follow-ups. No debate link is asserted unless a stable source relationship exists.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Telecommunications: Cornwall

15 Nov 2024 · To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to help improve the (a) reliability and (b) longevity of back-up Voice over Internet Protocol phone batteries for vulnerable people; how many (i) tel

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Internet: Rural Areas

16 Dec 2024 · To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to help (a) improve internet services for rural communities and (b) ensure that internet companies do not have monopolies in rural areas.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Voice over Internet Protocol: Rural Areas

3 Jan 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that rural communities remain connected following the digital switchover.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Telecommunications: Rural Areas

3 Jan 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of attaching emergency batteries for mobile phones to telephone masts in rural areas.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Shared Rural Network

26 Feb 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether there are funds available under the Shared Rural Network; and whether he has plans to use the network to eliminate partial non-spots in North Cornwall constituency.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Social Media: Subversion

6 Mar 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to prevent foreign actors from influencing UK democratic processes through social media.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Water: Small Businesses

29 Aug 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what funding streams are available for SMEs offering (a) patented and (b) environmentally beneficial technologies in the water sector.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Veterans: Identity Cards

11 Nov 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what plans her Department has to undertake a Data Protection Impact Assessment on the integration of the digital Veteran Card with GOV.UK One Login.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Veterans: Identity Cards

11 Nov 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the Data Protection Act 2018 and Article 5 of the United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulation, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the saf

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Veterans: Identity Cards

11 Nov 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether her Department will assess the potential merits of allowing non-digital verification routes for veterans who do not wish to use GOV.UK One Login in order to obtain a digital Vet

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Subject Access Requests

5 Jan 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to ensure the ICO's statutory duty to enforce SAR disclosures are met within a one month timeframe.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

NHS Trusts: Subject Access Requests

5 Jan 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if she will made an assessment of the potential impact of SARs not being disclosed by NHS hospital trusts within the statutory one month timeframe.