Asked by: Bill Wiggin (Conservative - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the criteria are by which Arqiva assesses notspot data.
Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot
Notspot data is compiled and held by Ofcom, with information provided by the Mobile Network Operators. In areas where coverage is thought to be marginal, or there is uncertainty over coverage, DCMS officials have commissioned drive testing to check the level of coverage.
Asked by: Bill Wiggin (Conservative - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the process was by which Arqiva arrived at its decision not to proceed with the proposed Fownhope mast.
Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot
DCMS officials provided Arqiva with the latest data on notspots, updated by Ofcom for 2014 with information from the Mobile Network Operators. This shows that coverage has improved in Fownhope since the inception of the project. The Mobile Infrastructure Project can intervene in areas where there is no mobile coverage from any operator, and where the cost of the build of a mast, considered alongside the numbers of premises that would benefit from the additional coverage, provides value for money. Unfortunately this is no longer the case for the proposed mast location in Fownhope, and Arqiva made a recommendation to officials to not proceed.
Asked by: Bill Wiggin (Conservative - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what information his Department holds on whether staff from Arqiva visited Fownhope to assess the adequacy of mobile telephone reception in that area.
Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot
It is not in Arqiva's remit to assess adequacy of mobile telephone reception, and no Arqiva staff visited Fownhope for that purpose. It is Ofcom's role to assess the adequacy of mobile coverage and reception. Ofcom has updated the notspot data for 2014 with information from the Mobile Network Operators, and Arqiva base their planning on that information.
Asked by: Bill Wiggin (Conservative - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 10 June 2014, Official Report, columns 67-8W, on the press, whether he has set a date for meeting victims of press abuse and their representatives.
Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot
These arrangements are currently being finalised.
Asked by: Bill Wiggin (Conservative - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what plans he has to meet victims of press abuse and their representatives.
Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot
The Secretary of State has received a formal request for a meeting, which he has accepted. This will be held in due course.