Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether her Department plans to extend (a) infrastructure-sharing agreements and (b) rural roaming schemes to help improve mobile coverage in areas such as North East Hampshire constituency.

Through the National Planning Policy Framework, mobile network operators are encouraged to improve connectively by using existing masts buildings and other structures where it is possible. Network operators have also committed to sharing infrastructure, wherever it is viable, via the Code of Practice for Wireless Network Development.

The Government has no plans to introduce a rural roaming scheme. Mandated roaming schemes could reduce the incentive for operators to invest in their networks.

However, roaming agreements are in place that allow calls to emergency services to automatically roam onto another available network if someone has no signal from their own provider.