Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what guidance her Department issues on whether Building Digital UK vouchers are transferable assets if a broadband company falls into administration.

Building Digital UK (BDUK) monitors the general health of the voucher suppliers it works with on the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme. Any vouchers issued under the scheme are owned by the beneficiary, rather than the supplier assigned to the project, however only the supplier assigned to the project by BDUK can claim the funding.

If a voucher supplier goes into administration, BDUK will review options for ensuring premises included in any of their voucher projects can be covered through one of our programmes. If the supplier is acquired by another company, the new owner may retain the vouchers projects through formal, mutual agreement. Alternatively, the premises covered by the vouchers could be incorporated into a Project Gigabit procurement or existing contract.