Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to Government grants statistics 2020 to 2021, published on 31 March 2022, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the Local Full Fibre Networks 1920 and initial 2021 grants.

An evaluation of the Local Full Fibre Networks (LFFN) Wave 1 is due to be published shortly. Building Digital UK (BDUK) will commission further evaluation for Wave 2 and 3 of the LFFN programme later this year.

We will publish the first evaluation of the Rural Gigabit Connectivity (RGC) programme later this year, with a further impact evaluation planned in 2025/2026.