Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, for what reason the rating assessment for unbundled local copper loops included a concession that was not available to fibre telecommunications infrastructure constructed before April 2017.

The Government has provided a new 100 per cent business rates relief for new fibre infrastructure for a five year period from 1 April 2017 to support the roll out of new fibre broadband infrastructure and future 5G communications to homes and businesses. The relief is provided to support telecom companies as they invest in their fibre network and, therefore, is not available on existing fibre constructed before 1 April 2017.