Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps their Department is taking to implement the guidance entitled The government’s approach to rural proofing 2025, published on 15 May 2025.

The Government has made a commitment that all policy decision-making should be rural proofed. Rural proofing ensures that rural areas are not overlooked and that the intended outcomes are deliverable in rural areas.

Defra leads on rural proofing, but individual departments are responsible for ensuring that their policy decision-making is rural proofed.

The Digital Inclusion Action Plan – First Steps, published in February 2025, sets out our first actions to tackle digital exclusion. While it outlines key demographic groups, it recognises that rural communities are also impacted.

To ensure rural areas are not left behind and have access to digital infrastructure, we are continuing to deliver gigabit-capable broadband and 4G mobile coverage through Project Gigabit and the Shared Rural Network.