Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to support Openreach to provide fibre to the premises connections in (a) Alfriston Road, Berwick and (b) other rural areas in Lewes constituency.

This government is committed to delivering nationwide gigabit coverage by 2032 and we have created a regulatory environment that incentivises private investment, including from Openreach, in areas where deployment is commercially viable.

Additionally, CityFibre is delivering a Project Gigabit contract across East and West Sussex. This contract currently includes approximately 7,800 premises in the Lewes constituency, the vast majority of which are in rural areas. Premises on Alfriston Road, Berwick, are currently included within the scope of this contract.