Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of business broadband connectivity speed and reliability on business growth, productivity and competitiveness in (a) Greater Manchester (b) Oldham.

The Government has not made any specific assessment of the impact of business connectivity with regards to the specific areas of Greater Manchester and Oldham.

The Government’s view is that fast and reliable business broadband is critical for the growth of the economy, fostering innovation, and ensuring investment in the UK. In the Budget last month, the Chancellor set out that the government will work with Ofcom to support the availability and adoption of gigabit broadband solutions by business.

In July, we published our draft updated Statement of Strategic Priorities to Ofcom, where we set out that the regulator should continue to ensure that businesses across the country are able to access the fast, reliable, and resilient broadband services they need to thrive.