Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what criteria they have established for the siting of telecommunications masts across the Highlands of Scotland under the Shared Rural Network programme.

This Government has a responsibility to ensure all parts of the country are able to benefit from the opportunities provided by digital connectivity. The Shared Rural Network (SRN) intentionally has geographic targets in order to tackle this challenge, and ensure the programme remains focused on the most rural parts of the country.

The exact site deployment plans for new masts under the SRN will be managed by the Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) themselves in order for them to best deliver the agreed coverage targets for the programme.

The MNOs continue to work closely with local communities and planning authorities to ensure new masts go through the proper planning process and are considerate to areas of natural beauty. Planning authorities are responsible for approving applications which form part of the SRN programme and publicly funded masts will be shared by all four MNOs to minimise the impact on the environment.