UK government fails on broadband funding

Last week in the Commons, North Ayrshire and Arran MP Patricia Gibson challenged the UK government about its failure to properly fund broadband across Scotland after it refused to acknowledge its financial responsibilities for this matter.

Despite connectivity and broadband being entirely reserved to Westminster, the SNP government has invested £580 million in the ‘R100’ programme to deliver super-fast broadband to every home and business in Scotland. The UK Government has contributed £21 million – just 3.5 per cent of the total funding.

Mrs Gibson said: ‘What is clear is the Tory UK government’s complete and utter failure to allocate adequate funding for the rollout of broadband in Scotland, which has left the Scottish government to make up the massive shortfall that is entirely the responsibility of Westminster.

‘The SNP government has already made excellent progress in delivering wider access to superfast broadband across North Ayrshire, Arran and Scotland, to make sure Scotland is not left behind. But there is still more to do. It’s not too late for the Tory Government to step up to the plate and join us by fulfilling its remit and investing in broadband here in North Ayrshire and across Scotland.

‘Broadband is essential to ensuring communities like Arran are connected and businesses are competitive, and the UK Government must provide Scotland with its fair share of overall funding for the rollout of high-speed broadband.

Disadvantaged

‘If it was left to the Tories at Westminster, our rural and island communities would be disadvantaged in digital connectivity for years to come. It is only the SNP Government which has the ambition of making Scotland one of the best-connected nations in Europe. All of Scotland.

‘It is time for the UK government to step up to the plate on this issue and stop selling Scotland short.’