Committee
Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee 17 March 2021
17 Mar 2021 · S5 · Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee
Item of business
Digital Connectivity
Yes—2026 is the final date for completion of build and sign-off of the programme. The work might continue into 2026 for some premises, based on that assumption, but we are trying to accelerate that. We are also trying to attract some money in from UK ministers—on a similar basis to what we did with the south lot—to flip any fibre to cabinet to fibre to premises. At the moment, we are working on an assumption of 86 per cent fibre to premises for the north lot, for example, although we want to improve on that. Inevitably, full fibre takes longer to build than fibre to cabinet, so that may have implications. I therefore do not want to be too definitive but, as I say, the vast majority of the build will be earlier than that. In relation to your point about Fergus Ewing and the previous commitment, that commitment was for superfast. In many respects, it would have been easy for us to have an earlier date for completion of the programme by going for a range of products that delivered superfast services, at 30 megabits per second or more. However, as I say, 86 per cent of the north lot will get full fibre, which is 1,000Mbps and is a future-proof solution. As I said when we made the announcement, that is the right thing to do. I appreciate that we take a hit as a result of having a programme that takes longer, but it is the right thing to do. We should compare the position in Scotland with the UK Government’s gigabit commitment, which was made when Mr Johnson became Prime Minister and which targeted 2025 as the end point for 100 per cent coverage. That was a £5 billion commitment, which was very welcome at the time, but it has now been scaled back to £1.2 billion by 2025 and only 85 per cent coverage. In that context, I think that Scotland will be very well placed. We will have 100 per cent full fibre in the south lot area, 95.6 per cent—I believe—in the central lot area and almost 86 per cent in the north lot area, which is the starting position before we even agree any further funding from UK ministers. I think that it will be worth it, and we have made provision so that, if anybody needs a superfast service, which was the original commitment, they can get it through the interim voucher scheme by the end of this year.
In the same item of business
The Convener
Con
Item 2 is an evidence session on digital connectivity. I welcome Paul Wheelhouse, the Minister for Energy, Connectivity and the Islands, and Clive Downing, t...
The Minister for Energy, Connectivity and the Islands (Paul Wheelhouse)
SNP
Thank you, convener, and good morning to committee colleagues. As our Covid-19 vaccination programme provides some long-awaited light at the end of the tunn...
Colin Smyth (South Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
My questions are about the central and south lots of the R100 programme. Can you confirm that the central lot procurement will connect 32,000 premises, with ...
Paul Wheelhouse
SNP
It is helpful to put this on the record. I can confirm that the R100 central lot contract will connect 32,216 premises to superfast broadband, with 95.6 per ...
Colin Smyth
Lab
We appreciate that update on the numbers. You said that progress is being made on the ground in the central and south lots. Will you expand on that and expla...
Paul Wheelhouse
SNP
BT is making substantial early progress across the central and south areas. The committee is aware that delivery of those contracts is a massive civil engine...
Colin Smyth
Lab
That is helpful, minister. Thank you. Your update suggested that the R100 programme will now connect around 50,000 properties in the central and south Scotla...
Paul Wheelhouse
SNP
Indeed, Mr Smyth. You raise an important point on electronic communications codes, which we are aware of and which is relevant here in relation to the positi...
Colin Smyth
Lab
You have rightly highlighted where powers might lie elsewhere, but powers over planning lie very much with the Scottish Government, which currently has the p...
Paul Wheelhouse
SNP
My apologies for not addressing that point, Mr Smyth. You did raise that, but I missed it in my response. We are aware of the need to do that. I should poin...
Robbie McGhee (Scottish Government)
I confirm that that is very much a live issue. We know that there is legislative activity at the UK level. We have always tried to match or go further than o...
Richard Lyle (Uddingston and Bellshill) (SNP)
SNP
My questions follow on from Colin Smyth’s questions. We need to clear this up. Broadband is not a devolved matter; it is wholly the responsibility of the UK ...
Paul Wheelhouse
SNP
All legislation relating to telecommunications and its regulation is the responsibility of UK ministers. We have used economic development powers to interven...
Richard Lyle
SNP
Because of the UK Government’s failure to improve broadband throughout Scotland, the Scottish Government has taken the matter on board. Am I correct in sayin...
Paul Wheelhouse
SNP
That is my interpretation. Thank you for raising that point. I am not making a direct criticism of current ministers—they have inherited a situation from the...
Richard Lyle
SNP
There is a mix. Thank you for clearing that up. Although, as you said, broadband is not devolved, BT has been issued with an updated intervention area in th...
Paul Wheelhouse
SNP
At the contract signature stage, BT indicated that the build in the north lot would be completed in 2026. We have committed to providing Openreach with the f...
Richard Lyle
SNP
What was the outcome of the R100 state aid public consultation that closed in January? When will the final intervention area maps be published?
Paul Wheelhouse
SNP
I will try to answer that as best I can. Following the north lot contract signature on 11 December, a state aid public consultation was published to reconfir...
The Convener
Con
I get the impression that lot 1 of R100 will be complete by 2026. Is that what you have just said?
Paul Wheelhouse
SNP
Yes. That is certainly what we assumed at the time when the contract was awarded to BT. As I said, BT is trying to accelerate that, but there is a safety-fir...
The Convener
Con
That will be bitterly disappointing for people in the Highlands, who were expecting it in 2021—indeed, they were promised it in 2021 by your predecessor. Can...
Paul Wheelhouse
SNP
Yes—2026 is the final date for completion of build and sign-off of the programme. The work might continue into 2026 for some premises, based on that assumpti...
The Convener
Con
I know that many people will be disappointed. I want to pick up on the point that you made about rates relief for fibre cabinets. I believe that you said th...
Paul Wheelhouse
SNP
I have not considered that issue, although I understand the point that you are making. I am happy to ask colleagues whether they have done any work on that. ...
Robbie McGhee
To clarify, the rates relief does not just apply to fibre cabinets; it applies to fibre generally, so that is lit fibre and dark fibre across the country. By...
The Convener
Con
I have written to the Government about the issue because, if someone gets to a certain level of income with line-of-sight equipment, it will attract business...
Peter Chapman (North East Scotland) (Con)
Con
My questions are on the Scottish broadband voucher scheme, which, as you readily admit, much of the north area will have to rely on in the medium term. Ev...
Paul Wheelhouse
SNP
I will touch on the point that Mr Chapman made about the north lot and on what happened with regard to the likes of Finderne. I met the representative of Fin...
Peter Chapman
Con
We have focused on one village in Moray, but I assume that many communities across the north are in a similar position and are facing a heap of uncertainty a...