This morning, Andrew asked the Minister for the Digital Economy, Edward Vaizey, what level of co-operation his Department has had with Business, Industry and Skills over attracting alternative investment into the telecommunications industry generally and increasing competition in the broadband market specifically.
At present, the installation and maintenance of lines are the responsibility of Openreach - a subsidiary of BT. This presents many problems as competitors to BT are denied access to the market in particular regions. In order for residents and businesses in Romford to have the most effective super fast broadband, we need to ensure that the market is competitive and fair.
Andrew asked:
'What steps his Department is taking to improve competition among internet service providers.'
The Minister for Culture and the Digital Economy (Mr Edward Vaizey):
'We have a very competitive internet service provider market in the UK. Ofcom has just published its digital communications review. It promises further changes, which we welcome.'