We have been working on this for some time with the clerks and pleased that it can finally be announced.  We are delighted to help this important committee with their work by showing them out local situation and explaining the lengths we are going to to get a solution.   Anyone can attend to sit in the audience and we hope meet with committee members afterwards.  The session will be in the traditional formal style – the committee will interrogate the witnesses (below, including me) as a group sitting at a table facing them.  Audience places will be on a first come first served basis.

They are making some local visits earlier that day.

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Culture, Media and Sport Committee

Select Committee Announcement

For Immediate Release

CMS Committee announces it will take evidence away from Westminster on Thursday 11 February 2016, as part of its inquiry on “Establishing world-class connectivity throughout the UK”

A key function of the Department of Culture, Media and Sport is to manage the delivery of the superfast broadband programme and improve digital connectivity. It is widely acknowledged that proper digital connectivity plays an essential role in people’s family, social and business lives, and in their access to public services.

The Government aims to ensure that superfast broadband is available to 95% of UK premises by the end of 2017.

The challenge now is extending broadband coverage, including to the hardest-to-reach rural areas and pockets of poor connectivity in inner cities. The remaining 5% (approximately 1.5 million of premises) is dispersed across 70% of the UK’s landmass. Approximately 1% (i.e. 20% of the final 5%) is in urban areas. Problems of connectivity and lack of access are frequently made worse by poor mobile services in the affected areas.

The Committee will visit rural communities in the South Chilterns to see the work of Connect8 a campaign group set up to bring modern broadband to eight parishes in South Oxfordshire. The areas to be visited are around Stonor Valley, Pishill, Cookley Green, Britwell Hill, Christmas Common and Turville Heath.

The Committee will use the afternoon to take oral evidence from the following witnesses:

At 2.30pm (Thursday 11 February):

Ø Malcolm Corbett, CEO, Independent Networks Co-operative Association

Ø Graham Long, Chairman, Broadband for Rural Devon and Somerset

Ø William Perrin, Connect8

Ø Dr Charles Trotman, Senior Business & Economics Adviser, Country Land & Business Association

The evidence session will be held in Russell’s Water Village Hall, which is located in the village of Russell’s Water. The session will be open to members of the public and is expected to be filmed for later coverage from the Committee’s website. Anyone wishing to find out further information should contact the Committee secretariat on 020 7219 6924.
FURTHER INFORMATION:

Committee Membership is as follows:

Jesse Norman MP (Chair) (Conservative, Hereford and South Herefordshire)
Nigel Adams MP (Conservative, Selby and Ainsty)
Andrew Bingham MP (Conservative, High Peak)
Damian Collins MP (Conservative, Folkestone and Hythe)
Paul Farrelly MP (Labour, Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Nigel Huddleston MP (Conservative, Mid Worcestershire)
Ian C. Lucas MP (Labour, Wrexham)
Chris Matheson MP (Labour, City of Chester)
Jason McCartney MP (Conservative, Colne Valley)
John Nicolson MP (Scottish National Party, East Dunbartonshire)
Julie Elliott MP (Labour, Sunderland Central)

Specific Committee Information: cmscom@parliament.uk 020 7219 6188

Media Information: Jessica Bridges-Palmer bridgespalmerj@parliament.uk/ 020 7219 0724

Committee Website: http://www.parliament.uk/cmscom

Watch committees and parliamentary debates online: http://www.parliamentlive.tv