4. Statement by the Leader of the House: Superfast Cymru

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:47 pm on 30 January 2018.

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Photo of Nick Ramsay Nick Ramsay Conservative 4:47, 30 January 2018

Firstly, leader of the house, a success—. A positive start. A success with a constituent from near Newcastle—not the Newcastle, a Newcastle just north of Monmouth—who has faced a long delay with accessing a fibre to the premises connection, which I know is complex. It turned out that the reason for the delay in that connection was that the records that were being kept by BT broadband were wrong, and that they thought that he couldn't actually receive it. But it turns out that he could get it, so his frustration was unnecessary. Can you tell us how you're going to deal with those sort of problems in future? Because, if we are able, if constituents are able to receive broadband, it's even more frustrating if, after they get it, they discover they could have had it all along.

Secondly, and finally, your visits and your tours of the deepest, darkest rural parts of Monmouthshire aside, there is a perception that Monmouthshire, along with some other rural areas, is often at the back of BT's broadband queue, certainly when it comes to supplying superfast. I think in Monmouthshire the figure is 20 per cent below target at the end of the first programme. Can you tell us what you're going to do stop this happening with future phases? Basically, you've heard this criticism from AMs, now, over many months and years, and it's clear that we'd like to see the next phase managed by BT a little bit better than it has been in the past.