Questions Without Notice from Party Spokespeople

Part of 2. Questions to the Leader of the House and Chief Whip – in the Senedd at 2:39 pm on 20 June 2018.

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Photo of Russell George Russell George Conservative 2:39, 20 June 2018

Well, perhaps I would ask you to take the opportunity to look at the record of what you said to me last time, and then perhaps correct the record if you feel that's appropriate. But the mobile phone operators do feel that you misrepresented—they were misrepresented in your comments a few weeks ago.

Now, the issue of taller masts is, of course, just one consideration if operators are to overcome the challenges that we have in rural Wales, with low density of population, and the higher costs as well, in terms of delivering power supply and transmission links. But I would ask you: do you now recognise that the extension of permitted development rights, like what's already happened in England and Scotland, is a way that would give greater service reach, meaning that fewer—fewer is the point I'm making here—shorter masts will be required in any given area? And would you agree with me that bringing outdated regulation into the twenty-first century is now what we need? In terms of mast sharing—mast sharing, of course, is already happening in other parts of the country and that's what operators are doing already. It's this that will reflect the importance of digital communication in today's Wales.