Digital Inclusion in Rural Communities

Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Social Justice – in the Senedd at 1:35 pm on 4 May 2022.

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Photo of Mabon ap Gwynfor Mabon ap Gwynfor Plaid Cymru 1:35, 4 May 2022

(Translated)

Thank you very much to Carolyn for asking this question. I have residents in Dwyfor Meirionnydd, in Islaw'r-dref, for example, who can't undertake their business online, and they have to either move away or close their business down. I have young children who are exempted from school conversations because they can't access the latest videos on Netflix or YouTube, and so they can't take part in those conversations with their fellow pupils. Others can't do homework online, or they can't register stock because of the lack of connectivity. I don't know how many times I've had meetings with authorities, be that Openreach or anyone else, only to hear them say with pride that they're going to reach 95 per cent of the population within a few years. But the truth is that they shouldn't aim to reach 95 per cent of the population; they should aim for 100 per cent of the population, and no less. What's the point of residents having access to today's technology in five years' time, when, in five years' time, technology will have moved forward again and residents will be excluded again? So, it's a matter of social justice. Will you, therefore, ensure that everyone has access to the internet—not a percentage of people, but everyone—and make that a priority for you as a Government?