Department for Science, Innovation and Technology written question – answered at on 25 July 2025.
Victoria Collins
Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Science, Innovation & Technology)
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to ensure mobile network operators cannot invoke the all reasonable efforts Clause to avoid penalties under the Shared Rural Network agreement in (a) remote and (b) total not-spot areas.
Chris Bryant
The Minister of State, Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Shared Rural Network programme is underpinned by licence obligations enforced by ofcom. Under the licences, the mobile network operators can only invoke the reasonable endeavours clauses under specific circumstances, by providing evidence to Ofcom, and would do so at their own discretion. Ofcom will make any assessment of whether any such claims are valid at a key delivery deadline of January 2027. This is an independent process facilitated by Ofcom and it would not be appropriate for the Department to intervene and take steps to stop the operators invoking the reasonable endeavours clauses.
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Secretary of State was originally the title given to the two officials who conducted the Royal Correspondence under Elizabeth I. Now it is the title held by some of the more important Government Ministers, for example the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
A parliamentary bill is divided into sections called clauses.
Printed in the margin next to each clause is a brief explanatory `side-note' giving details of what the effect of the clause will be.
During the committee stage of a bill, MPs examine these clauses in detail and may introduce new clauses of their own or table amendments to the existing clauses.
When a bill becomes an Act of Parliament, clauses become known as sections.
Ofcom is the independent regulator and competition authority for the UK communications industries, with responsibilities across television, radio, telecommunications and wireless communications services.
Ofcom Web Site http://www.ofcom.org.uk
