How government will roll out rural broadband

THE Government may look at using public sector infrastructures as a means of improving broadband access to rural communities.

Recently appointed Defra Secretary Caroline Spelman told the Yorkshire Post that localised projects such as using GP surgery allowing out of hours access were a good idea and said the new Coalition Government remained firmly committed to making sure the countryside was connected to the web.

Mrs Spelman said she had heard the suggestion earlier in the day while attending a broadband summit with fellow ministers and bosses from internet utility companies.

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Speaking on the showground, Mrs Spelman told the Yorkshire Post that the issue remained important to the Government and was written into not only the coalition government's agreement but also the Defra business plan.

She also reaffirmed her's and the Government's commitment to food labelling, saying that she would be campaigning at EU level to improve the accuracy of food labels.

She said: "My presence as a rural champion was to make the case for broadband provisions. There are lots of places across the country that we call 'not spots', places where people do not have internet access, and people are severely disadvantaged.

"There were some really good suggestions about using the public sector infrastructure as a way of extending better internet coverage into the countryside.

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"Already a number of examples of community broadband are working. You may find that a GP surgery has got internet access and there was example of where a business' out of surgery hours are able to make use of the internet provision that an NHS provider has.

"We can look at that. All around the country there are examples of what we can do, to make the resources stretch further, so that the countryside doesn't lose out.

"One third of all farmers do not have access to the internet and yet it is assumed by a whole number of public and private bodies. They have to file forms on line for payments but one third have not got access to that and other import forms of information like the weather information on disease control, market prices - things like that from which your business will benefit. So this morning I was giving a big push to this. "

She added that the utility companies gave this push a positive welcome.

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Mrs Spelman was making her first visit to the Great Yorkshire Show since assuming her role as environment minister. During her stay she was sue to meet with show officials, as well as officials from the National Farmers Union and Country Land and Business Association.

When quizzed on the widely expected scrapping of the Food Standards Agency and the effect this would have on the campaign for honest food labelling, Mrs Spelman sought to allay fears.

"In terms of labelling it is decided at a European level and I negotiate with other agricultural ministers about what does or doesn't go on food labels.

"My view is the labelling function needs to come into the department (Defra). A consumer has every right to know and particularly wants to know about country of origin labelling, especially for meat and dairy products."