I thank the hon. Gentleman for his series of questions. He asked first about the economic analysis of the impact of Brexit on different parts of the United—United!—Kingdom. He will be aware that a room in Parliament Street has been made available to Members who wish to look at that...
I thank the hon. Gentleman for his series of questions. He asked first about the economic analysis of the impact of Brexit on different parts of the United—United!—Kingdom. He will be aware that a room in Parliament Street has been made available to Members who wish to look at that...
My Lords, I am sure I am not alone in your Lordships’ House in having had an initial feeling of guilt in taking part in this debate. As the noble and learned Lord, Lord Hope, has said, the inconveniences that this decision will entail will in all probability not affect...
My Lords, I am sure I am not alone in your Lordships’ House in having had an initial feeling of guilt in taking part in this debate. As the noble and learned Lord, Lord Hope, has said, the inconveniences that this decision will entail will in all probability not affect...
I completely agree with the hon. Gentleman.
How are my constituents meant to afford these excessive costs? Hard-working nurses, doctors, porters, cleaners and receptionists go to work to help people. Those hard-working staff are paying £1,680 a year to support families whose loved ones are dying. They are paying £1,680 a...
I completely agree with the hon. Gentleman.
How are my constituents meant to afford these excessive costs? Hard-working nurses, doctors, porters, cleaners and receptionists go to work to help people. Those hard-working staff are paying £1,680 a year to support families whose loved ones are dying. They are paying £1,680 a...
I congratulate the right hon. Member for Harlow (Robert Halfon) on securing this important debate.
It is clear from hon. Members’ speeches that the scandal of hospital parking charges must come to an end. Gravely ill people and people visiting relatives while in a state of distress should not be treated...
I congratulate the right hon. Member for Harlow (Robert Halfon) on securing this important debate.
It is clear from hon. Members’ speeches that the scandal of hospital parking charges must come to an end. Gravely ill people and people visiting relatives while in a state of distress should not be treated...
The hon. Lady is making a compelling case, as have most Members. Public transport has its place for out-patients and so on, where it is available, but imagine someone going into labour and saying, “Can I wait for the No. 2 bus, please?” This is farcical. We need car parks...
The hon. Lady is making a compelling case, as have most Members. Public transport has its place for out-patients and so on, where it is available, but imagine someone going into labour and saying, “Can I wait for the No. 2 bus, please?” This is farcical. We need car parks...
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Bone, and to start the summing up speeches.
We have had an interesting debate, but the most interesting aspect of it was what nobody said. Despite the fact that the overwhelming majority of those who spoke were Conservative MPs, nobody suggested...
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Bone, and to start the summing up speeches.
We have had an interesting debate, but the most interesting aspect of it was what nobody said. Despite the fact that the overwhelming majority of those who spoke were Conservative MPs, nobody suggested...
My Lords, that was not a warm-up act; it was a very moving and powerful speech, and I echo much of what the noble Lord said. I too felt obliged to speak today for similar reasons. I have two sons who are much older than his children—they are in their...
My Lords, that was not a warm-up act; it was a very moving and powerful speech, and I echo much of what the noble Lord said. I too felt obliged to speak today for similar reasons. I have two sons who are much older than his children—they are in their...
It is a circumstance of the urgency and the emergency in this country of this great and unfolding tragedy.
I appeal today, therefore, to the cowed bunch of pro-EU Tory MPs, for whom I have great respect, to find the strength to put country before party and save Britain, especially for...
It is a circumstance of the urgency and the emergency in this country of this great and unfolding tragedy.
I appeal today, therefore, to the cowed bunch of pro-EU Tory MPs, for whom I have great respect, to find the strength to put country before party and save Britain, especially for...
As ever, Mr Deputy Speaker, it is a pleasure and a privilege to serve under your chairmanship. It is also a pleasure to follow the right hon. and learned Member for Rushcliffe (Mr Clarke).
In the referendum, people were asked to decide whether or not we should leave the European Union....
As ever, Mr Deputy Speaker, it is a pleasure and a privilege to serve under your chairmanship. It is also a pleasure to follow the right hon. and learned Member for Rushcliffe (Mr Clarke).
In the referendum, people were asked to decide whether or not we should leave the European Union....
My Lords, it is now a year since your Lordships’ House began its debate on the Article 50 Bill and 10 months since the article itself was triggered. It is generally agreed that both the withdrawal agreement and the agreement on our future relations with the EU have to be...
My Lords, it is now a year since your Lordships’ House began its debate on the Article 50 Bill and 10 months since the article itself was triggered. It is generally agreed that both the withdrawal agreement and the agreement on our future relations with the EU have to be...
Further to that point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. I think I saw the hon. Member for Portsmouth South (Stephen Morgan) down on my island during Cowes Week last year, sitting in a VIP tent, so I presume that he was there in part because of his role as a...
Further to that point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. I think I saw the hon. Member for Portsmouth South (Stephen Morgan) down on my island during Cowes Week last year, sitting in a VIP tent, so I presume that he was there in part because of his role as a...
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Hanson. This is my first opportunity to respond to a Westminster Hall debate, so I trust that you will be gentle with me.
I pay warm tribute to the hon. Member for Clwyd South (Susan Elan Jones), not only for introducing...
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Hanson. This is my first opportunity to respond to a Westminster Hall debate, so I trust that you will be gentle with me.
I pay warm tribute to the hon. Member for Clwyd South (Susan Elan Jones), not only for introducing...
The data in this briefing relates to 2017. For up to date data, please see our dashboard Constituency data: broadband coverage and speeds.
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Ofcom releases annual data on broadband connectivity and speeds for fixed lines at postcode level as part of its Connected Nations report. We have analysed this data to produce estimates of connectivity in the UK's constituencies and wards.
You can download a data file at the bottom of this page featuring full data for each constituency and ward in the UK. For more information on the UK Government's proposed Universal Service Obligation, see our briefing paper.
According to our analysis of Ofcom's data, the average download speed for fixed broadband lines in the UK was 44.6 Mbps in May 2017 - up from 37.8 Mbps in 2016. However, there is a wide range of speeds being received across the country. For those with superfast lines (over 30 Mbps), the average download speed is 77.3 Mbps. But for those without superfast lines, the average is 11.8 Mbps - 74% lower than the overall average. Meanwhile 2.3% of lines are receiving speeds under 2 Mbps, 24% of lines are receiving speeds under 10 Mbps, and 49% are receieving superfast speeds (over 30 Mbps).
Speeds also vary in different parts of the UK. The table below shows the ten constituencies with the highest speeds. Note that York has the highest take-up of 'ultrafast' lines (those capable of delivering speeds over 300 Mbps) in the UK, which helps to explain why its two constituencies rank highest here. The lowest average speeds are found in Ross, Skye & Lochaber (19.1 Mbps), Orkney & Shetland (19.3 Mbps), Arfon (20 Mbps), and the Cities of London and Westminster (20 Mbps).
The average download speed being received in a constituency depends on a number of different factors. Higher superfast availability can lead to higher average speeds. However, speeds are also dependent on take-up of superfast services - some consumers choose not to subscribe to superfast packages, which may result in lower averages in some areas. 49% of lines are receiving superfast speeds, compared with availability of 91%.
Differences in average speeds don't just depend on superfast availability and takeup. For example, Ilford South and Sleaford constituencies have approximately the same percentage of lines receiving superfast speeds - but the average download speed in Ilford South is 53 Mbps, 36% higher than the 39 Mbps average in Sleaford. Other factors, such as the distance between the premises and the cabinet, can have an effect.
In May 2017 around 3% of premises couldn't receive 'decent' download speeds - defined by Ofcom as 10 Mbps. The inability to receive 10 Mbps is an eligibility criterion for the planned Universal Service Obligation.
In the majority of constituencies, less than 2% of lines were unable to receive 10 Mbps. However, there are parts of the UK where the figure was much higher. The table below shows our estimate of the ten constituencies with the highest proportion of lines unable to receive decent download speeds.
The example map below shows an example of how, even in areas with generally good connectivity, there were still some postcodes where all lines are unable to receive 10 Mbps.
Ofcom defines 'superfast' speeds as over 30 Mbps, in contrast to the UK Government's definition of 24 Mbps. On Ofcom's definition, around 91.4% of premises in the UK had a line capable of delivering superfast download speeds in May 2017. This is up from 88.0% in 2016.
In 255 of 650 UK constituencies, superfast availability was above 95% of premises. 57 constituencies had availability below 80%. The table below shows the ten constituencies with the lowest estimated availability in 2017.
Around 2% of premises could recieve fibre direct to the property in May 2017. Also known as "full fibre", this technology can deliver ultrafast speeds in excess of 300 Mbps. 35 of 650 constituencies had full fibre availability over 10%, with the highest being 64% in Hull West & Hessle. Two-thirds of constituencies had less than 1% availability of full-fibre services.
As one would expect, urban areas have better connectivity on average than rural areas. The table below shows our analysis of Ofcom's data at LSOA level in England and Wales. Urban areas had superfast availability of 95% in May 2017, compared with 66% for rural villages. Average download speeds in villages & hamlets are were just over half those in urban areas.
The urban/rural pattern is not quite so simple as it may seem above. City centres, especially in large cities, often have poorer connectivity than surrounding suburban areas. The example map below shows Manchester. Orange areas in the city centre are receiving slower average speeds, and purple areas in the suburbs are receiving higher average speeds.
Manchester is not unusual in this regard - the same effect can also be seen in London, Birmingham, Nottingham, Leeds and Glasgow, among other places.
This map shows which parts of the UK couldn't receive superfast broadband as of May 2017. A PDF version is available to download below.
Aside from Ofcom, other sources also produce estimates of broadband coverage and speeds in the UK. Because different sources use different methods, and often cover different time periods, you should exercise caution in comparing the data presented here with other sources. When comparing with other sources, apparent differences in coverage levels in a particular location might be evidence of an change in coverage over time, but in some cases the difference may be better explained by differing methods of data gathering or estimation.
Note that some sources use the lower 24 Mbps measure of superfast broadband, rather than the 30 Mbps used by Ofcom, which can lead to apparent differences in local areas.
The data in this briefing relates to 2017. For up to date data, please see our dashboard Constituency data: broadband coverage and speeds.
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Ofcom releases annual data on broadband connectivity and speeds for fixed lines at postcode level as part of its Connected Nations report. We have...
I beg to move,
That this House has considered e-petition 200165 relating to leaving the European Union.
The e-petition states:
“Leave the EU immediately
The Government should walk away from the Article 50 negotiations and leave the EU immediately with no deal. The EU looks set to offer us a punishment deal out of...
I beg to move,
That this House has considered e-petition 200165 relating to leaving the European Union.
The e-petition states:
“Leave the EU immediately
The Government should walk away from the Article 50 negotiations and leave the EU immediately with no deal. The EU looks set to offer us a punishment deal out of...
When the UK leaves the EU (expected to be 29 March 2019), the UK’s relationship with EU law, the EU Treaties, Court of Justice rulings and other elements of the EU acquis will change. Even if, during a transition period, the UK continues to apply the acquis, it will be as a third state outside the EU. This new, unprecedented relationship has yet to be defined, and transition will be the main subject of phase two of the Brexit negotiations.
The European Union (Withdrawal) Bill currently going through Parliament creates a new category of domestic law for the UK: ‘retained EU law’, which will consist of all of the converted EU law and preserved EU-related domestic law in force the day before exit day.[1]
The debate about retained EU law has been largely about EU regulations and directives, with Decisions - which include a large and diverse range of EU acts - not much discussed. Some types of EU decisions are ‘exempt’ from preservation under the Bill, yet EU foreign policy decisions are the basis for many important UK obligations, in sanctions against third states and individuals, and arms export controls, for example. While some of these obligations will be upheld under clause 8 of the EUW Bill and provisions in other Bills, it is possible that there will be gaps.
EU decisions are a major category of EU acts – there are around 7,500.[2]
There are different types of EU decisions:
They have different purposes and are adopted using different procedures, depending on their nature, Treaty base and subject matter.
Under Article 288 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), decisions are “binding in their entirety”. If they are addressed to a specific State, person or company, they are binding only on them and directly applicable.
Legislative decisions of the Council of the EU (comprising ministers from the Member States) or the EP and Council together are usually adopted using the Ordinary Legislative Procedure (OLP - co-decision) by a Qualified Majority Vote (QMV), or by the Council with the participation of the EP (consultation) under the special legislative procedure.
In the former Justice and Home Affairs ‘third pillar’ of the EU, decisions were taken by unanimity in sensitive areas such as immigration, asylum, border controls and cooperation in policing and criminal matters. Here, Member States cooperated ‘inter-governmentally’, without supranational law-making. The Lisbon Treaty incorporated JHA into Title V, the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice (AFSJ), in the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU. Since December 2009 AFSJ decisions have been taken mostly by QMV in the Council and with the European Parliament (the OLP). The UK has opt-out and opt-in arrangements in these areas in two Protocols (19 and 21) attached to the Treaties, so only certain provisions apply.
Lisbon also abolished framework decisions, which, like directives in the EC/EU ‘first pillar’, left the method of implementation to the Member States.
Non-legislative decisions of the Council usually implement the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP). In Title V of the Treaty on European Union (TEU) on the EU’s external action and the CFSP, decisions are taken by the Council, while the Commission, EP and the Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU) have only a minor role.
Non-legislative Council decisions are also made before the opening of EU treaty negotiations and on the signing and conclusion of international agreements. The text of the agreement may be attached to the decision relating to it. Votes are taken by QM or by unanimity, depending on the subject matter of the agreement.
Under Articles 106 and 108 TFEU the European Commission also addresses decisions to Member States on competition rules and state aid.
The European Union (Withdrawal) Bill (the EUW Bill) cuts off the source of EU law in the UK by repealing the European Communities Act 1972 (ECA) and removing the competence of EU institutions to legislate for the UK.
Clauses 2 and 3 of the EUW Bill provide for directly effective EU decisions to become part of the new body of ‘retained EU law’ in the UK if they apply here at the point of Brexit.
Certain non-legislative Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) decisions, and decisions on the conclusion of external agreements, might not be retained or converted.
Clause 8 of the Bill allows the Government to make provisions to prevent or remedy any breaches of the UK’s international obligations that might arise from Brexit.
The Commons Library Briefing 8079, European Union (Withdrawal) Bill covers all the provisions in the Bill, and was published on 1 September 2017. A series of briefings has been published on the Commons Committee stage. These are all available on the Parliamentary Brexit website, Brexit: next steps in UK's withdrawal from the EU.
Other Bills have been announced or have already been introduced, which aim to adjust and amend law and policies which cannot be achieved by the EUW Bill.
A new Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Bill will provide for EU decisions retained under the EUW Bill to be amended by secondary legislation, in line with future Government policy and in order to comply with UN and other international obligations.
EU decisions on the conclusion of EU Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with third countries will not be retained, but a new Trade Bill includes provisions for the implementation of new agreements with partner countries which correspond to the EU’s current FTAs and other trade agreements in place before Brexit.
The Nuclear Safeguards Bill makes provision for nuclear safeguards after the UK leaves the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom – which is a separate legal entity from the EU, but governed by the EU’s institutions). The Bill would allow the Government to make regulations for and implement international agreements on nuclear safeguarding. The new clause 76A of the Energy Act 2013, as inserted by clause 1 of this Bill, includes the first reference to ‘retained EU law’ outside the EUW Bill.
The Taxation (Cross-border Trade) Bill (the ‘Customs Bill’) would allow the Government to create a functioning customs, VAT and excise regime for the UK after Brexit. It also contains trade defence measures to protect UK industry from unfair competition from abroad and provisions on trade preferences which allow imports from developing countries to benefit from reduced customs duties.
Other primary legislation was announced in the Queen’s Speech (on immigration, agriculture and fisheries) and others might yet be needed, with further secondary powers allowing the Government to adapt UK law to the post-Brexit situation and probably for a transition period.
When the UK leaves the EU (expected to be 29 March 2019), the UK’s relationship with EU law, the EU Treaties, Court of Justice rulings and other elements of the EU acquis will change. Even if, during a transition period, the UK continues to apply the...
I rise to speak as the vice-chair of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly and the all-party parliamentary group on Ireland and the Irish in Britain. Despite the border being one of the principal issues in the phase 1 agreement, there has been very little debate or understanding in this House about...
I rise to speak as the vice-chair of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly and the all-party parliamentary group on Ireland and the Irish in Britain. Despite the border being one of the principal issues in the phase 1 agreement, there has been very little debate or understanding in this House about...
I beg to move,
That this House has considered local government funding on the Isle of Wight.
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Ms Dorries. I am most grateful to the Minister for attending, and I extend to him an invitation to visit my wonderful constituency. I want to...
I beg to move,
That this House has considered local government funding on the Isle of Wight.
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Ms Dorries. I am most grateful to the Minister for attending, and I extend to him an invitation to visit my wonderful constituency. I want to...
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Ms Dorries, in my first Westminster Hall debate in my new role. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Isle of Wight (Mr Seely) on securing this vital debate. In the short time that he has been in Parliament, he...
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Ms Dorries, in my first Westminster Hall debate in my new role. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Isle of Wight (Mr Seely) on securing this vital debate. In the short time that he has been in Parliament, he...
The hon. Lady makes a good point. I talk about the threat from the east because I would like to bring this in a bit later and I am trying to finish a thesis on contemporary Russian warfare. But she is right that in many ways the non-conventional warfare threat—migration...
The hon. Lady makes a good point. I talk about the threat from the east because I would like to bring this in a bit later and I am trying to finish a thesis on contemporary Russian warfare. But she is right that in many ways the non-conventional warfare threat—migration...
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Bone. I, too, congratulate the hon. Member for Worthing West (Sir Peter Bottomley) on securing the debate, on the way he has, alongside my hon. Friend the Member for Poplar and Limehouse (Jim Fitzpatrick), campaigned on the many abuses in...
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Bone. I, too, congratulate the hon. Member for Worthing West (Sir Peter Bottomley) on securing the debate, on the way he has, alongside my hon. Friend the Member for Poplar and Limehouse (Jim Fitzpatrick), campaigned on the many abuses in...
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