Mail Weekly Column: 2 October 2023
There has been much in the news over the last few days about HS2 and whether or not it should go ahead as planned, or be pruned.
I confess that I am in two minds about HS2. Generally I support new rail capacity in the UK. It is an important to our future growth, will help get people out of cars, and frees up capacity for more freight to be carried by rail. But the costs of this project are enormous and, to be honest, would only benefit us in Cumbria by decreasing the journey time to Birmingham by 15 minutes or so. I would much rather see money invested in Northern Powerhouse Rail, linking the great cities of the North, which would truly level-up the region.
I’ve had a number of discussions with Ministers about this over the last few days and will continue to do so, but I'd appreciate your views.
When I submitted my report to Ministers a fortnight ago in my role as the Government's Rural Connectivity Champion, I raised concerns about the switch by BT to Digital Voice in the UK, and whether enough consideration had been given to those customers who needed protection. I met with the Communications Consumer Panel who represent some of the most vulnerable people in society and was concerned about what I heard.
The move to digital voice is an important step towards future-proofing the UK's connectivity. In reality it means that the technology behind landline phones is changing from analogue to digital. BT are due to roll out this change in the North West from Autumn.
However, there are many parts of the constituency who aren’t yet set up for this change. We saw what happened during Storm Arwen when the electricity grid was particularly badly hit - rural areas without much resilience were left effectively stranded as both mobile and WiFi went down.
BT have identified certain groups that should not be changed over due to their vulnerability, namely customers with a healthcare pendant, those who only use landlines, those with no mobile signal, and those who have disclosed any additional needs.
But having spoken to constituents from across Furness at surgeries and events recently, and having received more than a few emails about it, I am concerned that the data BT holds on these groups may not be up to date and so I am urging any constituents who fall into the above categories to get in touch so that we can make sure you aren’t adversely affected.
You would expect poor mobile signal (something which I am seeking to rectify in my new role!) in our more rural areas, but there are 'not-spots' in the centre of our towns too, and vulnerable citizens who may not have registered their concerns.
So, I am asking you to let me know by the end of the week (Friday 6 October) if you fall into one of these categories, and I will make sure that BT is aware. Please email simon.fell.mp@parliament.uk or call 01229 314 220.
I have already contacted BT to let them know that I will be providing information on areas that cannot be changed over at this time, but I need constituents to tell me if they think this will affect them.
