Hames Puts Rural High-speed Internet on the National Stage

12.00.00pm GMT Wed 19th Mar 2003

Duncan Hames at the Liberal Democrat conference, calling for government agencies to support the introduction of Broadband in rural areas.

Local Liberal Democrats get national conference backing for Wiltshire broadband campaign.

Last weekend in Torquay, Duncan Hames, Lib Dem Parliamentary Spokesman for Westbury, spoke in favour of a new national Liberal Democrats IT Policy, including a commitment to extend broadband faster into rural areas.

Speaking to several hundred Liberal Democrats at their Spring Conference, Mr Hames commented:

"I salute the achievements of the community activists in Bradford on Avon that have made it one of the first towns to get broadband through BT's pre-registration scheme."

"It is unacceptable that towns such as Warminster and Westbury and villages such as Holt still do not have access to broadband via their local exchange."

"The Government cannot abdicate responsibility - it is a basic tenet of liberalism that if the market is failing - particularly due to the failures of a monopoly provider like BT - then Government should act. It should encourage existing funding for economic development and regeneration to be used to invest in our local telecoms infrastructure and bring Broadband to towns and villages across Wiltshire." He added.

The motion and accompanying policy were passed overwhelmingly.

Full details of the motion and policy paper can be found on-line at http://www.makeitpolicy.org.uk