Oral Question·Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
“What steps his Department is taking to improve broadband and mobile phone coverage in rural areas.”
Tabled: 18 June 2018Answered: 21 June 2018
Answering Minister
the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
Answer from Hansard
The Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office (Nick Thomas-Symonds)
I declare that I am a member of the Unite union and refer to my relevant entries in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests on support in general election campaigns. The Office for National Statistics estimates that 36,000 working days were lost because of labour disputes in the public administration and defence sector, which includes the majority of the civil service, between July 2024 and August 2025. That is down from the 95,000 days lost between May 2023 and June 2024.