Debate on provision of broadband for rural communities
A Westminster Hall debate on provision of broadband for rural communities has been scheduled for 2.30pm on 13 December. The debate will be opened by Chris Loder MP.

The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill was published on 26 April 2023. This is a Government Bill .
The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill [Bill 294, 2022-23] was introduced in the House of Commons on 25 April 2023. Second reading is scheduled for 17 May 2023.
Alongside the Bill, the Government has published Explanatory Notes, a Delegated Powers Memorandum and Impact Assessments on the Bill’s web page.
A key focus of the Bill is the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). An independent non-ministerial government department, the CMA is the UK’s principal competition and consumer protection authority.
This is large Bill – consisting of six parts and 26 schedules. Given its size and significance, two separate briefing papers have been published, one focusing on digital markets and proposed competition law reforms (Parts 1 and 2 of the Bill) and a second focusing on proposed reforms of consumer law enforcement and on new consumer rights (Parts 3 and 4 of the Bill).
The proposals in Part 1 of the Bill, dealing with digital markets would seek to:
Part 2 of the Bill would reform aspects of competition law by amending existing UK law on merger control, market inquiries and the cartel offence. The Bill would also make amendments to enhance the investigative and enforcement powers for the UK’s competition regime.
Part 3 of the Bill would create two separate regimes for the civil enforcement of consumer protection law to protect the “collective interests” of consumers:
Together, the two legal procedures are referred to in the Bill as “the Part 3 enforcement regimes”.
Part 4 of the Bill (and Schedules 18-24) would:
This briefing also considers Parts 5 and 6 of the Bill. Part 5 contains miscellaneous provisions which deal with investigative assistance to overseas regulators, disclosing information overseas, and a duty of expedition on the CMA and sectoral regulators. Part 6 sets out general provisions (eg interpretation, financial provision, power to make consequential provision, extent and commencement).
The Bill’s competition and consumer provisions would extend to the whole of the UK.
A Westminster Hall debate on provision of broadband for rural communities has been scheduled for 2.30pm on 13 December. The debate will be opened by Chris Loder MP.
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