Question reference: S5W-00216
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: 25 May 2016
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Current status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 9 June 2016
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the report in the Scottish Daily Mail on 25 May 2016 regarding concerns among GPs in rural and remote areas that not being able to access adequate mobile phone signals or broadband services could put at risk the lives of people who need an ambulance, and what discussions it has had with health professionals and their representatives regarding this.
Answer
Telecommunications, including mobile telephony, is a reserved matter for which the UK Government has responsibility to ensure adequate coverage and to fund improvements and developments. Given the vital importance of mobile phone coverage to the health and well-being of people who live in Scotland’s remote communities, as well as the impact on the rural economy, the Scottish Government works closely with the UK Government on relevant issues. One key area is the new mobile infrastructure that will be delivered as part of the GB-wide Emergency Services Mobile Communications Programme. The total cost of this GB-wide infrastructure is £4.9 billion over the next 16 years, for which Scottish Ministers have committed to providing a funding contribution of approximately £475 million over the period.
A mobile roaming service also exists for 999 calls to ensure that people who need an ambulance can access other mobile networks even if their own network provider has no coverage.