10 Minute Rule Bill

It was a privilege to be able to introduce my 10 Minute Rule Bill on an issue very close to my heart.

The Public Sector Websites (Data Charges) Bill aims to make certain public sector domains such as a ‘gov.uk’ and ‘NHS.uk’ zero-rated, which essentially means that your mobile phone data wouldn't be used up when you visit one of these websites. (and you can continue to access these websites even when your data has run out).

We face a cost-of-living crisis caused by a Tory Government with little idea about how to grow the economy or improve peoples’ living standards.

The last thing people should have to worry about is not being able to access vital public services or information simply because they have run out of data.

A survey by Citizens Advice last year found 12% of households said they had to cut back or stop spending on broadband during the previous 12 months.

It is the poorest in our society who would benefit from this policy and who rely on services such as the NHS and Universal Credit the most.

It is often the case that these same people rely on accessing the internet through a mobile phone, along with expensive pay as you go top-ups.

This Bill would not be a silver bullet for peoples’ financial worries but would go some way to taking one of the financial burdens off millions of people up and down the country.