Written question asked by Mohammad Yasin (Labour) on Friday, 4 October 2024, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 8 October 2024. It was answered by Chris Bryant (Labour) on Monday, 14 October 2024 on behalf of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.

Telecommunications Cables: Copper

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether he plans to support utility companies in (a) removing and (b) recycling redundant copper cables following infrastructure upgrades.

Answer: The Government hopes to see as much as possible of the copper network reused for other purposes. For example, the Government welcomes the recent commercial deal between BT Group and a recycling company to repurpose legacy copper cables that are being replaced by its new full fibre network. Copper is a valuable material and the Government expects the network providers to make the best use of it in line with their in-house policies, but does not plan to intervene in this emerging market.

Secondary information