The Candovers, the Tisteds, Binsted, Buriton, Froxfield and Privett, Hawkley, East Meon. These are among the places that epitomise the beauty of the East Hampshire constituency.
They also have something else in common. Because they are so rural, they are more prone to losing power when there is a storm and consequent damage to overhead lines.
I say this of all these areas even though I only know it for a fact for some. It has been surprisingly difficult to get actual data on the incidence of power cuts at postcode, parish or ward level.
In a written answer from the minister the other day I was told “The Department does not hold information on all historic power outages.” But “The UK has one of the most reliable energy systems in the world and maintaining a secure electricity supply is a key priority for Government.”
The context is the telephone landline ‘digital switchover’ from the PSTN network with its copper wires, to digital telephony through a technology called ‘Voice over Internet Protocol’.
To recap: the switchover will result in a service which is in many ways better – more resilient, more scalable and more flexible. And anyway we are told it is necessary, as the analogue network’s infrastructure is creaking and spare parts are becoming harder to source.
But whereas a traditional landline phone will work even when the electricity is down, a digital phone will not: it needs its own power, and an internet connection.
There are other issues, too – especially around elderly or infirm people with medical alarms, which will need to be converted to a digital connection. The same goes for some fire and security alarms, and payment and other systems for businesses.
During the last Parliament, a ‘PSTN charter’ was drawn up, with steps that the industry should take to protect vulnerable consumers; and the programme was paused to address issues.
The rollout has now resumed, with an extended deadline of January 2027.
I remain concerned about the provision and mitigations for vulnerable people, but also for anyone living in the sorts of rural areas with more frequent and longer power cuts, especially with the frequency of storms we’ve had in recent years.
Providers like Vodafone and BT have come forward with longer battery backups, but I am concerned that the actual Ofcom-required minimum is still just one hour.
Last week I led a short debate on the subject. Normally, a 30-minute debate involves two MPs: the one bringing the debate and the minister who responds.
On this occasion, MPs from five different parties, and all four UK nations, showed up to intervene. I hope this proves a strong message for the government of the attention this needs.
