Recommendation 12

The National Audit Office report stated that the requirement to remove equipment supplied by high risk vendors from telecoms networks puts the schedule at risk.29 The Department conceded that this might cause a delay to the future programme and that it was consulting with industry on precise implications, but was not able to provide any indication of the possible length of that delay or impact on the roll-out.30 20 Qq 52–53, 93–96 21 Spending Review 2020, paras 3.5 & 6.86; table 6.22 22 Q 59 23 C&AG’s report para 2.8 24 Q 29 25 Qq 30–34 26 Qq 69–70; IBB0005 - Openreach, para 7 27 Qq 68, 71 28 Qq 59, 71–74 29 C&AG’s Report, para 2.11 30 Qq 98–107 Improving Broadband 11 Retaining skills and knowledge in local authorities