Recommendation 17

The National Audit Office report noted that the Department estimates £0.9 billion of funding will be returned by suppliers where capital expenditure was lower than expected or actual take-up of superfast broadband is higher than expected.45 The Department told us that because some of this represents future profits measured over a 7 year period from contract completion, it has not yet all been received and it will monitor returns to Local Authorities and central government over that time.46 While £0.9 billion of money to be returned represents a significant proportion of the overall public subsidy of £1.9 billion provided under the superfast programme, the Department said it believed it had targeted premises as well as it could with the data available.47 41 National Infrastructure Strategy 2020, p. 31 42 Qq 16–17, 36, 153 43 Qq 156 44 Qq 36, 156 45 C&AG’s Report, para 1.12 46 Qq 16, 28 47 Qq 14–15, 17 Improving Broadband 13 2 Protecting consumers Consumers in rural areas