CLA calls on govt to use online efficiency savings to fund rural broadband

The government has been called upon by the Country Land and Business Association (CLA) to use some of the money it saves by using online services to boost rural connectivity.

More electronic services are being rolled out by the government in a bid to pursue greater efficiency and save money, while businesses that make more than £100,000 a year are being specifically encouraged to use the internet to file their tax returns.

The CLA has pointed out this will be impossible for many rural companies that simply lack the broadband connectivity to utilise the new services, while also lacking efficiency for applications such as VoIP hardware.

Douglas Chalmers, director of CLA North, said: "I suggest that a portion of this saving [generated through online administration] is invested in providing fast, affordable broadband to every door, including rural areas where people are simply unable to comply with regulation on an equal footing."

The CLA expressed anger earlier this year when news emerged that rural communities could miss out on the initial stages of the government's universal connectivity plan.