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1.124 The broadband connection voucher scheme, extended at Autumn Statement2014 to March 2016, will be available in a total of 50 cities by 1 April 2015.1.125 The government will provide up to £600 million to support the delivery of thechange of use of 700MHz spectrum, which will further enhance the UK’s mobile broadbandconnectivity. These funds will support the infrastructure costs of clearing the spectrum frequency,including support to consumers where appropriate, and retuning broadcast transmitters toenable broadcasters to move into a lower frequency. This will free up 700MHz spectrum for 4Gmobile communications use through an auction next Parliament. The government will alsocentralise the operational management of public sector spectrum, and will reset therelease target.1.126 To affirm its commitment to the long-term digital future of the UK, the government ispublishing its ‘Digital Communications Infrastructure Strategy’, proposing how best to supportmarket delivery. 72Energy1.127 A competitive, diverse, clean and secure energy sector is a vital component of sustainableeconomic growth. Budget 2015 outlines a package of measures to strengthen the UK’s energysupply in both the short and longer term.1.128 The UK Continental Shelf represents a huge opportunity for the UK: the oil and gasindustry is the UK’s largest industrial investor, supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs andsupplying a large portion of the UK’s primary energy needs. 731.129 At Autumn Statement 2014, the government set out a plan for reform of the oil andgas fiscal regime. 74 This plan established a new set of principles to underpin taxation decisions,including recognising that the tax burden will need to fall as the basin matures and committingto consider the competitiveness of commercial opportunities – and the wider economic benefitsof oil and gas production – when making decisions about fiscal policy. Delivering on thislong‐term plan, the government will introduce a package of reforms to ensure that theNorth Sea continues to attract investment and to safeguard the future of this vitalnational asset. Specifically, the government will:••introduce a new Investment Allowance to stimulate investment at all stages ofthe industry life cycle, simplify the existing system of offshore field allowances, andprovide investors with greater certainty which they can factor into their long-term investmentdecisions••reduce the Supplementary Charge from 30% to 20%, building on the 2% cutannounced at Autumn Statement, to send a strong signal that the UK is open for businessand ensure the UK Continental Shelf remains competitive as the basin matures••reduce Petroleum Revenue Tax from 50% to 35% to promote investment in incrementalprojects in older fields and extend the life of key infrastructure••provide £20 million of funding for a programme of seismic surveys to boostoffshore exploration in under-explored areas of the UK Continental Shelf••ensure that the Oil and Gas Authority has the powers it needs to scrutinisecompanies’ plans for decommissioning programmes to ensure they are cost effective1.130 Together these measures are expected to lead to over £4 billion of additional investmentand at least 120 million barrels of oil equivalent of additional production in the next 5 years,72‘Digital Communications Infrastructure Strategy’, HM Treasury and DCMS, March 201573‘Digest of United Kingdom Energy Statistics 2014’, Department of Energy and Climate Change, July 201474‘Driving investment: a plan to reform the oil and gas fiscal regime’, HM Treasury, December 201440 Budget 2015