The Government will press ahead with the so-called broadband tax on residential network connections to fund next-generation optical fibre access, said Stephen Timms, minister for Digital Britain and financial secretary to the Treasury.

Timms confirmed the Government's plan at a British Computer Society roundtable, entitled Can IT lead the UK out of recession? and chaired by the BBC's Rottweiler-general John Humphreys, presenter of Radio 4's Today programme and question-master of Mastermind.

Revenue raised by the 'broadband tax' will fund high-speed networks in sparsely populated parts of the country that would not otherwise get them.

"The money will come from a levy on telephone lines of 50p per month which I'll be responsible for on the Treasury side. And we'll legislate this side of the general election," said Timms.

There have been worries that a change of government could jeopardise Lord Carter's Digital Britain strategy, launched in June.

At the roundtable Humphreys suggested that the Government is not serious about Digital Britain because Timms already holds a major post in government. " Isn't the Government sending the wrong signal here? [Digital Britain] is a full time job, rather than you being part-time minister for Digital Britain," said Humphreys.