§ Mr. Nigel JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when he expects all children in Gloucestershire schools to have ready access to the Internet; and if he will make a statement. [50068]
§ Dr. HowellsThe Government's consultation paper 'Connecting the Learning Society' set out a target date of 2002 for the connection of all schools, colleges, universities and libraries and as many community centres as possible to be connected to the National Grid for Learning via the Internet.
The Department is supporting £750,000 of ICT-related expenditure in Gloucestershire in 1998–99 through Standards Fund Grant for the National Grid for Learning. The grant is to support networking and infrastructure, and is funded equally by the Department and the relevant local education authority.