§ Charlotte AtkinsTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement about broadening access to information technology within disadvantaged communities. [139192]
§ Mr. Wills[holding answer 29 November 2000]: The Prime Minister has given a commitment that, by 2005, all those who want it will have the opportunity to access the internet. We are currently investing more than £1.7 billion in initiatives to ensure that everyone is able to reap the rewards of the digital revolution.
Excellent progress is being made in improving computer/pupil ratios. 88 per cent. of all schools are now connected to the internet. In future, school leavers should be able to use and benefit from new technologies.
We are taking specific action to tackle the difficulties that a significant number of adults and communities currently face in accessing ICT. On 11 September the Prime Minister set out the Government's agenda to get the UK online. We have pledged that by the end of 2002 there will be around 6,000 UK online centres throughout England with access points in many public libraries, colleges and within local communities. The Prime Minister also announced over 600 successful applications in the first phase of UK online centres funded through the Capital Modernisation Fund (CMF). These centres are specifically focused on the most deprived urban and rural areas. 50,000 free computer training courses are being made available for jobless people across the country under our UK online computer training scheme. We are also piloting an initiative to wire up homes and schools in some of the most disadvantaged communities in England, and we are introducing the "Computers within Reach" pilot scheme. In the period up to the end of March 2001, we intend to provide up to 35,000 subsidised computers in local pilots in deprived communities.
§ Mr. Jim MurphyTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement about the Government's policy on widening access to information technology within local communities. [139194]
§ Mr. Wills[holding answer 29 November 2000]: The Prime Minister has given a commitment that, by 2005, all those who want it will have the opportunity to access the internet. Responsibility for ICT access in Scotland has been devolved, so for information on these issues in the Scottish context, I refer my hon. Friend to the Scottish Executive.
804WThe position in England is that we are currently investing more than £1.7 billion in initiatives to ensure that everyone is able to reap the rewards of the digital revolution.
Excellent progress is being made in improving computer/pupil ratios. 88 per cent. of all schools are now connected to the internet. In future, all school leavers should be able to use and benefit from new technologies.
We are taking specific action to tackle the difficulties that a significant number of adults and communities currently face in accessing ICT. We have pledged that by the end of 2002 there will be around 6,000 UK online centres throughout England with access points in many public libraries, colleges and within local communities. In September the Prime Minister also announced over 600 successful applications in the first phase of UK online centres funded through the Capital Modernisation Fund (CMF). These centres are specifically focused on the most deprived urban and rural areas in England. We are also piloting an initiative to wire up homes and schools in some of the most disadvantaged English communities. And we are introducing the "Computers within Reach" pilot scheme. In the period up to the end of March 2001, we intend to provide 35,000 subsidised computers in local pilots in deprived communities. In addition, up to 50,000 free computer-training courses are being made available for jobless people across the country under our UK online Computer Training scheme.