§ Mr. Coombsasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what has been the uptake of his Department's schemes to put microcomputers and peripheral equipment in secondary and primary schools and what further plans he has for seeking to extend computer literacy in schools.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonMy Department has run three schemes over the last four years to help schools buy computers and related equipment; 6,511 secondary schools and 27,407 primary schools have received help towards the purchase of computers and related equipment under the schemes, representing over 95 per cent. of those eligible.
My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Industry, in reply at column 453–54 to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Ealing, North (Mr. Greenway) on 23 July, announced additional support of £3.5 million for local education authorities and independent schools to enable them to buy more educational software. That scheme will begin on 1 January and full details have been sent to those concerned. My Department will also be continuing to take a close interest in other developments in educational computing and will consider further steps as appropriate.