§ Mr. CatonTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on the impact of the Computers Within Reach scheme on low-income learners and families. [109984]
§ Mr. WillsThe Government are making £15 million available for a pilot scheme—Computers Within Reach—to enable those who cannot afford new 567W computers to acquire reconditioned computers for use in the home for the purpose of improving their employment prospects, for lifelong learning, or for their children's homework. The pilot scheme will run from April, and evaluation findings of the initiative will be made available in due course.
§ Mr. CatonTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he has identified the pilot areas for the introduction of the Computers Within Reach scheme for low-income learners and families. [109982]
§ Mr. WillsProposals submitted in response to the Computers Within Reach prospectus published in autumn 1999 are currently being assessed. A final list of pilot projects and areas will be published later this spring.
§ Mr. CatonTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when the Computers Within Reach pilot projects for low-income learners and families will begin. [110312]
§ Mr. WillsThe Computers Within Reach scheme to pilot arrangements in England for enabling those who cannot afford new computers to acquire reconditioned or remaindered computers for use in the home will run from April 2000.
§ Miss Geraldine SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans the Government have to enable families on low incomes to gain access to home computers. [109184]
§ Mr. WillsThe Government have made £15 million available for a pilot scheme—Computers Within Reach—to enable those who cannot afford new computers to acquire reconditioned computers for use in the home for the purpose of improving their employment prospects, for lifelong learning, or for their children's homework. The pilot scheme will run from April.
§ Mr. BreedTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will announce the areas for the pilot scheme for the Computers Within Reach Programme; and what criteria he uses in selecting these pilot areas. [108607]
§ Mr. WillsThe selection of pilot projects for the Computers Within Reach initiative is currently under way, and includes assessment of proposals submitted in response to the prospectus published in autumn 1999 and follow-up visits to shortlisted projects. All those satisfying an assessment of their technical and financial capability of fulfilling their commitment under the terms of the initiative will be accepted, and a list, with the geographical areas which the projects intend to cover, will be published later this spring.
Specific grants supporting Department for Education and Employment (DfEE) initiatives launched since May 1997 £ million DfEE specific grant 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 Standards Fund School Effectiveness/Improvement — 71.5 125.5 145.3 Induction for Newly Qualified Teachers — 2.4 Part of School Improvement Grant Part of School Improvement Grant