HC Deb 19 March 2002 vol 382 cc252-3W
Margaret Moran

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans she has to continue the wired communities projects. [42658]

John Healey

The Wired Up Communities initiative is currently being piloted in seven areas across the country. A final evaluation report is now due in November 2002. After carefully considering this report, decisions will be made on any extension of the scheme to other communities.

Margaret Moran

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what evaluation she has undertaken on the wired communities projects; and if she will place a copy in the Library. [42665]

John Healey

An interim evaluation report collecting baseline information from the phase 1 wired up communities pilot in Kensington (Liverpool) was produced in September 2001. Further data collection activities in the six phase 2 projects are currently taking place. The final evaluation report was due to have been published in April 2002 but delays in some projects becoming operational has put the expected publication back to November 2002. A copy of the final report will be placed in the Library.

Margaret Moran

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the gender breakdown is of those involved in(a) IT for All and (b) wired communities projects. [42667]

John Healey

The IT for All scheme was a DTI initiative which ended in 2000. I have no information on the gender breakdown of those involved.

At this stage we do not have evaluation details from the six phase 2 wired up communities projects, but the phase 1 project located in Kensington (Liverpool) shows a 54 per cent. female: 46 per cent. male split within the representative sample. Data are currently being collected from the phase 2 projects and these will be available in April 2002.