§ Mr. HobanTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what programmes are in place to enable mature students on low incomes to acquire computers. [158150]
§ Mr. Ivan Lewis[holding answer 2 March 2004]: At present no centrally funded programmes are in place that enable mature students on low incomes to acquire free or low price computers. The Government have however, established a network of UK online centres. These centres provide open access to ICT and the internet for people in all communities. All mature students in England should be able to find a UK online centre near to their home.
Many higher education institutions run local schemes to provide financial support or computer loans to their students on a case-by-case basis.
There are several programmes that provide general financial support to mature students on a basis of need, such as Access Funds. These are explained in the booklet, "Money to Learn", published by the Department for Education and Skills.