HC Deb 11 March 2004 vol 418 c1683W
Lynne Jones

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many workers she estimates(a) are unable to use and (b) do not have direct access to the internet. [159699]

Mr. Sutcliffe

The DTI's International Benchmarking Study (DBS) measures the use of ICT by business and is produced annually. The IBS 2003 found that(a) 77 per cent. of ICT using organisations are completely or mostly content with their in-house ICT skills. (b) 10 per cent. of businesses do not have internet access.

IBS results are weighted to reflect employee distribution. A copy of the 2003 study (URN 03/147) is available from the Libraries of the House.