Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will publish earlier than 17 February the information entitled Devices and internet connectivity data: progress update.

The Department has published new data on the delivery of devices as of 12 January 2021. This information can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/laptops-tablets-and-4g-wireless-routers-progress-data.

The Government is investing over £400 million to support access to remote education and online social care services, including securing 1.3 million laptops and tablets for disadvantaged children and young people.

This includes over 750,000 laptops and tablets that have been delivered to schools, trusts and local authorities by the end of last week.

The Department has also partnered with the UK’s leading mobile operators to provide free data to help disadvantaged children get online as well as delivering 4G wireless routers for pupils without connection at home.

The Department is grateful to EE, O2, Sky Mobile, Smarty, Tesco Mobile, Three, Virgin Mobile, and Vodafone. We continue to invite a range of mobile network providers to support the offer.