Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether he plans to take steps to (a) introduce and (b) support courses to improve computer literacy.

We are introducing, from 2020, fully-funded basic digital skills training for adults. Adults will have the opportunity to take improved basic digital courses based on new national standards setting out the basic digital skills needed to participate effectively in the labour market and day–to-day life. The Government will consult on these new standards in the autumn.

We also fund the Future Digital Inclusion programme managed by the Good Things Foundation and delivered through the 5,000 strong Online Centres network. To date this programme has supported over 800,000 adult learners to develop their basic digital skills, many of whom are socially excluded. In the 2017 Autumn Budget the Government announced a National Retraining Scheme which will have an early focus on digital.

As part of the Digital Strategy over half of the 4 million digital skills training opportunities pledged by industry have now been delivered. Creation of the Digital Skills Partnership, also highlighted the Digital Strategy and support for Local Digital Skills Partnerships to ensure that partners across public, private and third sectors work collaboratively to design, develop and deliver innovative digital skills programmes will also help improve digital inclusion.