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

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment his Department has made of the role of the digital divide in loneliness and social isolation amongst people with learning disabilities in (a) Coventry North East constituency, (b) Coventry, (c) the West Midlands and (d) England; and what steps his Department is taking to tackle the digital divide for people with a learning disability.

During the pandemic, the ability to connect online has supported many people to maintain social connections. However some people, including some people with learning disabilities, have faced barriers such as access to mobile technology and the internet, or a lack of skills and confidence.

Data from the 2019/20 Community Life Survey shows that people with a limiting long-term illness or disability were more likely to feel lonely often or always than those without (14% compared with 4%). The survey does not ask whether people have a learning disability, so we do not hold data on levels of loneliness for this specific group.

The Office for National Statistics recently published a report on levels of loneliness during Covid-19 at local authority level, which is available here: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/wellbeing/articles/mappinglonelinessduringthecoronaviruspandemic/2021-04-07

Currently, we do not have data at local authority level which relates specifically to people with learning disabilities.

The Government is tackling the digital divide for adults with learning disabilities through our £2.5m Digital Lifeline fund. This fund is providing tablets, data and free digital support to over 5,000 people with learning disabilities who would otherwise find it difficult to get online. The fund is enabling people to connect with friends, family, services and support groups, as well as pursue hobbies and interests.

So far 394 devices have been distributed to local delivery partners and centres in the West Midlands and 31 in the Coventry District.