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

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the research of Professor Bart van Ark from the University of Manchester on the digital economy, whether her Department is taking steps to help ensure that digital technologies can support inclusive productivity.

We recognise that, as highlighted in Professor’s van Ark’s research, digital technology can only fulfil its potential of increasing productivity without widening societal inequality, when it is made available to everyone. Our recently published Digital Strategy sets out our ambitions for harnessing the power of digital technologies to the benefit of our economy and society as a whole. The Government recognises the barriers associated with digital exclusion, so we are addressing these in particular through our work on digital infrastructure and essential digital skills.

DCMS is backing Project Gigabit with £5 billion, so that hard to reach communities are not left out. To further improve access to the internet, help is available for low income households to access broadband, mobile and landline services through a range of low-cost social tariffs.

To improve access to vital digital skills, the government has introduced a digital entitlement for adults with no or low digital skills. This allows adults wishing to acquire essential digital skills to gain specified digital qualifications, up to level 1, free of charge. Essential Digital Skills Qualifications (EDSQs), introduced alongside the digital entitlement, are based on new national standards which set out the digital skills people need to get on in life and work. We also support the provision of essential digital skills training in community settings through the Adult Education Budget.

DCMS also launched the Digital Skills Council at London Tech Week in June 2022. The Council will bring together industry leaders and training experts from Manchester Digital, Amazon Web Services and Multiverse. Working directly with employers, the council will encourage investment in employer-led training to upskill workforces. The group will also look at ways the industry can inspire the next generation of talent from a wide range of backgrounds to consider a digital career and identify opportunities to accelerate existing good practice within other industry groups.

Public libraries also play an important role in tackling digital exclusion. Around 2,900 public libraries in England provide a trusted network of accessible locations with staff, volunteers, free wifi, public PCs, and assisted digital access to a wide range of digital services. Volunteers and library staff have been trained in digital skills so that they can provide library users with support in using digital applications and services.