Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the debate on Closing the digital divide: promoting equal access to digital technologies at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on 23 June 2023.

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe called on states to focus on: access to the internet; improving digital literacy; promoting access to STEM education and careers; and ensuring equality of access to public services. The Government is already making progress on these issues.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology is delivering on the Government’s commitment to universal access to reliable internet via its social tariffs initiative. To support low-income families, we have worked closely with Ofcom and the industry to bring a range of social tariffs into the market. These low-cost, high-quality broadband and mobile offers are available from a range of providers, across 99% of the UK and start from as low as £10 per month.

The Assembly called on States to ‘combat digital illiteracy regardless of gender, age, social status, economic situation, disability or any other personal characteristic’. The Government remains committed to developing digital skills across the whole of the UK. Through our Digital Entitlement scheme, free Essential Digital Skills Qualifications are available to enable people to gain the skills needed to participate in modern life.

The Assembly also called on States to ‘promote equal access to education and careers in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and careers’. The Government is funding a new generation of AI talent through scholarships, each worth £10,000, supporting underrepresented groups, including women, to undertake AI and Data Science Conversion Courses. The conversion courses provide a masters in AI and data science, and allow those from a non-STEM background to learn the skills needed to secure employment in the UK’s cutting-edge AI and Data Science sectors.

The Assembly urged States to ‘ensure equality of access to public services’. We are working to ensure that online services are as inclusive as possible by making public sector websites accessible to as many people as possible. Furthermore, assisted digital support services aim to increase digital inclusion for those online users who lack digital confidence, digital skills or access to the internet.

As stated at the Council of Europe, the Government will continue to scrutinise and prioritise digital inclusion. The recent House of Lords inquiry into Digital Inclusion is an example of this oversight, and will ensure the Government continues to prioritise and deliver against this important area.