Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the 2014 Digital Inclusion Strategy; and whether she plans to update that strategy.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology is committed to closing the digital divide and meeting the government’s commitment that nobody should be left behind in the digital age.The 2014 Digital Inclusion Strategy, and the four pillars it sets out, remains as relevant today as it was when published. These principles were further echoed in the Government’s UK Digital Strategy published in 2022, and our vision to enable everyone from across the UK to benefit from all that digital innovation can offer.

The Department has further considered the 2014 Digital Inclusion Strategy following the House of Lords Communications and Digital Committee’s report on digital exclusion and cost of living and will formally respond to that Committee’s recommendations for the publication of a new digital inclusion strategy this month.