Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what proportion of the Community Learning Fund supports digital inclusion projects or projects that equip learners with digital skills.

The national Community Learning (CL) objectives focus strongly on tackling disadvantage, including digital exclusion. Data for 2012/13 show that 9.4 per cent of all CL enrolments were in ICT subjects, with 97,310 learners participating.

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) separately funds the Tinder Foundation to deliver a wide range of digital inclusion projects. Many BIS-funded learning providers - mainly Local Authority adult education services - work closely with the Tinder Foundation and UK online centres on a range of digital inclusion projects.

In addition BIS has run a series of basic digital skills training programmes with Tinder in recent years. These have helped 1.25m people gain the skills they need to become confident and safe internet users.