Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if he will update the 2014 Digital Inclusion Strategy to promote the redistribution of digital devices, in the context of tackling exclusion and reducing e-waste.

Government announced on 26 February in our Digital Inclusion Action Plan a device donation pilot. We are working with the Digital Poverty Alliance to refurbish end-of-life laptops from DSIT, DESNZ and DBT and distribute them to those who need them most. We are ensuring no unsuitable devices are donated but instead are stripped for parts and recycled according to Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) guidelines.

We are also working with industry on a device donation charter to encourage more organisations to set up device donation schemes. We hope to publish the charter in Spring 2025.