Speeches

Chi Onwurah – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2015-11-03.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the funding was for the Digital Inclusion team in his Department in each year for which figures are available.

Mr Edward Vaizey

As announced by the Prime Minister in Written StatementHCWS278 on 29 October 2015, policy responsibility for digital inclusion transferred from the Cabinet Office to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on 1 November 2015.

Government is already investing in world class infrastructure (e.g. in the form of superfast broadband coverage) but access alone isn’t enough – people need the skills to benefit from online. The most recent funding figures available are £0.12m in 2013/14 and £0.30m in 2014/15. Our Digital Inclusion Strategy, published in April 2014, sets out how we plan to increase the level of digital engagement across the UK. Significantprogress in this area is already being made by public, private and voluntary sector organisations – dozens of which have signed up to the Digital Inclusion Charter.You can find more information on the Charter here:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/government-digital-inclusion-strategy/uk-digital-inclusion-charter