Government will ‘take everybody into the digital future’ with new inclusion plan
26 February 2025, 00:04
Technology ministers Peter Kyle and Sir Chris Bryant have unveiled a new plan to boost access to digital skills training and tech.
The whole of the UK will be given the chance to boost their digital skills and access vital technology under a new inclusion plan announced by the Government.
Ministers have said new funding will be provided to train people without the skills needed to adequately use the internet, as well as provide connected devices to people who can not afford them.
It is part of Government efforts to cut digital exclusion – where people are left unable to access vital services, including education, healthcare, banking or food shopping, as they lack the means to get online in a world that is increasingly digital first.
Technology Secretary Peter Kyle has published a Digital Inclusion Action Plan, which includes proposals to fund local initiatives aimed at the most vulnerable – including the elderly and low-income households, as well as working with inclusion charity Digital Poverty Alliance to provide laptops to those in need.
In addition, tech giants including Google, BT and Vodafone have agreed to work with the Government on the scheme, with Google and BT providing digital skills training and Vodafone to donate connectivity and technology.
Telecoms minister Sir Chris Bryant told the PA news agency that digital exclusion was a “real problem for the whole of society”.
“It’s shocking that it’s been 10 years since the last government came up with a digital inclusion strategy of any kind whatsoever,” he said.
“Digital exclusion can come in many different forms – it might be because of your geography, or it might be to do with your age and because you simply never got into this whole business of smartphones and apps.
“Or it might be to do with finance, because you simply haven’t got enough money to pay for an internet connection, or it might be other social issues – educational opportunity, your personal skills, linguistic issues – and we want to address all of those.”
Mr Kyle said the technological revolution of today “will not slow down any time soon” and that “leaving people behind in the process could threaten our mission to maximise technology for economic growth and better public services”.
“Only by making technology a widely accessible force for good can we make it a positive catalyst for societal change,” he said.
According to Government figures, 1.6 million people in the UK are currently living offline, and they risk being left behind if not given more support.
Highlighting the growing prominence of the issue, a National Databank has launched in the UK in recent years, which offers people access to devices and mobile data to those otherwise unable to access it.
Sir Chris also pointed to figures that show that people who are digital-excluded are likely to pay around 25% more for things such as insurance, because they are unable to shop around online, as a key reason to tackle digital exclusion.
“This is very much first steps, and this is a key ambition of this Labour Government to be able to take everybody into the digital future and not just a few,” he told PA.
“And the only way we can do that is if it’s not just a strategy for this year, but it’s a strategy for the whole of our time in Government.”
The telecoms minister added that improving digital skills across the population was also key to enabling the Government to provide more public services digitally, as it looks to cut waste and boost efficiency.
“It’s absolutely key to be able to deliver what we want – if we want to deliver more government services digitally, so for instance having access to your medical records on your phone,” he said.
“The only way we can do that is if we take everybody with us – or, for that matter, we might need to teach people how to book an appointment to see your GP online.
“You’ve got to have digital skills. You’ve got to have a connection.”
