Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to support elderly people with technology.

Everyone should be able to benefit from the digital world – helping families save money, get a better job, and access services like the NHS more easily.

But we know some people face real barriers and older people are more likely to be offline: data from 2025 shows that 13% of adults aged 65+ did not have home internet access, compared to 3% of adults aged 16-64.

That’s why we published the Digital Inclusion Action Plan and launched the £11.9 million Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund - helping more people, including older people, across the UK get the access, skills and confidence to get online. We are also committed to making digital public services simple and accessible for everyone, by working on renewed digital standards for essential public services and stronger accountability, alongside well‑supported offline routes.

In February, major telecoms providers signed a new charter to end unexpected mid-contract price rises and make social tariffs easier to access, helping millions manage living costs.