Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many adult students have received their digital entitlement since it was announced in 2016.

The entitlement to free digital skills training for adults was provided through the Digital Economy Act 2017. This entitlement is yet to commence, although the government is currently working with Further Education institutions, employers and other stakeholders to develop the appropriate training.

In advance of adults benefiting from the new entitlement, learners continue to study a wide range of digital courses. In the 2013 to 2014, the Skills Funding Agency funded 201,000 learners to take digital qualifications and approximately £100 million was spent through the Adult Skills Budget on training that provided a qualification in digital skills.

The government will confirm in due course when the new provision for digital skills will commence.