Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions his Department has had with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on the progress being made on tackling the digital divide for further education students in South Yorkshire.

For students in further education across England, we have extended the Get Help with Technology service to provide support with devices and connectivity. We have allocated over 82,000 laptops and tablets to further education providers. Secondary schools with sixth forms have also received devices for their 16-19 pupils.

Colleges and other further education institutions are eligible to receive devices where they have students aged 16-19 who are in receipt of free school meals, and where they have students aged 19 and over with an education, health and care plan who are also in receipt of free school meals. Further education providers will own the laptops and tablets provided under this scheme and can lend these to the young people who need them the most. All further education providers with eligible students have already been invited to order devices and orders are currently being fulfilled within 5 working days.

Once providers have joined the service and placed an order for devices, they will also be eligible to request 4G wireless routers for financially disadvantaged students who do not have a broadband connection at home.

Prior to extending the Get Help with Technology service to further education, we encouraged providers to use their 16-19 bursary funding to purchase devices and connectivity for disadvantaged students aged 16-19 where this is a barrier to learning. During the summer term last year, additional bursary funding was made available to providers via a business case process to provide further support with the additional costs arising from students participating online.

We are also in regular discussions with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on the coverage of high-speed internet connectivity and affordability to tackle data poverty, as well as working with Department for Work and Pensions to test approaches to help low-income families to get online and stay online.