Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to help elderly people learn digital skills in (a) the East Midlands and (b) England.

We are committed to helping elderly people acquire basic digital skills as part of our broader strategy to reduce digital exclusion. The Government’s Digital Strategy, published in March last 2017, sets out the Government’s approach to tackling digital exclusion. It recognises that for the UK to be a world-leading digital economy that works for everyone, it is crucial that everyone has the digital skills they need to fully participate in society.

In September 2018 DCMS launched a £400,000 Innovation Fund to tackle the digital exclusion of older and disabled people. Three pilot projects will address the digital exclusion of these groups with a view to replicating and scaling successful interventions in future.

DCMS are also supporting the development of Local Digital Skills Partnerships to encourage collaboration between key regional stakeholders to design and deliver innovative digital skills provision locally. Working closely with regional LEPs and Combined Authorities, three regions - Lancashire, Heart of the South West and the West Midlands have already launched with a further three regions - South East, Cheshire and Warrington and Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly coming on stream over the coming months.

On 18th September 2018, we published plans to improve adult basic digital skills.

We will introduce an entitlement to full funding for basic digital courses from 2020, similar to the entitlements already in place for maths and English. This will provide adults of any age the opportunity to undertake improved qualifications based on new national standards free of charge.

We understand that it is sometimes difficult for elderly people to access services digitally. Through around 3000 libraries across England we provide a trusted network of accessible locations with trained staff and volunteers, free Wi-Fi, computers, and other technology as well as Assisted Digital access to a wide range of digital public services where individuals are unable to access these services independently. There are numerous library device loan schemes across the country, many of which have a high take-up by older people.

Government is also tackling digital exclusion via the ‘Future Digital Inclusion’ programme funded by DfE, managed by the Good Things Foundation and delivered through the 5,000 strong national Online Centres network based out of libraries and other community spaces. There is provision across the East Midlands. To date, this programme has supported 1 million adult learners to develop their basic digital skills, many adults aged over 65 have benefited from “Future Digital Inclusion” programme (approx. 170,000). Further, the NHS Digital ‘Widening Digital Participation’ programme develops projects that enable people in England to improve their digital health skills and to increase their access to digital services and tools that support their health and care. A large percentage of those who have benefited from this service are elderly people.