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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the UK Digital Strategy published on 1 March 2017, how many people are expected to take part in pilots of new ways to include digital skills and careers in the National Citizen Service; and when she expects such content to become a core part of the National Citizen Service programme.

NCS Trust is planning to test a digital component to the NCS programme over an initial two year period, in partnership with the Raspberry Pi Foundation. The outcomes of the pilot will be evaluated rigorously each year and the Trust will roll out the content nationally if successful.

The precise details of the pilots are still being agreed between NCS and the Raspberry Pi Foundation, so we are not able to provide definitive numbers at this stage.