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11 Jan 2010
Prime minister Gordon Brown today reaffirmed pledges to close the digital divide by offering free computers and broadband access to low income families.
Around £300m will be set aside to help 270,000 families as part of the Home Access scheme.
The plans, originally announced over a year ago, are designed to "close the digital and educational divide between rich and poor and help keep parents in touch with their child's progress", according to a note on the official Number 10 web site.
Schools secretary Ed Balls told the BBC's Today programme this morning that the government had already begun allocating the computers to families nationwide, so that "all children and not just those on higher incomes can have a computer at home".
"We are doing this because we've got the money and evidence shows that it improves their learning and raises their exam grades," he said. "It's about delivering a more socially just society in which every child can learn, not just some."
The plans are part of the government's attempts to close the digital divide, but are likely to be less controversial than its proposed Landline Duty which seeks to raise nearly £1bn in revenue to fund the rollout of next-generation broadband services to those in poorly served areas.
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Do you agree?
free computers
How dare these people assume that someone on benefits will either pawn or use a computer to play games, my daughter has 5 children, she was a hardworker until her husband took cancer and passed away,her youngest child was also diagnosed with a malnignant brain tumour and had to have treatment, with no one else to care for her children she gave up her job to care for them(she was a nurse) This idea is a good one, not all folk on benefits are scroungers!!!
Posted by: Eileen Greene 11 Feb 2010
Laptops revenue
Ahhhhh! so that 50p will help pay for the giveaway laptops, sneaky lad Gordon.
Posted by: Gaz 20 Jan 2010
Just a cash transfer
Lost, broken, stolen, sold or pawned. This is no more than a completely misguided waste of assets that will result in at least 90% of these basic laptops being gone within 12 months. Having no financial interest there will be no incentive to look after the computers. And then - internet will be wanted. And then - who will get the new to be announced "broadband benefit" with "line rental" worth £25 a week to go with the laptops. Brown has really excelled himself this time.
Posted by: Chris Goodman 13 Jan 2010
Waste of Money
Where is the evidence it improves learning? Kids copy and paste stuff from the internet and are actively encouraged to do so. The rest of the time computers are a massive distraction Mr Brown needs to look at the education system first and 300m would be better spent there in schools
Posted by: Andrew 12 Jan 2010
Another Brown giveaway
I thought we as a country were skint.
Posted by: Albert Hall 11 Jan 2010
Brown confirms laptop giveaway for poor families
More benefits for those who are already on benefits. I am a masters degree graduate with no career job but still working hard paying my taxes and also paying £25 per month for internet connection. Did not see any help for me out there. Should I quit my job and go on benefits?????
Posted by: Sofia M. 11 Jan 2010
An insight to government spending.
Just looking at the numbers; Assuming one laptop per family we have; £300,000,000 / 300,000 families = £1000 per family. Either they are getting pretty nice laptops, or up to 75% of that money will be getting "lost" somewhere. Or perhaps the government is just again showing its complete lack of understanding of technology.
Posted by: Duke 11 Jan 2010
Laptop giveaways
Another election gimic from a desperate PM. Presumably he is digging into his back pocket for the £300 million as the Treasury certainly hasn't got it. The country is now £800 billion in debt thanks to Gordo's pevious giveaways.
Posted by: Arthur B Parkinson 11 Jan 2010
Struggling living on low interest on savings
Here I am struggling on a much reduced income from savings, and now I have got to finance laptops for those not bothering to work? They will only use them for games anyway
Posted by: Mike 11 Jan 2010
Who thought this would be a winning idea?
Oh my goodness, what incentives are there for people to look for work? There is free computer access at libraries and schools, why not invest more money into these instead of all of those families with more children than they can affford and those for whom work is a four letter word. Shame on you Gordon for once again forgetting those households who work hard and never seem to get a break. they are voters too you know!!
Posted by: Mel 11 Jan 2010
Families still need relevant hardware, Laptop or PC
Whilst it is clearly important for any pupil to have access to the Internet today, how is 'poor' defiend? Do you have to 'sign-on' first? And how is the request processed? On what ground? Next subject will be: "Who is the lucky manufacturer?" - And will Microsoft give away free operating systems? I doubt it. If any chance - families can get a voucher and have to order from a government controlled website....but how? No PC! I can see cost effective operating systems working within the scheme, like the new "whytwitter Netbook Pack". Works like Chrome OS and has full support included, makes a difference from any other Linux based platform. But the hardware problem will remain, so will be the definition of 'poor'.
Posted by: M Tinger 11 Jan 2010