Whitehall claims success for home computer drive

The UK government announced this week that the number of UK companies participating in its Home Computer Initiative (HCI) has more than tripled in the past 12 months.

According to Whitehall, in the two years since the Department of Trade and Industry first introduced the HCI guidelines, more than 1,250 organisations have implemented schemes, up from 380 at the same time last year.

The DTI went on to claim that 75 per cent of employees taking up HCI computers are lower rate tax payers, a sign that the scheme is contributing to the government's objectives of bridging the UK's digital divide.

HCI schemes allow employers to loan computers to employees for personal use at home as a tax-free benefit. They have now been offered to around five million people, an increase of 39 per cent on last year.

Uptake has been seen across all industry sectors, from transportation and manufacturing to local authorities, healthcare and education, according to the DTI.

The department added that growing numbers of small and medium-sized businesses are now leading the way and realising the potential of HCI schemes, following early uptake by large organisations.

Peter Wilkinson, learning and development director at Royal Mail Group, said: "Our 'Learning for All' HCI programme has been so successful that there would be an outcry from our employees if we thought about stopping it."