MP says 2007 is 'make or break' for digital inclusion

Next year will be a turning point in the debate on digital inclusion - and there's no guarantee it will be for the better, an MP has warned.

Derek Wyatt MP said that the number of people owning PCs had stalled at about 60 per cent of the population, with the number of those subscribing to broadband also levelling out. He warned that the remainder would miss out on valuable government services, educational resources and competitive pricing for goods.

Speaking at the launch of a remote assessment service designed to encourage greater use of IT by disabled people by the charity Abilitynet, Mr Wyatt said: "Next year is make or break for the internet for many people. It's difficult to focus government minds on digital inclusion because they see the boom of recent years in both PC ownership and broadband uptake as a success story, but those statistics also tell us that about 40 per cent don't have that resource."

He said that the Prime Minister should appoint a minister to ensure everyone has access to the digital world.

"It doesn't help that there's no single person responsible for digital inclusion in government, so there's no individual minister for campaigners to shoot at," said Mr Wyatt.

He stressed that broadband was fast becoming a utility as important as water and electricity, and that those on the periphery of existing broadband technologies would need help to get access.

Abilitynet chairman David Livermore said that the number of people with disabilities who owned PCs and had online access was far less encouraging.

"Computing could be the great leveller in society," he said.

Mr Livermore added that people whose vision or motor functions deteriorated with age or illness could be sidelined in the digital economy.

"People are scared that if they raise questions about using assistive technology to help them with thier jobs then their careers could be harmed. The remote assessment service is simple and discreet," he said.