Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Access to Public Services: Technology

Wednesday 8 January 2025 · 3 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 3 Partly answered 0 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Government recognises digital technology's potential to support independent living and will set new national standards for care technologies.
  • Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018 require public sector organisations to ensure services are accessible to disabled and older people.
  • Government has established a digital inclusion and skills unit to address digital exclusion and ensure everyone has access, skills, and confidence in digital society.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Lewis Atkinson Lab Sunderland Central
Social Care Science & Technology
Context

Sunderland was recently named the UK's smartest city by The Times and has over 5,000 homes with assistive technology installed to support independence of older and disabled people.

Question

How do the Government plan to build on the example of Sunderland to improve access to public services across the UK?

Answer from The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology (Feryal Clark)

The Government recognise the potential for digital technology to support people to live independently. We will set new national standards for care technologies and develop trusted guidance so that people who draw on care, their families and care providers can confidently buy what works and get the safest, most effective tech into their homes or services. In addition, we will take forward a range of initiatives in 2025-26, including funding more home adaptations and promoting the better use of care technology.

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Q2 Richard Foord Lib Dem Honiton and Sidmouth
Economy
Context

No specific background, but the question focuses on the comfort level of older individuals with technology.

Question

What steps is her Department taking to help older people who do not feel comfortable utilising technology to access public services?

Answer from The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology (Feryal Clark)

The Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018 require most public sector organisations to ensure their services are accessible to disabled and older people by meeting the requirements of the web content accessibility guidelines and by publishing an accessibility statement in the prescribed format. The Government Digital Service’s accessibility monitoring team reviews public sector websites to ensure compliance with the accessibility regulations and supports Departments to improve their services.

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Q3 Ben Spencer Con Runnymede and Weybridge
Science & Technology
Context

Digital inclusion is a priority for the government, but there are concerns about those who cannot use technology.

Question

What is her assessment of the impact of digital exclusion in the UK? Will the digital inclusion strategy that she has announced include digital exclusion at all levels of Government?

Answer from The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology (Feryal Clark)

Digital inclusion is a priority for this Government. We have set up the digital inclusion and skills unit to ensure that everyone has the access, skills, support and confidence to participate in modern digital society, whatever their circumstances. Work is ongoing to develop our approach to digital inclusion and co-ordinate across Departments, and we hope to announce more on that soon.

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