Prime Minister expected to close digital divide

At the Labour Party conference in Manchester today, the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown is expected to announce a plan to close the digital divide once and for all.

The announcement will introduce a £300 million project which is intended to help those households where for one reason or another they are not able to provide their children with access to the internet, by providing vouchers which can be used to buy computer equipment and/or a broadband connection.

The scheme will involve Educational Technology Allowance vouchers, which could be worth anything from £100 up to £700.

It is believed that around 1.4 million children do not have broadband access at home, which can really have a detrimental effect on their education.