Written question WQ91566

Tackling digital exclusion is a poverty and inequality priority for this Government. We see digital poverty as one of the barriers to digital inclusion. The Digital Strategy for Wales, a Programme for Government commitment, makes clear our commitment to support everyone to gain motivation, confidence, and basic digital skills.

Those people we deem to be digitally excluded are increasingly being marginalised in society. As a government, we are working to ensure that no citizen is left behind as we embrace a digital first approach and digital inclusion will be at the heart of all we deliver.

Our current definition for digital exclusion is someone who does not personally use the internet. The latest National Survey for Wales 2022-23 (July 2023) showed that for those aged 16 and over living in Wales, 7% do not personally use the internet (170,000 people). There are numerous barriers as to why people do not personally use the internet, from motivation, trust, confidence, a lack of basic digital skills and affordability, aligned to the ongoing cost of living crisis.

We recognise that the ability to engage in digital technology means more than just personally using the internet. Therefore, you may be interested in an important piece of research we commissioned, to scope and define a Minimum Digital Living Standard for Wales (MDLS). The research was led by the University of Liverpool, in partnership with Loughborough University, Cwmpas, and Good Things Foundation. The Minimum Digital Living Standard is a citizen centred definition of what it means to be considered as digitally included in modern Wales. The standard considers ‘a basket of digital goods’ – the type of device, broadband speed or mobile data and the basic digital skills which are necessary to be able to engage confidently with digital technology. The research findings were published Phase One (February 2023) and Phase Two (November 2023).

My officials are now working with National Survey for Wales leads to understand how we can robustly monitor and measure MDLS at a Wales level. This work will support the Wellbeing for Future Generations National Indicator for digital inclusion, which together with the development of a minimum digital living standard will establish a baseline for what it means to be digitally included in Wales.