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Complimentary computer and Internet access is to be made available to families belonging to lower income groups within England. This is the next level of progress in a Government scheme which is aimed at bridging the digital divide.

A formal declaration of the ₤300m Home Access Initiative was made in September 2008 by Prime Minister Gordon Brown, following which successful tests were carried out in February 2009, in two areas. The scheme has crystallised now with a formal government confirmation that almost 300,000 families in England will be given the opportunity to apply for a grant in order to get their free laptop with Internet connectivity.

When Gordon Brown was a Chancellor in 1999, he had conceived this idea of lower income group families receiving computers with internet capabilities to boost IT skills in the UK and also improve the economy in the long run.

This scheme gives such families the freedom to utilise the many benefits of computer and internet access to improve their skill levels and learning. While the laptop is to be given to the family for life, the internet connection will be sponsored by the government for the first year only. It is left to the families, to decide if they wish to continue the Internet connection usage beyond this period with their own funds.

As a benchmark for their financial condition, children who are a part of a low income family receive meals free of cost at schools. The Government has cautioned that not all the children receiving free school meals will get support pertaining to their computer and Internet connection under this scheme. Eligibility to the first scheme does not guarantee the same for the laptop scheme.

The laptops will be issued by the year 2011 to selected families whose grants have been approved.