Written question asked by Mark Hoban (Conservative) on Friday, 7 November 2008, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 11 November 2008. It was answered by Pat McFadden (Labour) on Tuesday, 25 November 2008 on behalf of the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.

Home Computing Initiative

Question: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many (a) laptops and (b) items of software were leased to families as part of the home computing initiative; and on what terms they were leased.

Answer: The Department did not require this level of detail on how many (a) people or (b) families were leased laptops and software as part of the HCI. However, figures supplied by The Digital Inclusion Technology Group (DITG) estimate that 400,000 PCs were loaned through the scheme, with a split of (i) 60 per cent. were laptop/40 per cent. desktop, (ii) software was preloaded and is therefore included in this figure.The terms they were leased on, where a matter for employers providing they conformed within the necessary guidance provided by HMRC and OFT.

Secondary information